This Autumn we have seen very few chilly days and this great weather has gone hand in hand with excellent fishing in the lake and offshore.

After a long and busy tourist season, the town is starting to slow down as we head into winter.

Some good fishing has been had offshore with plenty of big gummy sharks caught around the full moon, with fish more than 1.5m a regular catch.

From Gabo Island down to Big Ram, small kingfish have been caught on trolled lures along with the odd bonito.

Those chasing a feed of flathead have had no problems getting a bag of fish.

The beaches have been good with plenty of salmon caught by anglers using bait or lures.

Around the entrance, those using small baits of worms and prawns anglers have been catching some good-sized yellowfin bream.

Some big tailor have also been putting in an appearance along the beaches. After a week or two of good consistent swell, deep gutters are forming along all the local beaches.

The fishing in the lake has been excellent with flathead and bream biting well.

The water has cleaned up after the recent rain, leaving a good green colour which is excellent for lure fishing.

The bream have provided plenty of action with the edges of both the Top and Bottom lakes the go. Hardbodied lures like Rapala Husky Jerks and Storm Wildeye Minnows are catching plenty of fish.

The flathead have provided the best fun with soft plastic lures, because hardbodied lures are far too expensive for targeting flathead – light leaders and a lure swallowed by a flathead often result in you rummaging through the tackle box looking for your next offering.

Silver trevally, salmon and tailor have been turning up all through the system. Those fishing with prawns have also been getting the fish and with bream on the bite, you have to keep moving until the fish are located.

The fish have been on the move so there is no guarantee they will be in the same place the next day.

With the water still warm, the fish are at the water’s edge but when the temperature drops they will move into deeper water. It won’t be long before the water cools and you can monitor the temperature difference clearly on most depth sounders.

Fish have been caught in the rivers, with black bream to around 30cm common. The odd flathead is also being caught in the rivers.

Some good fish are still being caught in the Betka River with black bream, the odd estuary perch and flathead all available.