You certainly realise winter is here when you head across the lake at the start of the day. This typical classic winter weather means rugging up in the mornings and evenings with jumpers off around midday.

The water temperature has also dropped offshore and in the lake. There are very few visitors about, which is the way it will stay until the weather starts to warm up later in the year. And, as usual for this time of year, the fishing has been nothing short of spectacular.

Offshore the fishing has been excellent with good catches of sand flathead and gummy shark around Gabo Island. No doubt there are other spots but it’s just a matter of finding them.

On a recent fishing trip offshore I decided to fish with only lures. I had a great day catching a bag of good sand flathead and a good size gummy shark. The lure that worked the best was the Slam bit 3” Swim shad in pearl ghost colour.

The beach fishing has been good for winter and has seen decent numbers of salmon moving along all the local beaches. Whether fishing lures or bait you are going to catch fish wherever you find them.

Fishing in the bottom lake has been good with plenty of fish being caught. Yellowfin and black bream, flathead, silver trevally and luderick have all been on the bite. Leatherjackets have also been thick and if fishing with soft plastics be prepared to loose a few as the lure will come back with bites out of it, which you would be lucky to have felt.

Jewfish are out there if you are prepared to rug up and get out for the night. Dale Winwood has encountered fish on each occasion at night using fresh tailor for bait. His best fish to date is around 26kg, which he released.

The Top Lake has been fishing well for flathead and black bream. The fish have been caught on soft plastics and hardbody lures flicked around the edges. Leatherjackets aren’t such a big problem as you head upstream.

Salmon and tailor are also about with tailor to 2kg not uncommon.

Around Gypsy Point there have been plenty of black bream and flathead caught. The rivers have also been fishing well for black bream with the average size around 30cm.

The Betka River has really slowed down after a period of fishing well. The water temperature has really dropped and things probably won’t improve until it starts warming up.