Offshore to the east, the water temperature is at 22.3C, with striped marlin sightings off the edge of the shelf.
In 450m of water good catches of trevalla and gemfish are being taken. For warmer waters striped trumpeter are fishing well and it is good to see an increase in numbers of small fish of less than 3kg, as this suggests good recruitment.
Striped tuna are in huge numbers from outside the shelf, right into the beach with fish caught within 50m of the shore at Babel Island and at Harley Point on the east coast.
Running with the striped tuna are makos of all sizes right down to 600 mm long.
Inshore with the temperature at 20.6C, snapper are fishing well on both the east and west coasts and I have heard of one fish caught in Marshall Bay which could be larger than the 13.5kg fish on the wall in the Interstate Hotel in Whitemark.
Yellowtail kingfish are in good numbers at Gull Island and along the west coast with 4-5kg fish in places and smaller specimens in others.
Late October, November and December are usually the best months for school sharks inshore, however in early March they have again run through the Pot Boil with fish around the 20kg providing good sport fishing close in, while gummies may be the better eating, school sharks are great catching.
All in all this season Flinders has been fishing at its best for years and this run should continue till the water temperature drops later into the winter.
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