BIG KING: Peter Neate sent in this photo of his nephew Rowan Neate of Melbourne with a big 97cm kingfish taken at Montague Island this week.
MINISTER FISH: David Kramer with former Victorian Minister for Fisheries Joe Helper MP with some nice kingfish landed on the western side of Montague Island on Sunday.
TEGAN’S KINGFISH: Tegan Kramer enjoyed a successful daughter/father trip last week aboard the IFISH TV Stabicraft.
MADISON’S BREAM: Four-year-old Madison Carratelli from Mooroolbark Victoria landed this nice 28cm bream in Wagonga Inlet using nippers for bait.
MALCOLM’S KINGFISH: Malcolm Baddeley from Sydney with a nice 81 cm Kingfish caught on the weekend out at Montague Island.
BEN’S KINGFISH: Ben Kramer visiting Narooma from Darwin with a 75cm Kingie caught on Sunday.
NICE CATCH: Terry Vincent with a nice snapper or as he calls them “schnapper”.
Kingfish firing!!! – Narooma report by David Kramer
WHAT a sensational week it has been for fishing in Narooma, with Montague Island kingfish coming on the bite, offshore flathead being caught in very good numbers and Wagonga Inlet producing some very nice fish.
The Christmas holidays are always a great time for families and friends to enjoy the favourite pastime of fishing together, and this week has certainly been a special week for me.
Three trips to Montague Island this week; one with my son, one with my daughter and another with Victorian MP Joe Helper, who served as Minister for Fisheries up until 2010; with all three trips producing some nice kingfish.
Last Thursday, the fish were all down south of the island, and while there weren’t many big fish caught, there were certainly good numbers of fish caught between 70 and 75cm in length.
Mixed amongst the kings were good numbers of snapper to 2 kilos and the odd flathead and rock cod as well.
Friday was a different story; much rougher weather and the fish decided they would only bite on the north east corner of the island.
There were some much bigger fish hooked and many anglers reporting being busted off on big kings.
Sunday was the next big day for the kingfish with excellent conditions and plenty of fish. Most fish were caught on the western side less than 500m from the island and ranged 70–75cm.
While there was a good three hour bite time on Sunday, there was period there where they were only taking jigs, bait was next to useless; that’s kingfish!
Monday was a different story all together. There was no wind, very little current and only a single fish here and there.
For all those anglers that came in disappointed on Monday, rest assured that when the wind and current is right, there are plenty of kingfish out there.
There have been several mako sharks spotted on the kingfish grounds this week, most reports by anglers who catch a glimpse of the shark following a bait up.
The good numbers of snapper continue out at the island too, and this week, there have been increased catches of morwong to 50cm.
On the offshore flathead scene, there have been good numbers of fish coming from Dalmeny and Kianga with the best depth being 30 to 35m. Anglers drifting a paternoster rig with squid baits have reported fish up to 70cm and many anglers are getting there bag limits within an hour.
Wagonga Inlet has also been fishing sensationally over the last week.
The board walk fishing platforms have been producing good numbers of trevally, bream, leather jacket and the odd flounder.
Prawn and squid strips have been the best bait and an hour either side of a tide change the best time. The deep channels and gutters just west of the highway bridge are teaming with good size whiting and bream.
Live bass yabbies have been the best bait, which can be pumped on the sand flats and are in abundance at the moment.
The best time for the whiting and bream is the last of the run-out tide.
In the lake proper, there are still large schools of tailor lurking.
The schools are moving fast and can easily be spotted by the birds working above the fish.
Anglers chasing flathead have been working live mullet below the tailor schools and a few nice fish have been taken during the week to 75cm using this method.
For some serious dusky flathead action, soft plastics have been the best method, particular fishing the drop-offs over the sand flats and the sandy edges of the weed beds surrounding the inlet.
This week has seen some excellent size garfish coming from Forsters Bay. Berley is essential and you will get all types of fish including yakkas, mullet, trevally, small bream and pinky snapper in the berley trail however if you target the garfish with your bait suspended only 30cm under a float, you will avoid the other species and end up with a very good feed of garfish.
Hopefully the fantastic weather will continue as it has since Christmas and plenty more fishing will be enjoyed by families over the remaining weeks of the holiday period.
David Kramer hosts Melbourne’s 3AW fishing show which can be heard every Friday evening at 7pm via www.3aw.com.au or on the 3AW phone app. This Friday, David will give a comprehensive round up of Narooma fishing and invite you to call in on (03)9690 0693 if you have a fishing report or any questions regarding the local fishing.
Bermagui fishing report
OFFSHORE water temperatures have been conducive to Marlin with water from 19.8 to 21.8 between Tuross north down to Tathra.
Early last week the warmer water had a few fish in it from east of the Island to below the kink with less than 1kt of tide helping bait level to remain good in 65-100 fathoms.
The best of this water pushed south off Tathra last weekend a few fished were tagged due east of the Tathra township and a few more seen or raised.
Above 36.10 (below Tuross Canyons) inside the shelf on Monday the water great, of good colour but further south whilst temperatures hadn’t dropped away the water did not look as good.
The right finger of water had pushed inside the edge at Batemans Bay and produced a solid bit there on Sunday. That better water has now pushed north off Brush island. All in all we are set up nicely here for a marlin bite but simply need a few more fish to move.
- Scotty, Bermagui Bait & Tackle
Moruya and Tuross reports:
Moruya River: VIP Member Jarod caught and released a very healthy 84cm flathead on a Squidgie ‘Pody’. Plenty of large whiting have been caught on both live beach worms and Strada Virals and Dance (BRAND NEW IN STORE NOW) surface lures. Tackle World Moruya member Mark has been catching large Luderick on green weed. The sand flats above the hospital are fishing quite well for flathead and whiting, responding best to Squidgies and live beach worms or surface lures, respectively. Down the front, in the backwaters, Tackle World Moruya members Nathan and Juzz have been catching bream, whiting and flathead on Strada Virals. Head to our facebook page for photos!
Tuross: VIP member Noel fished the backwaters of the Tuross system in 1-1.5m of water, with a couple of fish caught on white soft plastics. Upon switching to a darker Squidgie Shad, he landed two flathead around the 70cm mark, lost another (a lot larger) and then caught and released another 30 within a two hour session, between 32-38cm. Tackle World Moruya member Jade also had a good catch and release session featuring flathead and bream, using the new Strada Dance (surface walker). Extremely large Luderick have been caught on fly.
Congratulations to all entrants in the kids’ fishing competition last weekend, there were some remarkable fish caught and everyone should be proud of themselves!
Beaches and Rocks: VIP member John reports the windsock has been providing bream and large whiting on live beach worms (exclusive to Tackle World Moruya if you don’t want to catch them yourselves). Tackle World Moruya member John (Senior) has been catching bream, whiting and flathead off Congo beach.
Offshore: Plenty of sand and tiger flathead are currently being caught on both fishbait and squid, between 20-50m of water. Nice snapper, mowies and gummy sharks are coming off the wider reefs. Down in close off Congo, ‘cricket score’ numbers of squid have been hitting the IKA squid jigs hard. Good size kingfish have been caught in close off Congo, responding best to Gulp 7 inch Jerk Shads.
Tackle World Moruya has now joined facebook! So go to www.facebook.com/tackleworldmoruya to check the site for updates on specials and great photos! Have a great week everyone and “remember everyday’s a good day for fishing ...!”
Team Tackle World Moruya
Graham, Gaye, Bec, Mark, Nathan and Jade
Narooma Sport and Game Fishing Club news: fishing is great
FISHING has improved dramatically this week with good sized kingfish and snapper being on the bite at Montague Island.
Best method seems to be using live bait, which is providing good results. There are only a few seals around, which improves the catch rate.
Live bait can be found strait out from the golf club, by use of bait jigs.
Fishing our wide has been patchy, but as the water warms up we should see the catches improve.
Good size flathead were caught straight out from the bar. The lake is patchy, providing small snapper, flathead and trevally. Garfish and whiting were also caught.
The surf also is providing a few salmon, tailor and bream but can again, be patchy. The beaches around Dalmeny seem to be producing results
January features the Junior Fishing Clinic, which will be held on January 17 from 9am to 2pm, at the NSGFC club house on Riverside Drive, Narooma (next to Taylor’s seafood restaurant).
The clinic is open for 6 to 14 year olds, lunch and fishing tackle are provided, and cost is $15 per child.
The kids will learn how to tie knots and rigs, how to cast, gathering bait, how to catch and release and look after the fisheries.
To participate, ring Les on mobile 0411 392 608.
The club is open from 4.30pm on Friday, why not call and discuss your fishing experiences and learn the local hot spots from the locals, over a beer or two.
Please log in with Marine Rescue if you go out past the bar, it could avert a tragedy!
- Terry Vincent