As we wrote on the front page, fishing conditions have been a bit challenging over the Christmas break. Variable weather conditions have kept boaters off the water and when they have gotten out, the kingfish have not really come on at Montague Island.
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It’s been mostly undersize kingfish with some anglers going out multiple days for only one keeper or none at all. Luckily there are always the reliable sand flathead out there so at least you get a feed to bring home. Adding to the fishing woes there have been no prawns at all this year, due to the lakes being closed over that crucial period in August or September when the prawn larvae need to enter the estuaries.
Even the beaches have been challenging with gutters scarce and a lot of flat water. There have been good reports of decent size tailor down south of Narooma if you can find a good gutter and fish the rising tide or late evening.
The estuaries have probably been the stand out with good catches of whiting reported at Tuross Lake and Wallaga Lake continues to fish well as well. Wagonga is worth checking but stop in at the local tackle shop for the best advice.
Local Adam Callahan and his mates had a cracking day fishing for whiting on the Tuross sand flats. “We hit it in the morning before the northerly came up and were using nippers with light gear. The whiting couldn’t help themselves,” Adam reports. His mate Rob Bourke from the Sunshine Coast caught a 39cm beauty, while Dunnaz Dunbar of Canberra took out the day with a 43cm fish that was as thick as your arm.
Graham at Moruya reports the whiting are being caught throughout the system. The flats down the front and also the four-ways are good areas to target them. Surface lures are working great! Live yabbies and fresh beach worms have also been working well. A few jewfish were hanging around with reports of some reasonable size fish landed up near Snake Flat and also down the front near the boat shed.
Also experiencing success at Tuross are dynamic fishing duo Pam and Mark Feeley who got some cracking dusky flathead, 84cm and 88cm respectively, on poddy mullet. This fish were of course released and remember Tuross Lake is now a “trophy flathead fishery”, albeit still voluntary. Tuross Head Fishing Club secretary Max Castle recently placed signs around the lake reminding anglers of this status.
The marlin season is now truly underway off Bermagui with water temperatures increasing and boats reporting multiple hook-up days. The FAD is now in place northeast of Montague Island and should be holding the odd dolphinfish. Further south, the bass are firing at Brogo Dam, well worth a trip.