The Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club’s annual Tackle World Snapper Classic will be run this weekend with fishing permitted from 12 midnight on Friday until 12 midday on Sunday. The briefing and final entries will be at the Spencer Park clubhouse on Friday with doors open at 6.30pm. All are welcome to fish in this competition; locals, members and visitors alike! Entries at the briefing, at Tackle World Merimbula or over the web www.mbglac.com.au.
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Last Friday Eden District Fisheries Officer and expert snapper fisher Matt Proctor gave an excellent talk on local snapper fishing based on his experiences over the past 28 years. Matt’s observation is that local snapper are plentiful and represent a unique genetic stock tending to be smaller than those in Victoria or to the north that are of similar age.
This means that 5-6kg locals are similar to 12-14kg snapper elsewhere and so require due respect. Local snapper have a home range between about Gabo Island and Montague Island. As they patrol the local waters, Matt’s preferred fishing technique is to anchor and burley in waters of 30-40m adjacent to reef structures, in the zone he terms the “Snapper Highway”.
Matt’s advice is to fish dawn and dusk with evening fishing his preference. Because of the depth he fishes, tides are not important. Only during high tide should one try closer in. To hook the largest snapper Matt prefers a “floating” bait (pilchards) – giving similar results as soft plastics, weighted with a small running sinker which allows a gentle drift to the right depth. Matt fishes close to the bottom when using the classic paternoster rig.
After a blow forecast for Thursday, weather for the Snapper Classic looks like being OK with relatively mild offshore winds forecast and a decreasing swell. This is a great competition for bottom bouncers and there is also free entry and cash prizes for junior anglers. Contact Chris Young: 0417 114 275.
Dusky flathead are reported to be on the chew in Pambula Lake together with trevally and tailor. Bream remain on the bite in Merimbula Lake. All estuary fish respond well to soft plastics and also live nippers and baitfish metal lures bring good results. Ocean flathead have really come on the bite; try 20 fathoms off Merimbula and northwards all the way to Tathra.
Congratulations to Tegan Lucardie who landed a magnificent 140kg Broadbill last Saturday on a 15kg line from Schockwave out of Eden, captained by Brian Schofield. With the elusive broadbill much sought after and the very pinnacle for game fishers, this is another wonderful result now the “secret” of daytime fishing has been publicised, using a similar method as American big game anglers.
