Apart from some rapidly passing fronts, autumn weather has been kind to game fishers off Merimbula and they are now hunting yellowfin tuna in preparation for the club's Merimbula Open scheduled for June 7-10, with some $15,000 in cash and goods on offer.
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Kingfish remain patchy although some have cruised the Merimbula Wharf and they are active about the new Eden mooring dolphins. Trolling with hard-body lures is working well.
Ocean flathead at the usual spots off Tura Golf Course, Tura Headland, Bournda Island, White Rock, Kianinny and Baronda Headland are really biting well. Try at 15 fathoms off Tura Golf Course and Baronda. Catches of snapper and morwong from our local reefs including Long Point, Haycock, Lennards Island and Mowarry Point continue. Some nice gummy shark lie off the reef edges and should fire up during the full moon.
It's a good time for beach fishing when the SW winds set in. For salmon try the gutters near Bournda Island, also Tura Headland and Short Point as well as Haycock and Aslings beaches. After dark remember to use a wire trace as there are some large tailor on the prowl.
At the Merimbula Fishing platform calamari squid remain a staple with best returns now in late afternoon. Some excellent calamari squid have also been taken off Tura Headland.
In the estuaries water temperatures are starting to cool and are now below 19 degrees, however good fish remain on the chew including luderick in Pambula Lake on nippers. In the Merimbula Lake channel opposite Fishpen both bream and trevally are available. Near the bridge there are also lots of Luderick. In the main lake there are some fine dusky flathead as well as trevally, bream and even snapper.
The Bega River remains open and good dusky flathead, trevally and bream are to be found about the Mogareeka Bridge. Reports of large European carp further up the Bega River are highly disturbing.
The annual Merimbula Big Game & Lakes Angling Club's Snapper Classic sponsored by Tackleworld and Goodyear has a prize pool for the longest snapper of more than $2000 in cash and vouchers plus many other prizes including the longest cumulative bag of 5 snapper. The Classic will be run over the weekend of May 25-26.
The club offers its sincere commiserations to Ron and Gael Vanderdrift of TackleWorld due to last week's devastating fire.
The clubhouse in Spencer Park will be open from 6.30pm on Friday, May 17. Visitors are very welcome. Come and enjoy the fishing report, the ambience, friendship and lovely views.
