Information from Sapphire Coast Tourism says around 42 per cent visitors to Merimbula are motivated by fishing activity, compared to an eight per cent benchmark for comparable regions including Coffs Harbour, the Shoalhaven, Batemans Bay and Gippsland.
And with lots of fish now on the bite there is plenty of action to keep locals and visitors entertained.
Adam Blacka of Bega has hooked up one of the season’s first marlins off Kianniny at the edge of the continental shelf.
Adam also reported a lovely catch of blue eye trevalla.
The Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club reports there are good snapper and morwong at White Rock out of Kianniny, and Long Point and Haycock out of Merimbula .
From Eden try Boyds Tower reef.
There are also some sizeable ocean flathead and a few gummy shark north of Baronda Headland out of Kianniny, as well as the edge of the Horseshoe Reef near Haycock Point.
Try also off Tura Headland and Middle Beach, mostly in 25 to 30 metres of water.
Though patchy, good size southern calamari continue to be taken from the Merimbula Wharf, best results in the evening, use a prawn-like No.3 jig.
Some good Australian salmon and trevally have also been landed.
Luderick are passing but remain shy on the bite.
For trevally and luderick try the Spencer Park jetty on the run out.
Artificial weed is working for the luderick and soft plastics for the trevally plus the occasional bream and dusky flathead.
Silver spinners are taking Australian salmon. Keep an eye out for sharks along Main Beach.
At Merimbula Lake large tailor, trevally, dusky flathead, bream, whiting and luderick are all feeding in the channel below the bridge.
Light (prawn) green 100mm squidgy wrigglers, silver spinners, pilchard bait and pumped nippers are all effective.
In the Top Lake try along the drop-offs, at the edge of the weed beds, best on the rising tide.
If you see a tailor bust-up, hunting the bait schools, don’t be afraid to fish beneath with soft plastics or pilchards for bream, trevally and even kingfish and mulloway feeding beneath.
In Pambula Lake bream, trevally and dusky flathead are taking pilchard baits, pumped nippers and soft plastics.
There remain a few Australian salmon and tailor attracted to trolled soft plastics.
The Bega River remains brackish and best results are coming from around Mogareeka where large dusky flathead, bream and trevally can be found.
Prawns have been exceptional at Wallagoot and anglers look towards the end of January for the next rise.
Image: MBGALAC
