Offshore the East Australia Current is running strongly at close to 3 knots to the south and there continues to be great gamefish (marlin) tag and release action off Merimbula and Eden. Mahi Mahi (dolphin fish) are also giving anglers lots of excitement at the FAD.
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Snapper and morwong are reported on the chew along our reefs from Mowarry, Boyds Tower, Lennards Island and from the Horseshoe Reef area past Haycock and at White Rock from Kianinny. There are good patches of baitfish; slimy mackerel and yellowtail fairly close inshore.
Ocean flathead are plentiful in the area off the Tura Beach Golf Club at about 22 fathoms where one of our members John Gelling landed a huge 58cm sand flathead. Flathead are also plentiful at Tura Headland, Bournda, White Rock and Cowdroys. Chinamen leatherjackets remain a problem.
Good calamari squid continue to be landed at both Tathra and Merimbula Wharfs with luderick remaining on the chew at Merimbula, try using artificial plastic weed lures. The best times are morning and evening. Some fine drummer are about off Tura Headland, best bait cunjevoi.
During the Eden fishing competition David Bond caught a 10.9kg gummy shark in the Pambula River. Other standout catches were Dean Boulton’s 17.5kg jewfish, Thomas Anderson’s 161kg blue marlin, David Huntley’s 3.9kg snapper and Rahul Mudalia’s10.4kg kingfish.
With a whole new format thanks to the Merimbula Lakeview Hotel’s magnificent sponsorship; the club’s annual dusky flathead competition this coming weekend, March 17-18, has total prizes exceeding $3000. This competition awards prizes based on a “brag mat” photograph of the fish, allowing for safe release back into the water. The main prize is a cool $1000 cash for the largest dusky taken by lure only and, if more than 80 senior anglers enter, the first prize will be raised to $2000. There is also a $500 cash jackpot prize for the “Lure Only” category for dusky flathead which must be caught on a lure without the use of berley and must be over 1 metre in length.
There are additional prizes for 1st and 2nd place (lure and bait) and for Ladies and also 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes for juniors who are eligible for free entry. There is also a prize for a “bag” of 5 duskies based on cumulative length and one for the best “by-catch”. Fishing starts at 6am on the 17th and ceases at 2pm on Sunday 18th. Entry available by the club’s website. Forms are available from Tackle World Merimbula and at the Club in Spencer Park. The club’s doors open at 6.30pm for entries and briefing on Friday evening.