The Pirtek Challenge is an annual Australia wide event open to all and where individual anglers compete by posting onto the Pirtek website a photograph of their fish measured on a brag mat.

This is a non contact sporting event where "social distancing" is ensured.

The club said it was keen to try and adopt the format with regular sporting events to be potentially run via the MBGALAC website.

Especially its Snapper Classic of 23-24 May and its Merimbula Open game fishing Tournament of 6-8 June. This is subject to any further isolation requirements imposed to help contain the coronavirus pandemic.

In regular fishing news - the club congratulates 14 year old Blake Woolley catching his first dolphin fish at the FAD. Blake was on his first game fishing trip out of Eden with his father Craig.

The bar at Merimbula remains shallow and one should take extreme care crossing in small craft. This has arisen due to a false channel developed past Mitchies Jetty spreading the current flow over a wide area and limiting the normal channel scouring near the navigation buoy. Incidents are being reported. Make sure you are wearing your life jacket.

Ocean flathead are on the chew right in front of Kianinny also further south off Turingal Head, Tura Headland, Tura Beach and Quondolo, try drifting at 15-20 fathoms. Chinamen leatherjackets can be a problem. Some good snapper and a few gummy shark are about south off Haycock Point. Further south a cold current at 17.6 degrees has slowed activity. Good size Australian salmon are very active at Long Point and Tura headland. Try Tura, Merimbula, Haycock, and Aslings beaches.

At Fishpen good whiting are about. All along the Merimbula channel down from the bridge trevally, dusky flathead the occasional flounder and bream remain on the chew. Best time is low tide with soft plastics, nippers or pilchard baits. In Merimbula Lake tailor are ever-present as well as dusky flathead, bream and trevally. Large tailor are rampant at Wallagoot Lake.

Large dusky flathead are available at Mogareeka.. Bream, tailor, mullet, Australian salmon and trevally are also available.

At the Merimbula Wharf calamari squid are best taken before dawn and after sunset. Luderick remain patchy.

The club's Friday get togethers have been suspended until further notice.

For memberships and info, visit www.mbglac.com.au. All enquires to Peter Haar 0417 021 066.