The club's Merimbula Open is scheduled for the coming Queen's Birthday long weekend with a prize pool exceeding $13,000 cash plus goods for seniors and juniors.
First prize for the heaviest yellowfin tuna is $3000. Second prize is $1250 and third $800. The prize for the heaviest shark is $550. There is a prize of $500 for the heaviest bluefin tuna.
There are also cash prizes for tag and release of yellowfin and bluefin at $500 and sharks at $400. With benign conditions there is expected to be a great return from offshore tuna fishing. Should the weather be inclement then sharks are the target closer in to shore.
Good snapper and a few morwong remain on the bite along our local reefs. Try White Rock, Long Point, Haycock, Lennards Island, Boyds Tower reef and Mowarry.
There are Australian salmon, tailor, drummer and calamari off the headlands and the Merimbula Fishing Platform. Ocean flathead can be found out from Kianinny, off Tura Headland and Bournda Island at depths of 20-22 fathoms. Australian salmon frequent the beaches at Tura, Main, Haycock and Aslings. Fish the top of the tide using gang hooked pilchards for bait.
There are good size tailor in the Top Lake at Merimbula together with the occasional kingfish. Downstream of the Merimbula bridge good Australian salmon, tailor and trevally are available. Best at change of tide using pumped nippers and soft plastics.
The winter run of Australian salmon together with tailor continues in the Pambula River, best results trolling small soft plastics in the channel up from the entrance.
Up in the hills members have returned lovely brown trout from the Eucumbene River. This river is classified as a trout spawning stream and may only be fished with fly or lure.
It will be closed to taking fish from Tuesday after the Queen's Birthday long weekend until midnight of the last Friday before the October (Labour Day) long weekend.
Waters in the Bega River are running much cleaner now and up from Blackfellows Lagoon dusky flathead are plentiful and bream are beginning to bite. As the waters cool we expect a good bream season in this part of the river. Around the Mogareeka Bridge try for dusky flathead, bream, Australian salmon and tailor.
The club will be open on Friday, June 10, from 6pm for the Merimbula Open entry and briefing. Visitors are very welcome.
Membership details and everything you need to know about local fishing is on the club's website www.mbglac.com.au.
