NSW
Sea temperatures are still warm BERMAGUI
Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com
As we move into the cooler months, offshore water temperatures are still high and there are all sorts of fish species cruising our oceans. Some of the visitors we have had here this season
are wahoo, dolphinfish (mahimahi), cobia and spearfish, along with mac and longtail tuna. These fish would show up regularly in years gone by but sadly over the past decade or two they have been absent. So, with these types of fish showing, are we in for a yellowfin tuna season of old? Well, let us hope so, as May used to be
the best month for them. Out around the Continental Shelf and beyond to the Canyons is where anglers should be concentrating their efforts. Trolling lures is one way of locating them. Once found, burley trails in conjunction with live baits, pilchards or cubes of fish will more often than not produce the goods. If the
Northern bluefin used to be a regular visitor to Bermi waters, just check the record books!
tuna are up on the surface chasing bait schools of mackerel or sauries, a more modern approach is casting stickbaits on heavy spin gear. This is growing in popularity and producing the goods. Marlin are always an option at this time of year, and some large lures deployed or live baits in berley trails may produce one. I have always said where there are tuna there are sharks, especially makos or blues, so keep some gear handy to handle them, or try specifically targeting them. There is something special about a big mako cartwheeling out of the water. This month you can expect to find the kingfish on the chew up at Montague Island, as they have been consistent all season, with some larger fish showing in recent times. Mixing with them are bonito, which are partial to a well-presented live bait or lure. For the bottom fishos there are plenty of options. Snapper are increasing all along the coast, with larger specimens occurring down out from Goalen Head right through to the Twelve Mile Reef. Mixing with them are the usual suspects
King George whiting are a rare visitor to our local waters. like morwong, nannygai, perches and jackets. Over the sandy and muddy areas, flathead are still around in numbers, with the grounds south out from the Murrah and Cuttagee producing nice mixed bags of sand and tigers. Throw in an occasional gummy shark,
and the evening banquet looks set. Gummies are also featuring in catches along the beaches, with anglers encountering some small whalers as well. Salmon are the main fish being captured from the beaches. Tailor, bream, whiting and the
There is still good fishing to be had around Tathra TATHRA
Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com
With the cooler weather now upon us you would expect the fishing to start to taper off, however, the
water temps are still up so the fish are constantly on the chew. If you want to fish the estuaries this month, which ones should you target and how should you go about it? With the landmass and rivers cooling, bringing cold water down into the
estuaries, it’s a good idea to fish the shallows over the flats on the rising tide. A lot can be learnt from walking around sand or the muddy flats at low tide. Hear you can observe what is happening, and who has been visiting here at high tide. The obvious
Quality flathead are a shallow water favourite.
Even though the weather is cooler, the fishing is still hot. 68 MAY 2023
signs are of course the depressions left by flathead or stingrays, while the not-so-obvious are likely to be small crater-like dimples, crushed oysters or shellfish, and legs left behind by unlucky crabs that have had a run-in with a scaly predator. Once you find these areas, simply go back on the rising tide to hunt for the fish species that left the
signs. Places like the Bega River, Nelsons Lagoon and Wapengo Lake north of Tathra are prime areas to begin your assault. Now let’s look at what species you’re likely to catch, and how to catch them. Bream, whiting, flathead, flounder, luderick, trevally are just some of the frequent visitors to the flats at high tide, searching for
food. You can encounter these species on a regular basis by using light gear and randomly making long casts, placing baits like nippers, worms or small crabs over the flats. With the use of polarized sunglasses, you can sight these fish before fishing the area, thus improving your chances. If you like using lures, I recommend
