The water in the estuaries is between 14 and 16 degrees making some fish species hard to catch while other species are on fire.

Estuary fishing has slowed down in the Bega River but is still active enough for the lure anglers, with the lower reaches of the river producing estuary perch around the rock wall.

In the upper reaches of the river, the bream are very active with some big thumpers being captured.

Merimbula Lake is producing some nice size tailor up to 3kg also the trevally are everywhere in the channels.

There are also the odd flathead about.

The standout estuary at the moment is Wagonga Inlet which is around 18 degrees.

There are heaps of bait schools around and you can see the tailor and trevally having a feast on them.

The jewfish, snapper, big flathead, big bream, monster trevally and heaps of tailor schools are about so keep your eyes open and having a sounder is a great advantage.

Outside fishing is solid at the moment.

Leatherjackets are still causing problems but keep drifting and you will pick up a few sandies and the odd gummy shark.

Inshore reefs are producing great snapper at the moment with Turingal Head and Horseshoe the standouts.

Get out early with the catch rates increasing with some boat crews in double figures.

There have been some good reports of some snapper around the 6kg mark which is a good fish.

Around Tathra, the closer reefs are the standouts with snapper and mowies in numbers as well as cuttlefish in full swing.

Offshore fishing has been exceptional with yellowfin tuna and albacore in numbers.

Most fish are around the shelf but some tuna have been captured in close around the 20-fathoms mark.

So if you are targeting tuna, run your lures early as they might be in close.

If nothing else you might pick up a few stripey tunas for bait.

There has been yellowfin tuna to 60kg captured of Merimbula and 50kg plus out from Bermagui, along with a few mako sharks turning up as well.

Bob Tetley of Bega ventured out off Bermagui with Paul Blacker on his boat “Mr Hooker”. Bob was chasing his first ever tuna and the weather wasn’t the best.

The seas were untidy and poor Bobby was sick for 2hrs but this didn’t stop Bob.

Having the master of offshore fishing at the helm, Paul took Bob to the right spot where Bob captured his first ever Tuna, a 49kg yellowfin.

Well done Bob on a great effort.

On the beaches the westerly winds have the swell down a bit but the tailor gummy sharks’ salmon are still on offer.

Till next week

Keep those lines wet

SIDBO