Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club - Weekly Fishing Report

MBGALAC.

The fishing out to sea is worse than the former fortnight with anglers having a terrible run fishing the sand for Flathead and Gummy Sharks. Some crews didn't lose a bait for a full morning’s effort. Reef fishos also had a tough time with only a few Snapper, Morwong and Leatherjackets to be found. A couple of boats fished wide of the shelf and encountered schools of baitfish but unfortunately no pelagics were found. Salmon were found on the beaches and the rocks are worth a shot for Drummer.  Water temperature is around the 18 degree mark out wide and only 15 back onshore and maybe this is why the inshore fishing is so tough. The estuaries are still the pick of it with Tailor, Salmon, Trevally, Bream, Dusky Flathead and Estuary Perch all on the chew and it will only get better as the water warms.

We will be having our first summer family night at the Spencer Park clubrooms September 30 with finger food supplied and we are hoping for a good roll up of members. We are keen to get a lot of our junior members along for a photo shoot and a good night is always had by all. Our trip away to be held late October at Wonboyn Resort is fast approaching so put your name down on the list at the clubrooms as we need to know numbers for accommodation and catering purposes.

Last week I reported the possible capture of a Crown of Thorns Starfish. This was incorrect as the animal has been positively identified as coscinasterias nuricata also known as the 11 Arm Sea Star. The 11 Arm Sea Star is a native to Australian waters and should not be removed from our waters as it isn't the destructive Crown of Thorns.  There are a number of specimens at the Merimbula Aquarium if anyone is keen to have a good look at one. If anyone is unsure about a species that they have seen or collected they should contact staff at the local Fisheries Office which is located at 13 Cocora St Eden. Contact number is 02 64968200 or mobile numbers Matthew Proctor 0428 899 876, Ian Merrington 0427 665 387 or Sarah Nolan 0407 783 237.

Rob Wood and John Whittaker will open the Spencer Park clubrooms with happy hour 6.30 pm followed by fishing report and raffles this Friday night.  Be early to get the best seats in the house and watch the mighty Pies take on the Hawks.

May your reel scream, Mex.

Attached photo - courtesy of the Merimbula Aquarium, of an 11 Arm Sea Star.

12-09-11

Last week was still tough for anglers due to lots of wind and a cold snap. Some crews did do okay fishing for Flathead out on the 40 fathom mark with Sand and Tiger Flathead, small Gummy Sharks and a few Gurnard found but that was a minority not the majority. Estuary fishing is still proving the best with Merimbula Lake and the Bega River standing out as the pick of the bunch. Most species are on chew including Bream, Dusky Flathead, Trevally, Tailor and Salmon. Local angler Don Ramsdon fishing Merimbula Lake came across what we think are a couple of Crown of Thorns Starfish in recent times and thankfully were able to catch and destroy them. Hopefully anyone else that comes across any will do the same thing. Our club trip away to Wonboyn will be either the last or second last weekend of October so keep both these weekends free until we get conformation of the date. As usual most will travel down on the Friday arvo and return on Sunday with plenty of fun and fishing had by everyone. Contact Shane 64950008 if attending or put your name down on the list at the clubrooms. Michael Hampson and Darragh Reynolds will open the Spencer  Park clubhouse Friday night with happy hour 6.30 pm followed by fishing report and raffles. Members and visitors all welcome so bring a friend and enjoy the views and very reasonable bar prices.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

05-09-2011

Last week was a huge disappointment after the fantastic fishing had over earlier weeks. The water turned over and most anglers found it very tough to find a feed. Fishos on the sand flats went from bagging out to catching just 1 or 2 fish and some not even loosing a bait. Inshore reef fishing wasn't much better and the beaches were also quiet. Luckily the estuaries are still firing with plenty of trevaly, tailor and salmon on the prowl. Merimbula front Lake is the pick of them and the Pambula River although fishing okay has the dreaded brown weed in it again. Hopefully the water will warm soon and we get back to what we had sooner rather than later. Tom Scott and Geoff Knox are on bar duty and will start with happy hour 6.30 pm Friday night at the Spencer Park clubrooms followed by fishing report and raffles. Members and visitors all welcome so come on down for a fun night.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

29-08-2011

Flathead fishermen have been having a great run catching both sandys and tigers in quality size and numbers on the sand north of Merimbula.  A few gummys have also come off the sand so everyone is happy.  We are experiencing warm water up to 18 degrees and I wouldn't be at all surprised if we start catching plenty more right in close to the breakers in Merimbula Bay over the next few months. The inner reefs are also worth persisting with plenty of snapper, morwong and reef species for anglers prepared to drift or anchor up and berly. Kingfish have been abit tougher over the last week but still a few have responded to live baits and jigs. All the local headlands, beaches and wharfs have salmon and tailor frequent at sometime of the day and with abit of effort anglers would score if targeting drummer off the rocks. Estuary fishing is again brilliant with plenty of salmon up to 3 kilo caught in the Pambula River and Merimbula Lake is firing with heaps of salmon, tailor, trevaly along with the odd dusky flathead and bream. Darragh Reynolds and Barry Francis will open the Spencer Park clubhouse 6.30 pm Friday night with happy hour followed by fishing report and raffles. Members and quests all welcome and we have a huge selection on alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks available at very reasonable prices. Best to be  early and grab a front row seat to watch the mighty Pies destroy the Cats.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

22-08-2011

Fishing wasn't ideal for crews at sea due to bad conditions but on the better days anglers came home with a feed of sand and tiger flathead from the grounds north of Merimbula. Most kept away from headlands and rock platforms and its a good idea to wait until conditions are safer and a livey is worth a shot for a kingie or salmon. Beach fishing is starting to improve with the odd salmon up around 3 kilo although most of the fish are between 1 and 2 kilo.  Estuary fishing was an absolute standout with all local estuaries firing. Dusky flathead, bream, trevaly, salmon, tailor and estuary perch have all been on the chew with big catches reported by many anglers. Most fish have been taken near all estuary entrances due to alot of fresh water up stream and warmer water nearer the ocean. Our 2011-2012 fishing season has started and  membership dues are now overdue so don't make the embarrassing mistake of weighing a fish only to find out that your not financial. Our seafood raffle at Club Sapphire held Sunday nights has a cash jackpot at $2950.00 so come and support both clubs and hopfuley walk away with a prize. Raffle tickets sold at 5.30pm with the draw starting 7pm. Dave Stewart and Darragh Reynolds will kick Friday night off 6.30 pm at the Spencer Park clubhouse with happy hour followed by the fishing report and raffles. Members and visitors all welcome so come on down for a fun night and pick up a few fishing tips.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

15-08-2011

The Club’s annual Presentation Night was last Saturday, at the RSL.  A great night was had by all.  The Club Champion for 2010/11 was Shane Mayberry, Men’s Open winner Rob Wood, Ladies Open Winner Julie Riches, Junior Open was a tie between Daniel Bridle and Reece Bell, Sub-Junior winner was Jasper Dulhunty, Lake & Beach went to Rob Wood and Clubman of the Year is Jeff Knox.  The highest point scoring tag and release boat was Anna.  Congratulations to all winners and to all who weighed fish in.
Fishing has been fairly quiet over the last week though there have been good reports of Mako Shark caught at night-time.  The king fish are quiet at Mowarry and it would seem that the good run of Southern blue fin tuna is over.  In the estuaries, there are reports of both perch and bream in the Bega River and trevally and tailor in the channels of Merimbula Lake.  Salmon on the beaches are a bit hit and miss and there are some snapper and mowies on the inshore reefs, where the water temperature is 16°.
Come down to the Club on Friday night, where Darragh Reynolds and Dave Stewart are on duty.  Join the fellowship and find out where the fish are biting.  Visitors are very welcome.  Also, come to the Club Sapphire on Sunday evening, for the Club’s fabulous seafood raffle, which is drawn at 7 pm.  The jackpot is now $2900 and must be just about due to go off.  Come down and support the Club.
TOM SCOTT

08-08-2011

The past week was better for anglers at sea with a few nice flathead found by anglers fishing north of Merimbula.The fish weren't big in numbers but were quality in size.  Gummy sharks were a bit tougher with only a few smaller specimens caught. The beaches and headlands are great for salmon and tailor and always worth a troll if passing in a boat. Reef fishing was best south of town with small snapper,morwong and leatherjackets partial to squid and mackerel fillets. Kingfish were on the bite early last week with boats recording catches of fish from 5-12 kilos on the Mowarry grounds. No gamefish were caught as most boats fished for kings instead of heading to the shelf but I did see a nice catch of harpooka and blue eye trevalla on the cleaning table caught out of Eden.  Estuary fishing is still on fire with trevaly, salmon and  tailor all keen to take a bait or lure in Merimbula Lake and Pambula River. Bega River is the place if looking for an estuary perch or bream. Please ring Shane 64950008 if attending our presentation dinner held at the Merimbula RSL this Saturday night. Cost is $31 per adults and juniors will be free. Darragh Reynolds will open the Spencer Park clubhouse Friday 6.30 pm with happy hour followed by fishing report and raffles. Members and visitors all invited so why not enjoy a fun night and watch the Hot Pies put the Saints out of there misery.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

01-08-2011

A week in fishing can be a long time and the past week has been tough for most anglers at sea. Only a couple of boats fishing out wide had results with small yellowfin and albacore tuna. The deep sea anglers fishing over the shelf and the 70 fathom line did it even harder  as the currents were moving quickly and making it impossible to fish in any depth of water. Inshore a  small quantity of snapper have been caught and the humble flathead have been hard to find although a few gummy sharks did hit the deck. Different story in the estuaries with Bega River firing with estuary perch and the Merimbula front Lake being fantastic with whiting, trevaly, dusky flathead, flounder, salmon and tailor all lining up to take a bait or plastic. Pambula River has also had large numbers of salmon up to 3 kilo. Beach fishing is a close second with schools of salmon on the prowl and our headlands and local wharfs are also worth a shot. Please put your name down on the list at the club  if attending presentation night August 13 or ring Shane 64950008 for more details. Our AGM will be on August 15 and as always some positions are available at committee level. People with fresh ideas and constructive criticism  are alot better than someone sitting in the back seats not coming forward so please put your hand up if you think you can contribute. Andrew Buckland and Darragh Reynolds will open the Spencer Park clubrooms 6.30 pm Friday night starting with happy hour followed by fishing report and raffles. Members and quests all invited.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

25-07-2011

About the only way to catch a feed over the past week would be to buy it at your local fish shop as huge seas and dirty estuaries combined with wind and rain had bought our sport to a halt. Its to be expected though as yes, winter even comes to our part of the world here on the far south coast. Its a real shame as crews haven't been able to travel wide and find out if bluefin, yellowfin or albacore are still in our waters. Last report of water temperature was up to 18 degrees so the fish are more than likely still out there. Once settled the snapper should be on the chew on our inshore reefs and I'm sure the salmon will be found on the beaches and in our estuaries.   The New South Wales Gamefishing Association held its Annual General Meeting on 15th,16th and 17th July at Port Macquarie and I'm happy to say that Southern Zone which we are part of took out the top 6 fishing trophies. It was the first time in the history of Gamefishing for any of the 3 zones to take all and delegates from the Central and Northern Zones weren't happy chappies. We have now started our 2011-2012 season so I hope all have renewed there membership. You need to be financial to weigh fish and vote at our Annual General Meeting to be held August 15th. Darragh Reynolds and Don O'Connell will open our Spencer Park clubrooms Friday night with happy hour 6.30 pm followed by fishing report, raffles and the presentation of the winner of the 2010-2011 Tinny Tournament. Members and visitors all invited to this fun night. Our club Presentation Dinner will be held on August 13th at the Merimbula RSL. Price is $31.00 per adult  and if attending put your name down on the list at the club or ring Shane 64950008.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

18-07-11

Gamefishing is at a crossroad this week with anglers being unable to find bluefin tuna but good news is plenty of albacore and a few yellowfin tuna up to 60 kilo being caught. The water is still as warm as 18 degrees Celsius so maybe we will see an extended season  as  reports are that bluefin are still being found well south. Lets hope they run past us just over the shelf and not 100 kilometres off shore. Anglers fishing the inshore reefs and flathead grounds are enjoying reasonable catches of snapper, morwong and flathead whilst estuary, rock and beach fishos are having a ball targeting schools of salmon. Many of these fish are averaging 2 to 3 kilo and are fun on the light gear. Bream, tailor and trevaly are also keen to take a bait or lure with Merimbula Lake, Bega River and Pambula River all fishing well. Rob Wood and John Whittaker will open our Spencer Park clubrooms this Friday 6.30 pm starting with happy hour followed by a fishing report and raffles. Members and guests are all invited so come on down to our friendly clubhouse for a great night. The Tinny Tournament winner will be announced July 29th so make sure you attend that night.  Presentation Night August 13 and AGM August 15th aren't far away so put those dates on your must do calendar.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

11-07-2011

Its a shame that the weather hasn't been good over the past week as many  crews are waiting for the chance to get into the bluefin action  before the end on this years run. Plenty of albacore have  been taken on lures on the way to the bluefin ground so maybe over the next week or two some great fish will be found. Flathead fishing was a bit hit and miss but the inshore reefs are still worth a shot with snapper and morwong on the bite. Only downer has been the presence of barracouta although they make good fresh bait.  All the local wharfs and headlands are on fire  with plenty of salmon and tailor with kings and  tuna  a chance. Beaches are producing big numbers of salmon and tailor and the local estuaries are full of salmon and tailor along with catches of bream and estuary perch.  Michael Hampson and Darragh Reynolds will start Friday night with happy hour 6.30 pm at our Spencer Park clubhouse followed by fishing report and raffles some time after 7.30 pm. Members and visitors all welcome so come and enjoy a great night with drinks at very cheap prices. 

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

04-07-2011

The great annual southern blue fin tuna run continues, with many fish caught 75km out wide, in our northern waters.  Last week’s fine weather, with little wind, allowed many local boats to get amongst them, though the more recent stronger winds have slowed things down.  As anticipated in last week’s report, the bigger fish have now made an appearance, with the biggest report of a catch to date is a 123kg beauty.  Some of the more notable captures included a 34kg fish on 8kg line, by Shannon Byrnes on Jedi.  This is a potential NSW and Australian record.  Potential NSW records included Peter Haar on Spooky with a 44kg fish on 10kg line and a junior NSW record by Jasper Dulhunty on Snappy Tom with a 22.3 kg fish on 15kg line.
In addition to the blue fin, there are schools of albacore in the same waters.  Also, on the game side, there have been good reports of bonito, close in off Green Cape.
Elsewhere, Merimbula Lake is producing good bream and lots of tailor and salmon to 3kg.  Outside, flathead and snapper have been patchy, though there have been some reports of boats bagging out on large sand and tiger flathead, off Bournda.
A couple of dates to note.  The Presentation Night is on 13th August and the AGM is 15th August.  The Tinny Tournament presentation will be towards the end of July.  Check your next Catch magazine, for details.
Come and support the fishing club with its monster seafood raffle, at Club Sapphire Merimbula on Sunday evening.  The jackpot is now up to $2650.  And of course, the Clubrooms are open every Friday night, at Spencer Park.  Members and visitors are most welcome.  This Friday night, Tom Scott and Jeff Knox are on bar duty.
Tom Scott

27-06-11

Finally, we have great news to report.  The annual run of Southern Blue Fin Tuna has arrived and they are out wide, about 75kms off shore, in very big numbers.  The magnificent weather of last weekend allowed many of our local boats to venture out and all were rewarded.  To date they are not real big fish, averaging about 40 kgs.  However, the monster fish must be out there also.  It is only a matter of time.  Remember just two years ago MBGLAC angler Phil Body, on local boat Jedi, landed a 165 kg fish, which is a NSW, Australian and World Record.  Other fishing has been less spectacular, but there have been great reports of schools of large salmon and tailor, in Merimbula Lake.  Similar for our surf beaches.  There are also good-sized bream, trevally, luderick and whiting in the lake systems, though the dusky flathead have quietened off.  There are still good-sized snapper on the outside reefs, though barracouta are a problem. Also, both sand and tiger flathead have gone off the boil.
Remember to support the fishing club seafood raffle at the Bowlo, each Sunday evening.  The jackpot is now about $2400.  And of course, the Clubhouse at Spencer Park is open every Friday night, for fellowship and fishing stories.  Visitors are most welcome.  This Friday Darragh Reynolds and Barrie Francis are on duty.
Tom Scott

20-06-2011

We have just gone through a tough week of fishing as most species out at sea have gone very quiet and refuse to take a bait or show any interest. Even the inshore reefs were quiet with only small snapper found by most anglers. Rubbish fish didn't even respond to berly and flathead were almost non existent. Lets hope for a better week as surely they must come on the chew sooner rather than later.  The best place to fish was the beaches with huge amounts of salmon up to 3 kilo along with a few tailor caught on the rising tide. At times it was a fish a cast and very hectic using baits or lures and as usual dawn and dusk being the prime time to fish. Merimbula Lake comes in at a close second with tailor found both in the front and back lakes and trawling the channel can also be rewarding. After a couple of years  the salmon have also entered the lake with anglers have fun on light gear finding them in the channel  from the entrance to the causeway. Greg Liddell and Johno McKay will open the Spencer Park clubrooms with happy hour 6.30 pm Friday night followed by fishing report and raffles. Members and visitors all welcome to this great venue.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

13-06-2011

The past week was nearly a mirror image of the week before with big seas and high winds. Fishing was to rough for most of the gamefishing people and conditions not suitable for the deep sea bottom bashers over the shelf. In close the Flathead were very tough to find but the reefs provided good catches of Snapper for those that persisted with plenty of berley. Rock, beach and wharf fishing is still right up there with Salmon, Tailor, Bonito and Kingfish all on the prowl. Bega River has been okay with Estuary Perch, Dusky Flathead and Bream on the chew but the pick of our lakes would have to be Merimbula Top Lake with mega sized schools of Tailor. Trolling around the edges of weed beds and keeping an eye out for any birds working armed with small metal or hard body’s lures should do the trick. It’s not uncommon to catch 20 fish in an outing and it’s a great way to introduce small kids and novices into the sport. Hopefully the weather will improve and we can all get out there and enjoy the fantastic fishing we have on the south coast. Dave Stewart and Darragh Reynolds will open the Spencer Park clubrooms 6.30 pm Friday night with happy hour followed by fishing report and raffles. Members and visitors all welcome so come on down for a fun night in our warm and spacious clubhouse.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

06-06-2011

Anglers had hard time fishing at sea over the past few days due to big seas and winds. Sunday afternoon was the pick of it and a mate and I headed to Long Point and caught pan sized Snapper from 500 grams up to 1.6 kilo. Some nice Flathead were also on the sand flats and not many rubbish fish found on the day. Estuaries are still providing fun for the plastic and lure tossers and bait fishos are doing okay with Bream, Trevally and Tailor all on the chew. Beaches are also worth a shot with plenty of Salmon and Tailor about and the local wharfs and headlands are still firing with Salmon, Tailor and Bonito on the chew. Game fishermen are hoping for some settled weather as Yellowfin Tuna have been of quality size it can only be a matter of time till the Bluefin Tuna show up. Shane Mayberry and I will open the Spencer Park clubrooms 6.30 pm Friday night with happy hour followed by raffles, fishing report and members draw. Members and visitors all welcome for a fun night in our warm clubhouse and very reasonable drink prices.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

30-05-2011

Fishing picked up again last week and anglers that fished had success close to shore and over the shelf. Flathead were on the chew and a lot of Sandy’s up to a kilo were taken by many crews. Gummy Shark were a bit quieter but a few were found particularly near the reef edger’s when anglers targeted Snapper. Last weekend our Snapper Classic was held in near perfect conditions and all eleven teams found Snapper.  22 Snapper were weighed and 15 of them were over 1 kilo and 4 over 2 kilo which goes to show the quality of the fish at the moment. Special thanks to weigh master, barbeque chef and organizer Jeff Knox for his work over the weekend and to our major sponsors Merimbula Tackleworld and Dimac Homes. Shane Mayberry won the $500 cash with a 2.710 kilo fish. Garry Huggett took out the Merimbula Tackleworld 2nd prize with a fish of 2.310 kilo. Don O'Connell won a rod and reel combo prize with a fish of 2.080 and Ron Vanderdrift won the Dimac Homes mystery weight fish award with a fish at 1.600 kilo. The Snapper are still only starting to fire and it will only get better over the next few weeks. Crews fishing the bottom on the shelf and further had a blast with Hapuku and Blue Eye Trevalla and the Gamefishing boys had a few albacore up to 10 kilo caught but fish of the week would be a 75.5 kilo Yellowfin Tuna caught by skipper Paul Jones on Seamode. Beaches, headlands and wharfs all fired with plenty of Salmon, Tailor and Bonito on the prowl and the estuaries are still fishing with lots of Tailor and a few Bream, Duskys and Trevally found. Andrew Buckland and Darragh Reynolds will open the Spencer Park clubrooms Friday with happy hour 6.30 pm followed on with fishing report, raffle and members draw. All members and visitors are welcome so bring a friend and enjoy a few drinks and nibbles and discuss the fishing and footy.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

23-05-2011

Fishing was great earlier last week but unfortunately as the weekend arrived the currents turned and ran to the north and the barometer took a nose dive over both Saturday and Sunday. Even so some nice quality 50 cm Flathead hit the decks on boats fishing north of town. Gummy Sharks were also about but unfortunately plenty of them were a bit small to be taken. Inshore reefs are getting better with plenty of pan sized Snapper along with Morwong, Leatherjackets and old boots on most spots. Rocks, wharfs and beaches are all great fun with plenty of Salmon and Tailor on the chew. Estuary fishing is still fishing well with Estuary Perch, Bream, Dusky Flathead and Tailor all having a crack. Gamefishing was a little slow but reports of Yellowfin and Albacore Tuna have been trickling in so I'm sure a few big fish should hit the scales providing we get the weather. Our 2011 Snapper Classic is on this Saturday and Sunday with both cash and prizes on offer. $25 per angler and you can fish between Goalen Head to the North and the Southern most point of Disaster Bay to the South. Registration and briefing will be at the Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Clubrooms at Spencer Park 7.30 pm Friday night. This tournament is open to the general public as well as club members. For more information ring Tony 0429307233 or Jeff 64951312. Darragh Reynolds and Don O'Connell will open the club 6.30 pm starting with happy hour followed by tournament briefing, fishing report, raffles and members draw.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

Attached photo shows- a 38 cm Estuary Perch caught over the weekend.

17-05-11

Fishing was slow again over the past week due to colder weather and the trend was to stay at home and catch up on tidying fishing gear or sitting in front of the TV. Those that did go to sea found Flathead hard to find but thankfully Gummy Sharks  of reasonable size  were on the chew. Inner reef fishing is still  the go with plenty of Snapper, Morwong and Leatherjackets taken on bait and plastics. Many of the Snapper were only just legal or under but  in saying this a few fish up to 2 kilo were caught along with a couple of thumpers over 3 kilo. It’s all looking good for our Snapper Classic held 28th-29th May with plenty of prizes on offer. Heaviest fish will win $500.00 cash. Fishing gear for 2nd and 3rd heaviest fish will be awarded along with a great weekend held at the Spencer Park clubhouse for all participants.  This tournament is open to anyone holding a current NSW fishing licence or people exempt from holding a licence. Please ring Tony 0429307233 or Jeff 64951312 for any information.  Anyone not looking to go to sea can have a go at  beach fishing as plenty of Salmon are on the prowl. Same old story for these guys, throw out a Pilchard or strip bait on the 3 metre beach rod or throw out a 20 gram lure on a light Bream rod. Usually ends up with the same result, a fun time.  Estuaries are also a bit tougher but a lot of fun if chasing Tailor early in the mornings or late afternoons with the odd mega fish between 2-4 kilo and if smoked taste better than the highly rated Spotted Pommy Carp caught up in the freezing fresh water puddles. Dusky Flathead, Trevally and Whiting are getting harder to find but the diehards will find most of these fish with a bit of patience. Greatest catch of the week would have to go to Russel Grey. Russel didn't catch a fish to speak of but was smart enough to be at the club Friday night and take home the $1450.00. Members draw.   This  Friday night will be good  to catch up with the boys behind the bar starting 6.30 pm. Snappy and his cabin boy  John will be on hand to tell storeys of the last weekend  held at Bermagui so turn up for a great time.  Members and guests all welcome at our great Spencer Park venue.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

09-05-2011

INTER-CLUB FISHING CLUB GRUDGE MATCH THIS WEEKEND

This coming weekend is the annual grudge match between the Merimbula, Pambula & Eden Amateur Fishing Club.  This year Eden hosts it, with the Sunday lunch BBQ being held at the Eden Clubhouse.  The Merimbula Club is the current titleholder, with a very convincing win last year.  All members are requested to fish for our Club this weekend, so that we retain our title.  Fishing is on Friday evening, all day Saturday and Sunday morning.  Come to the Clubrooms on Friday night to co-ordinate strategy.  Fi

Fishing over the last week has been fairly quiet, though there are plenty of salmon and tailor on the surf beaches and headlands.  Merimbula and Bega River estuaries are quiet, but there have been good reports of dusky flathead in the Pambula estuary.  For those chasing flathead outside, there are swarms of those big green toads up north, particularly off Tathra.  They will surely be heading our way, so it might be better to fish south of Haycock.  Snapper and morwong are starting to make an appearance. Out wide, the water is still around 23°, explaining a few marlin being caught and the absence of many yellowfin, usually plentiful this time of the year.

Don’t forget the members Friday night draw at the Club is now about $1300 and the Sunday night MBGLAC seafood raffle at Club Sapphire Merimbula is about $2500.  Come along and support your Club.

TOM SCOTT

25-04-2011

Weather has been good and as usual it makes the difference between catching and not catching a feed. Most crews fishing the inshore grounds had a great week with heaps of Sand and Tiger Flathead happy to take a bait. Reef fishos were just as well off with Morwong and Snapper out there to be caught and lately the Kingfish have been happy to stretch anyone that drops a jig or live bait in there territory. Beaches are  bit more lay back with a chance of Whiting , Bream and Flathead on worm and Pilchard and still great for anyone chasing Salmon and Tailor on lures.  Estuaries are still up there for guys fishing with bait and plastics with Bream and Tailor being the main targets.  We held our Merimbula Open Game Fishing Tournament over the Easter break and unfortunately not a lot of fish were caught but all the indicators are out there to say that we are in for a fantastic tuna season on Yellowfin and Bluefin Tuna. Jarrod Whitford was the successful angler taking out the heaviest Yellowfin Tuna with a fish of 51 kilo and will enjoy a holiday and airfares for 2 in Vanuatu in the near future. John Rankin also had a great weekend with a Tag and Release Blue Marlin estimated at 190 kilo and Shane Mayberry took out the Shark category with a Mako Shark weighing 158.5 kilo. This week’s member’s draw now stands at $1300.00 so why not drop into the Spencer Park clubhouse Friday night and see if you get lucky. Members and visitors all welcome for a great night.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

Photo ... shows Gamefishing chairman Rob Wood presenting Jarred Whit with his trip for to Vanuatu for his 51 kilo Yellowfin caught during the Merimbula Gamefishing Tournament

18-04-2011

Fishing hasn't changed much over the past week with most anglers coming home with a feed. Flathead, Gummy and School Sharks are still on the bite and with a bit of moving about crews should find a quality catch from the grounds north of Merimbula. Inshore reefs proved a bit tricky but again persistence and berley will improve your chance. Kingfish proved a bit tougher but hopefully they  will have a crack over the next few days. Estuaries are well worth a go with all species on the chew and the beaches are still producing Salmon and Tailor in numbers.  Not many boats travelled wide over the past week  and I'm sure there getting ready for our Merimbula Open to be run over this weekend starting Saturday 23rd and finishing Monday 25th. If we get decent weather anything could happen as there has been monster Blue Marlin, Striped Marlin, Mahi Mahi, short billed spearfish, kingfish, shark and Yellowfin Tuna all taken in the last few weeks. More information can be obtained from Rob 64959854 or come down to our Spencer Park clubrooms this Friday night for tournament registration and briefing. Darragh Reynolds and Johno McKay will start the night off with happy hour starting 6.30pm. The briefing will be some time after 7.30pm followed by heaps of raffles as this will be one of our biggest nights of the year. Members and visitors all welcome and the members draw is now $1300.00 so be there or miss out.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

11-04-2011

Fishing was great over the past week with flat seas and a lack of wind which proved fantastic for Gamefishing boats. Only a few Billfish were seen but a monster Blue Marlin of 285 kilos was caught along with a Short-billed Spearfish. Kingfish were keen to take live baits and jigs and a few Yellowfin tuna were about and hopefully they will be on the chew for our Merimbula Open to be held 23rd-25th April. Entry forms available at the clubhouse Friday nights or ring Rob 64959854 for entry forms or details regarding the tournament. Bottom bouncers also came home with School and Gummy Sharks along with some quality Sand Flathead when fishing the flats. Inshore reefs fished with plenty of Morwong on the bite but the Snapper proved to be a challenge for most crews. Estuary fishing is still okay and trolling the Merimbula Lake for mega sized Tailor on Bream gear can be awesome fun. Still plenty of Bream, Dusky Flathead and Trevally for those tossing plastics, hard bodies and baits. Beaches are also worth a shot with plenty of Tailor and Salmon on the prowl. Dave Stewart and Darragh Reynolds will open our Spencer Park clubhouse Friday night 6.30 pm with happy hour followed by raffles and the members draw that now stands at $1250.00.  Members and visitors to town all invited to attend for a fun night.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

04-04-2011

Thankfully the weather was a bit better last week and anglers that fished the inshore reefs had a great time with Kingfish, Snapper and Morwong on the chew. Flathead are the same with plenty of legal sized Sandy’s ready to take a bait or plastic.  People fishing the rocks have also had a ball with Salmon and Bonito keen to take a lure or floating Pilchards and live baits can be just as productive and at times exiting because a big King may have just beaten a Bonito to the take. Still reports of Striped Tuna in close so I wouldn't be surprised if a Yellowfin are caught from our local rock platforms.  Beaches are showing schools of Whiting and the best bait for these are worms but the ever popular pilchards on gang hooks will usually give mixed results with Salmon, Tailor and Flathead on the prowl. Estuary fishing is a bit tougher but 40 anglers fishing the Dusky Cash for Cash Tournament competition in Merimbula Lake were able to find Dusky Flathead, Bream, Tailor, Trevally, and Flounder on lures and bait. Some big Tailor up 2.5 kilo, Trevally over 1.2 kilo and Bream well over the magic kilo mark hit the deck.  Longest catch and release dusky was a 644mm caught by Mex Williams, second longest catch and release Dusky was a 558mm specimen caught by Nathan Wu. Mystery length catch and release dusky was a draw with Lachlan Hawkins and Lindon Thompson both having caught fish at 520 mm. Team event was won by team DV8 skippered by Shane Mayberry and crew Mex Williams with a best 5 fish length coming in at 2.525 metres. Dave Dulhunty and Tom Scott was the winning crew of the $50.00 lucky door prize kindly donated by Shane and Jewel from Pier One Restaurant. A special thankyou to all the guys at Merimbula Tackleworld for without there support the club would struggle to put on this fantastic tournament. We had a record number of anglers on the day and hopefully this trend will continue. Our next big event is the Merimbula Open, April23rd-25th. Entry forms available at the club or ring Rob 64959854. Shane Mayberry and I will open the Spencer Park clubhouse 6.30 pm Friday night so bring a friend and have a couple of coldies whilst taking in the view. Happy hour will be followed by raffles, fishing report and the membership draw now up around $1200.00.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

Attached photo shows, Merimbula Tackleworld's representative Geoff Turner, angler Mex Williams receiving his $500.00 for longest Catch and Release Dusky Flathead and club president Shane Mayberry.

Fishing was as tough as you get over the last week due to big seas, bad weather and an influx or fresh water. People fishing outside were disappointed as seas were big with plenty of rubbish floating about.  Most beaches, rock and wharfs were a waste of time and again the dirty brown water didn't help things. Estuary fishing probably suffered the most but good news is things are improving with the water clearing up every day and by Sunday we should have a ripper Dusky Dash for Cash tournament held in the Merimbula Lake. Cash and fishing gear are to be won and anyone can enter so for more info ring Shane 64950008, John 64952173 or come down to our Spencer Park clubhouse this Friday 7.30 pm for the tournament registration and entry.  Andrew Buckland and Darragh Reynolds will open the club with happy hour starting 6.30 pm followed by the Dusky briefing and raffles, fishing report and members draw now standing around $1200.00.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

20-03-201

Unfortunately the weather has been not so good and because of this a quiet time was had by most anglers. Some boats did fish the second leg of the Broadbill Tournament but unfortunately only a couple of sharks were tagged. Marlin, tuna and broadbill didn't show up but it’s still early enough in the season for things to turn for the better. Bottom bouncers had a better week with plenty of sand and tiger flathead on the chew. Gummy sharks were taken but mostly only smaller models. Inshore reefs are still worth persisting with for snapper and morwong. Early morning and tide changes can help and the same goes for the beach fishos with salmon being the main target. Kingfish are still a great bet with the reef systems south of Eden being the most productive but the bigger fish are still off our local reefs around Merimbula. Estuary fishing was tough but hopefully plenty of Anglers will keep Sunday April 3rd free and fish our Dusky Dash for Cash in the Merimbula Lake. This Friday night 6.30 pm Darragh Reynolds and Don O'Connell will start the night off with happy hour followed by raffles, fishing report and members draw now standing at $1100.00. Members and visitors all welcome so come and enjoy a fun night with the cheapest drinks in town. Only 3 seats left for the Seafood Banquet to be held this Saturday night so ring Rob 64959854 if you wish to attend.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

13-03-2011

Fishing is still the same as the last few weeks with anglers assured of catching a feed on the open waters or in our estuaries as long as time and effort is put in. Gamefishing is a bit slower but over the first leg of our Broadbill Tournament held last weekend, Marlin, Short Billed Spearfish, Shark and Tuna were all found. Unfortunately no Broadbill were captured or tagged but this coming weekend will hopefully bring a better result as the moon will be near full and more boats have registered to fish. Some crews fished the wide grounds for Blue Eye Trevalla and Harpooka but unfortunately only a few smaller specimens under 10 kilo were caught.  Bottom bouncers fishing close to shore have had better results with Flathead and Gummies manly to the north of town and all the inshore reefs are firing with Long Point to Eden being best providing Snapper, Morwong, Kingfish and most reef dwellers. Beach fishing is a little slower with catches of Salmon being the best chance on Pilchards. Estuary fishing is starting to fire up with Bream on the chew along with Dusky Flathead, Whiting, Tailor and Trevally all keen to take bait or lure. Our Dusky Dash for Cash will be on Merimbula Lake Sunday 3rd April so make sure you’re free to fish on the day. Cash and fishing gear will be won and anyone with a NSW fishing licence, unless exempt, are invited to fish for a small entry fee. Ring Lindon 0411873880 if more information required or register at our Spencer Park clubhouse Friday nights. Our seafood night has only 10 tickets left so Ring Rob 64959854 if you wish to secure a fantastic seafood banquet on March 26th at a very affordable price.  Darragh Reynolds and John Whittaker will start this Friday night off with happy hour starting 6.30 pm at our Spencer Park clubrooms followed by raffles, fishing report and members draw that now stands at $1050. Members and visitors all invited so come on down for a fun night and enjoy the cheap drinks and great views.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

06-03-2011

Unfortunately the Flathead have been hard to get over the past few days but if the weather settles maybe a few more will hit the deck. Inshore reefs are firing but for best results pre-dawn starts are a must. Beaches are providing fun for anglers casting small metal lures for Salmon and Bream have been taking baits particularly down south.  Our Broadbill tournament is happening over the next two weekends and it may well be a pearler as bait fish including Striped Tuna are to be found from the shore to over the shelf. Reports of Marlin, Yellowfin, Shark and Kingfish are still coming so it may well be a lucky dip. Estuary fishing was tough during the past week but the good news is that a few Bream have been taken on lures and baits. Dusky flathead are a bit hit and miss but again time and persistence can make the difference between success or not. Whiting, Trevally and Tailor are always a chance and help to keep anglers busy .The Prawn run wasn't as good as the last couple of months so that just may be the best  of it for the year although next month is still worth a  look. Michael Hampson and Darragh Reynolds will start the ball rolling with happy hour 6.30 pm Friday followed by fishing report, raffles and members draw after 7.30 pm. Members and visitors all welcome and a reminder that the briefing and registration for the Broadbill Tournament will be this Thursday night, March 10th, 7.30 pm. All enquiries to Rob 64959854.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

28-02-2011

Things haven't changed much over the past week with Marlin still playing hard to get. There are plenty of bait schools out there but most of it is down deep and not on the top or high in the water column.  There are plenty of Striped Tuna and the odd Yellowfin on the prowl as well. Kingfish are still on the chew as are most reef species and the Flathead are fishing as good as they have for many months. Estuary fishing is steady but the good news is now is the best time of the moon for the prawn run. We have our Broadbill Swordfish Tournament running March 11-13th and 18-20th and for more information ring Rob 64959854 or come down to the clubhouse Friday night and pick up an entry form. Tom Scott and Jeff Knox will open 6.30 pm with happy hour followed by raffles, fishing report and members draw.

May your reel scream, Mex><((((º>

21-02-2011

Gamefishing was a bit tougher over the past week with Marlin not as keen to take a bait or lure. Many fish were sighted from the 60 fathom line to over the shelf but most didn't play the game. Hook-ups were relatively rare and many crews came home frustrated. Good news is the report of a few Yellowfin Tuna caught so hopefully we are in for a big Tuna season. Kingfish fired on the local headlands and reefs as did the popular Mowary and Greencape areas. Snapper and other reef species are still on the go and that's also suggesting that we may have a great run over the next few months. Flathead fishing was a bit hit and miss but some anglers fishing close to shore caught quality fish in short time. Gummy Sharks are also on the prowl and a bait off the bottom should improve your chance. Beaches are good providing a gutter and high tide are happening with Salmon, Bream and Whiting on the hit list and the estuaries are always worth a shot this year chasing  all species with lures and baits. The new moon will be here on March 5th so next week the prawns will be running.  Darragh Reynolds and Barry Francis will open the club 6.30 pm Friday starting with happy hour and followed by raffles, fishing report and members draw now standing at nearly $1000.00. You must  be in attendance to win if your number comes out of the barrel.

May your reel scream, Mex><((((º>

14-02-2011

It’s a bugger when the fishing is as good as it is but useless to a lot of fishos because of the weekend weather. It’s a lot better for people retired, on holidays or have a paying job to go fishing as the weather during the week has been superb with clear mornings and fish on the chew. Outside Gamefishing is at a premium with plenty of Marlin, Kingfish and Striped Tuna found in numbers anywhere from the shore to the shelf. Some mornings Mackerel and big Yellowtail can be a bit of a problem finding but once caught a good day is on the cards. Bottom fishos are still reporting plenty of Sand and Tiger Flathead with Gummies and Gurnard on the chew and the inshore reefs are still on fire with Snapper and Morwong on the top of the hit list. Headlands are worth a shot with Salmon, Tailor, Bonito and Kings a chance and the beaches are a close second with Salmon, Tailor, Bream, Whiting and Flathead taking baits. Estuaries are not to be missed with all species on the chew so all in all things are looking great. Spencer Park clubhouse will open 6.30 pm Friday and host Greg Liddell and Johno McKay will start the night off with happy hour followed later with raffles, members draw and fishing report.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

07-02-2010

Fishing is a great option if you have a couple of hours spare to relax and take in our local sites or even better if you want to put a feed on table as it doesn't get much better than now. Anglers outside are catching many Sand and Tiger Flathead with Gummy Sharks also an added bonus. Plenty are being caught on the grounds north and south of town virtually from the beaches to the 40 fathom line. Fishing the inshore reefs is well worth it with all reef species including Snapper, Morwong and Leatherjackets all keen to take bait. Beach fishing is a must with Bream, Flathead and Whiting keen to take worms and Salmon and Tailor best on Pilchards and small metal lures. Estuary fishing is a bit more finicky but anglers have had results in all the local estuaries catching Dusky Flathead, Whiting, Trevally, Snapper, Tailor, Salmon and Bream. Gamefishing is the best we've seen for years with plenty of Marlin sighted and hooked in our local waters. Hopefully this will continue on for the next couple of months before the Tuna season kicks in. We have our Dusky Dash for Cash tournament on February 26th-27th so mark this one down on the calendar. Our Broadbill Tournament is March 11-13th and on the following weekend 18th- 20th and if the season stays as it is some very exiting results may well happen. Entry forms available at he club or ring Robert 0413333598 for more information. Darragh Reynolds and Dave Stewart are on bar duty this Friday night so come on down to the Spencer Park clubrooms for a great night. Happy hours starts 6.30 pm followed by raffles, fishing report and members draw now around $800.00. Members and visitors to town all welcome.

May your reel scream,Mex.><((((º>

01-02-2010

This week has continued on after last week with most anglers having a ball on the water. Out wide the gamefishers are being kept busy with multiple strikes on Striped Marlin and some big Blue Marlin. Some are surprised at some of the strikes with the possibility of getting spooled on the initial strike even on heavy gear. In closer the bottom bouncers are very happy with plenty of Flathead and Gummy Sharks on the chew and even the odd Trevally and Gurnard caught. Beach fishing is also at its best with plenty of Salmon about and the rock fishos are in heaven with a chance of Salmon, Tailor, Bonito and Kings on the cards. Fishing specifically for Kings is as normal hit and miss with fish turning up one day  and not the next  but the usual spots including Morwary, Greencape, Haycock and the Shallow Hunter are the best. Inshore reefs are good with Snapper and other reef species on the go and I think that over the next few weeks this will get better and better. All the local estuaries are fishing well with plenty of Whiting, Dusky Flathead, Trevally and Bream on the chew and during the week Merimbula Lake was fantastic with plenty of big Prawns caught with catches of 2-3 kilo common.   Shane Mayberry will open the clubhouse this Friday 6.30 pm so bring a friend or the family down for a couple of drinks and fellowship. Happy hour will start the night off then raffles, fishing report and members draw,$750.00 will be happening some time after 7.30pm.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

Attached photo shows.  MBGALAC member Harley Jenkins with a 96cm dusky flathead caught and released in last weekends Bream Competiton held at Mallacoota, the fish weighed 14lb 4oz on the old scale and was landed on 3lb leader after nearly 20 minutes..

17-01-2011

What a week anglers have had. The fishing couldn't get much better with all species on the chew. Gamefisho's have had a ball with Marlin on the prowl around the 70 fathom mark to over the shelf and Kingfish fired up at Morwarry and Greencape. Deep reef fishing was also worth a shot with Harpooka and Blue Eye on the radar. Unfortunately the 40 fathom mark didn't fire as well as normal and the gear pinching Chinaman leatherjackets put in an appearance. The grounds closer to shore were at there best with plenty of Gummy Sharks and nice bags of Sand Flathead caught. Rock and local wharfs are great with plenty of Bonito, Salmon and Tailor and most of the beaches are firing with Bream and Whiting on worms and Salmon and Tailor with lures or Pilchards. Estuary fishing is a bit tough but a few Whiting, Dusky Flathead, Tailor and Bream are about if plenty of time and preparation is put in by anglers. Andrew Buckland and Darragh Reynolds will start the night off with happy hour 6.30pm Friday night at our Spencer Park clubrooms so bring a friend or the family down for a fun night. Our raffles, fishing report and club membership draw that now stands at $700 will be some time after 7.30. Members and visitors to town all invited to share in the night with the best views and cheapest drink prices in town.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

Attached photo shows- MBGALAC president Shane Mayberry with a legal sized Whiting taken on a surface popper during the week.

10-01-2011

We had a fantastic weekend for our Gala Weekend Fishing and I'm sure a lot of people went home feeling well satisfied. Many anglers fished and a great catch of Flathead, Gummy Sharks, Snapper, Morwong, Leatherjacket, Salmon, Tailor, Trevally, Whiting, Bream and Dusky Flathead went under the hammer at our fish auction. Profits from the auction will go to the Pambula District Hospital and a special thanks to all the local businesses that sponsored the event and to everybody that took part over the weekend. Next weekend will be a beauty as we are having a Junior Fishing Festival for all young anglers 16 years or under. Entry forms are at Tackleworld Merimbula and some great prizes are on offer. Fishing starts Saturday 9 is and finishes 4 pm with a Barbeque for all competitors. Bushy will be there to hand out prizes for boys and girls in junior and sub-junior categories. Spencer Park will be the hub of all activities but junior anglers can fish in any part of the Merimbula Lake system. Robert Wood and John Whittaker will open the clubhouse 6.30 pm this Friday with happy hour followed by the fishing report , raffles and members draw that now stands around $600 but your need to be in attendance to claim it. Everyone's invited both members and visitors so come along for a fun night and a couple of coldies.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

03-01-2011

Fishing on the sand flats for Flathead has been tough recently but the good news is reports of legal size Flathead in reasonable numbers caught north of town. A few Gummy Sharks were also taken and that is a great bonus for all. Gamefishing is starting to fire with plenty of Striped Tuna out wide and a number of sightings and hook ups of Marlin. Anglers with a bit of patience and burly are taking some nice Snapper and the rock fishos have had a ball taking Salmon, Bonito and Tailor. Estuary fishing is also brilliant with all species on the chew and over the past week a good run of Prawns for anglers that stayed up late into the night. This weekend our Gala Weekend is on and members and visitors can enter at the fishing club this Friday night or see the boys at Merimbula Tackleworld during the week and pick up an entry form. This Friday Michael Hampson and Darragh Reynolds will open the club 6.30 pm with happy hour followed by raffles, fishing report and a members draw which is now over $500.00. Don't forget the Shimano Road Show will be held January 15th at Spencer Park. The day starts 9.am and runs through till 7.30 pm with plenty of things happening including a Catch and Release Fishing Competition held for anglers 16 years of age and younger on the Merimbula Lake.  A barbeque for entrants and plenty of giveaways and prizes will be up for grabs for our junior fishos so don't miss out on this great day.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

27-12-2010

Not to many have been fishing over the past week due to Christmas celebrations and the weather hasn't been as good as we would like it to be. Those that have found fishing the sand flats north of town are bringing results with plenty of Tiger and Sand Flathead hitting the decks. Inshore reef fishing is also worth a shot with some decent Snapper amongst all the usual species including Morwong and Leatherjacket. Rock and wharf fishing is a must with reports or Tailor, Salmon and Bonito on the chew and there's a good chance of a King this time of year. Greencape has been producing Kings on some days but they can be a bit hit and miss and boat shy. Beach fishing is also starting to come good with Salmon and Tailor keen to take bait or lure. Prawns should be running late this week and also into next week and hopefully they will be a bit better size in average than last months run. Estuary fishing is still firing with Dusky Flathead, Bream, Trevally, Whiting and Tailor all on the chew so were looking good for this years Gala Weekend held January 8th-9th. Entry forms available at Blue Water Sports in Market Street or at the Spencer Park clubrooms Friday nights 6.30 pm. The club opens to members and visitors with happy hour starting the night’s proceedings followed by raffles, fishing reports and members draw. Tom Scott and Jeff Knox are on bar duty this Friday night so come on down for a fun night and even stay and watch the New Years Eve fireworks from our balcony.

May your reel scream, Mex><((((º>

20-12-2010

Plenty of fish out there for anglers and this is good considering a lot of people like seafood for there Christmas day. Outside Flathead can still be found on the wider grounds and the inshore reefs also have all species on the chew. Estuary fishing in particular Merimbula Lake is still firing with Dusky Flathead, Tailor and Trevally being the caught in numbers. Obviously the water and weather has warmed considerably and some days Whiting and Bream are keen to take a surface lure. It’s also a good time of year to catch a Mulloway and already a few have been caught in the Bega River and it’s only a matter of time till anglers catch them in the Merimbula system. A big weekend coming up with our Gala Weekend on January 8th & 9th. Please ring Shane if you can spare some time selling Gala Weekend tickets or helping out on the weekend in any way possible. Next up is the Shimano Road Show in association with Tackleworld Merimbula held Friday 15th January at Spencer Park. Starts 9.00 am and runs through till 7.30pm.  All kids under the age of 16 will be able to compete in the Fish Fest commencing in the Merimbula Lake 9.00 am and will cease 3.00pm. Prizes will be awarded to mystery entrants for boys and girls in both Junior and Sub Junior categories. A sausage sizzle will be on offer for all entrants with plenty of things happening for the crowd. The club will be open this Friday night 6.30 pm with Darragh Reynolds and Barrie Francis on duty so bring a friend and drop in for a bit of Christmas cheer and a chance to take out the members draw now standing at $450.00. On behalf of President Shane and the committee I would like to wish everyone a safe and merry Christmas and prosperous new year.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

13-12-2010

Fishing was a bit tougher this weekend but anglers that fished for Flathead caught quality fish over a kilo when fishing a bit wider than the normal 20 -40 metres of water. Snapper are still on the chew along with Morwong and Leatherjackets with daybreak and nightfall being prime time. Beach fishing is still a bit slow and the rocks are very quiet if fishing for Drummer but still worth a shot with live bait for a Kingie. Our local reefs out of Merimbula are probably the better spots if chasing big Kings with reports of fish up to 10 kilo sighted regularly.  Boats fishing out wide had limited success with Yellowfin up to 20 kilo taken along with Striped Tuna. Estuary fishing is still great if fishing Merimbula Lake as Tailor, Trevally and a few Dusky Flathead have hit the deck over the past week. Bega River and Pambula River haven't been as good but this will improve once the huge amounts of freshwater start to disappear. Our Gala Weekend will be held January 8th & 9th and we hope that all club members participate in this event. We need anglers and plenty of helpers on shore over the weekend for it to be successful. It's our main money making weekend and all profit from the fish auction will go to Pambula District Hospital. Come on down to the Spencer Park clubhouse this Friday night for ale or two and find out where the fish are biting. Greg Liddell and Johno McKay will be on bar duty with happy hour starting 6.30 pm. Our members draw stands at $350 and all you need to do is be there to claim it. Everyone's invited members and visitors all welcome.

May your reel scream, Mex .><((((º>

6-12-2010

Fishing outside over the past week has been tough for anglers due to rain and then wind particularly on the weekend. Flathead were the main target for those that persisted but there are plenty of reef species including Snapper, Morwong and Kingfish out there to be caught. No one that I heard travelled for gamefish but better weather will see results. The rain isn't all bad with estuary anglers having a ball. Some big Tailor, Bream, Dusky Flathead and Trevally were all keen to take a bait or lure and yes the Prawns have been running over the past week with catches of 5 kilo per boat being common. Hopefully a heap of kids will bring along there parents to the clubhouse for this years Christmas party. A barbeque and kids games will be happening before Santa's arrival around 7.30 pm so would all parents please be early to make sure Santa's sack is full for the kids. Dave Stewart and Darragh Reynolds are on bar duty and I'm sure they will have plenty of drinks on offer for the little and not so little kids. Members draw is now $250 and the beer and seafood raffle will be on as usual,  so come on down and receive an early Chrissie bonus.

May your reel scream, Mex .><((((º>

Attached photo shows- Tom Scott honing up his cooking skills on bank of the Eucumbene on a recent fishing trip.

30-11-2010

It’s been a shame that the weather played up over the past week as plenty of anglers are chomping on the bit hoping to catch a feed of Flathead, Snapper or Gummy Shark. Once it clears I'm sure that good catches will happen as the fishing over the last few weeks has dramatically improved and as the water temperature rises the catch rate should improve. Tuna are plentiful with Albacore on or over the shelf and Stripies found anywhere from 40 fathoms onward. Kingfish are on the prowl taking live baits and jigs but can be a bit hit and miss but if fishing any of the local reefs live bait under a balloon could turn a great day into a truly memorable one.  It’s also a good chance of a Thresher taken this time of year.  There has even been an unconfirmed report of a Marlin sighted so hopefully this is just the start to a brilliant season. Some of our members are chasing spotted pommie carp in the mountains in between rain showers and having success using power bait and lures. Estuary fishing is also firing with plenty of Bream, Trevally, Tailor and Dusky Flathead all on the chew taking both bait and lures. I hope that we have settled weather with very little wind over the next few nights as the new moon and big tides all happen and maybe we will see an early year run of Prawns.  Last Friday night was a ripper with anglers picking up some great fishing gear in our yearly buy swap or sell night.  Don't forget that our Christmas party will be on December 10 and Gala Day 2011 will be on January 8 & 9. Club members draw now stands at $200 so be at the clubhouse Friday night to claim it. Shane Mayberry and I will open with happy hour 6.30 pm and fishing report and raffles happening from 7.30 pm.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

23-11-2010

FISH ARE ON THE BITE

Continuing on from last week, the seawater is warming up and, as a result, the fish are on the chew.  Estuary fishing is firing, with plenty of bream, whiting, trevally and dusky flathead all being caught in good numbers.

On the reefs, kingfish are showing up at Haycock and the Hunter, with a 9.9 kg beauty being caught last week.  Live baiting or jigging is the go.

Out wide, good reports of albacore and stripey tuna are being received with the expectation of yellow fin tuna anytime soon.  On the surf, when there is a bit of white water, expect to pick up salmon and tailor, with good reports coming from Middle Beach and North Tura.  There are arrow squid and calamari being jigged off the Wharf Fishing Platform.

Next Friday night 26^th November, is the big family, pizza night at the Clubrooms, followed by our annual buy, swap and sell event.  This is a good time to go through your fishing gear, identify your surplus gear and sell it for cash or swap for some other gear that you need.

On Saturday morning, the 27^th of November, we have a working bee at the Club.  Come along and support your committee.

The Club continues to run the seafood raffle at Club Sapphire every Sunday evening, with the draw at 7pm.  The jackpot is now up to $1000.  Again, come down and support your club

TOM SCOTT

15-11-2010

Fishing has been just as good this week as it was last week with crews catching plenty of fish. Fishing outside has become a great option with plenty of tiger and sand Flathead up to 50 cm caught in big numbers particularly if fishing north of town. Inshore reef fishing has also fired up with captures of Snapper, Morwong and Leatherjacket hitting baits on a regular basis. Kingfish are also worth a shot with specimens up to 10 kilo caught off Greencape. Beach fishing turned out to be a bit slow but as the water warms it will get better. Out wider the Striped Tuna and Albacore are still on the prowl and who knows there may be a Yellowfin out there for some lucky angler over the magical 50 kilo.  Anglers bouncing the bottom over the 100 fathom line are catching Blue Eye Trevalla and Harpooka and now would be a great time to try for Tassie Trumpeter on the 70 fathom marks. Estuary fishing can be a bit tough but some quality fish are there to be caught if anglers persist. Our Tri- Estuary competition was held last weekend and some fantastic captures were recorded. Rob Slapp was the lucky angler to take out $500 cash for a Bream that measured 425 mm from the nose to fork of tail whilst Glen Porteous took out the longest Dusky Flathead 890 mm for $300 cash. Young gun Jack Salt won $150 for a 367 mm Trevally and Michael Brown caught a $150 Tailor that measured 385 mm. Col Beverage fishing the Bega River thought he had hooked the flathead from hell but it turned out to be an 800 mm Jewfish instead. Harley Jenkins was the lucky angler to win the Merimbula Tackle World angler’s participation raffle and took home a net, and rod holder prize. Michael Brown, Shane Mayberry, Steven Salt and Angus Warnock all took home a great fishing rod and reel for second longest fish in various categories and again we would like to thank Ronnie and Gael from Merimbula Tackleworld for there sponsorship of this great tournament. Next Friday Darragh Reynolds and Don O'Connell will open the club 6.30 pm and as usual the beer and seafood raffle will be held after the fishing report some time after 7.30 pm. Members draw now stands at $150 so be there to claim it.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

Attached photos shows, Club president Shane Mayberry hands over $500 cash to Rob Slapp for his big bream caught in the 2010 Tri-Estuary Competition

08-11-2010

What a great week has been had for fishos fishing on the ocean. Flathead have finally turned up on the chew and crews fishing north of town all came home with a great feed. Local reefs are fishing ok with Snapper, Morwong and Leatherjackets and down south Kingfish up to 8 kilo have been having a crack.  Crews fishing wide also had a ball with heaps of Striped Tuna and big catches of Albacore Tuna. It’s good to see the Albacore in numbers as it has been a few years since we have had a good run of them. Sharks are also about so maybe we are in for a cracker of a game season. Estuary fishing is also starting to fire with reports of Estuary Perch being caught in the Bega River. Dusky Flathead, Bream, Trevally and Tailor all about so I'm sure that the Tri- Estuary competition held this weekend will produce some quality captures. Registration will be at the clubhouse this Friday night and for a $50 entry fee per angler this represents great value with a chance to win a heap of cash and fishing gear.  Merimbula Tackle World is our major sponsor so if any fishing gear is required go and see Ronnie and the boys. Rob Wood and John Whittaker are on bar duty starting with happy hour 6.30 pm followed by raffles and a new members draw that stands at $100 this week and will increase $50 a week until won.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

Attached photo - Paul Jones had a ball catching Striped Tuna and  Albacore on Saturday bagging out in no time at all. These Albacore, also known as the chicken of the sea, were bled once caught and are destined for the dinner table.

01-11-2010

Unfortunately the weather closed in over the weekend and due to this anglers stayed at home or had to find areas on the estuaries out of the wind. Those that did fish the enclosed waters had a ball with plenty of Dusky Flathead and a few Trevally and Estuary Perch on the chew. Fishing on the beaches and rocks was surprisingly slow with the only highlight being sightings of whales close to shore. It may be another slow week if the weather stays rough but maybe it’s a good thing so we can prepare for our Tri- Estuary Competition on 13th-14th November. Entry is $50 per angler and all members of the public are invited to participate. Cash prizes and fishing gear will be on offer for winners of this measure and release tournament and prizes will be awarded for longest Bream, Dusky Flathead, Trevally and Tailor. You can fish Bega River, Merimbula Lakes system or the Pambula River so plenty of opportunity is there for quality fish to be landed. Please ring Shane 0428424496 if more information is needed or come down to our Spencer Park clubhouse this Friday night. Michael Hampson and Darragh Reynolds will open the bar 6.30 pm with happy hour followed by a fun night with raffles and fishing report some time before 8 pm. Also a reminder to all club members and the general public that new life jacket laws have now come into place on 1 November 2010 and if you aren't sure of the new laws contact local authorities and ensure that you’re doing the right thing.

24-10-2010

We might have finally turned the corner fishing wise with anglers catching fish both on the ocean and also in the local estuaries. Even the humble Flathead turned up on some days with reports of fish caught mostly north of town. On the shelf and beyond reports of Blue-Eye Trevalla and Tuna but the best news are reports of plenty of Shark action.  The inshore reef fishing is still the same as past weeks with a few Snapper, Morwong and Leatherjacket about and mostly caught by crews prepared to anchor and berley. Only down side to this is the presence of gear pinching Barracouta and Chinaman Leatherjacket. Our estuary systems are starting to heat up and with this plenty of Dusky Flathead on plastics whilst the Bream and Trevally still prefer natural baits. All in all it’s starting to look good for our Tri-Estuary comp on Nov 13th and 14th. Ring Rob Wood 64959854 if you are intending on teeing off at the Mandeni Golf day this Sunday morning. Golfers tee off 9am followed by a bring your own food and drinks barbeque along with bocce and hit the target golf range around noon.  We are now back to the warmer part of the year so come on down to Spencer Park this Friday 6.30 pm for our first end of the month family night barbeque. Members and visitors are all invited and Tom Scott and Jeff Knox will be on bar duty serving all drinks and nibbles. Raffles and fishing report some time before 8 pm, so I'll see you there for a fun night.

May your reel scream, Mex><((((º>

18-10-2010

Fishing is still tough when fishing outside with only small catches of Flathead reported. Reef fishing can be productive and probably the best bet would be anchored up and be prepared to spend a few hours berlying and hopefully the fish will come to you. Anglers doing this are catching some quality Snapper amongst Morwong, Leatherjacket, Barracouta and nannygai. If the wind stops blowing a trip to the shelf is a great option with Harpooka and Blue Eye Trevalla the targeted species.  Also a real chance for Striped Tuna, Albacore and Yellowfin as Tuna have been caught north of our area and are probably in our waters as well. Fishing the estuaries is getting better with plenty of Dusky Flathead about and now the Bream although hard to find should start to improve. The club had 32 members travel to Wonboyn Resort last weekend and had a fun couple of days. A tough time on the water due to wind and rain but plenty of Dusky Flathead plus a couple of Bream, Mullet, Trevally and Tailor caught. Beach and headland fishing is okay with salmon and tailor about.  Next big event will be our Mandeni Golf Challenge held Sunday October 31. Hit off at 9.30 am and a BBQ will be after the game followed by  bocce and the golf range so put your name down at the clubhouse if you are attending. Our Tri- Estuary fishing competition on November 13-14 is fast approaching and prizes will be up for longest Bream, Flathead, Tailor and Trevally so now's the time to organise your team. Everyone is invited to fish this tournament providing you have a NSW fishing licence, unless exempt. It is not a requirement to be a member of any fishing club but there is an entry fee of $50 per angler and registration will be on Friday 12th, 7.30 at our Spence Park clubrooms. All enquiries to Shane 0428424496.

May your reel scream, Mex><((((º>

11-10-2010

Fishing is still a bit like last week with anglers having mixed results when fishing at sea.  The 40 fathom reef and inshore grounds up towards Tathra were probably the pick of spots when chasing Flathead. Earlier in the week Gummy sharks were found and now there seems to be quiet a few Gurnard about. Inshore reefs were quiet with only small numbers of Snapper but a few Morwong and Leatherjacket were keen to take bait. Plenty of big Barracouta about so take plenty of sinkers and not the nice shiny ones. The rocks and beaches are still producing Salmon up to 2 kilo and the estuaries are starting to improve with Dusky Flathead, Trevally, Bream, Tailor and Salmon all a chance. Merimbula Lake and Pambula River is starting to fish okay but the Bega River has started to fire with Bream, Tailor and Dusky's all having a crack.  This weekend will be a corker with over 30 of us heading to Wonboyn Resort for a couple of days fishing and relaxing. Please ring Shane 64950008 if you intend on going as we need to finalize numbers for our Saturday night banquet. Our Mandeni Golf day will be on Sunday October 31 so please put you name on the list at the club if you intend on playing. There will also be plenty of other activities including bocce and a BBQ had on the day. Greg Liddell and Johno McKay will start this Friday night with happy hour 6.30 pm followed by the beer and seafood raffle some time after 7.30 pm.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

04-10-2010

Fishing is still tough with limited catches of Flathead and reef fish caught at sea but things are definitely improving. Anglers heading out to the forty fathom line spotting Whales should be dragging small lures as reports of Stripped Tuna are coming in. Plenty of Dolphins and Sooty Turns and this time of year its not uncommon to come across huge schools of Cowanyoung Baitfish. Trolling lures or baits around any of this activity can be very rewarding with the capture of Tuna or Sharks. Some anglers are catching a few Flathead and Jackass Morwong on the forty fathom reef but, it can prove to be a bit hit and miss. Kingfish are also on the chew with 6 -8 kilo fish found south of Eden in reasonable numbers. Knife jigs and trolled deep divers are doing the job.  Its also always worth a shot on the way home to have a drop in the shallows off the Pambula River mouth,  the Sticks in Merimbula Bay or in close on any of the beaches as the Flathead may decide to come on the chew.  Estuary fishing is still firing with Salmon and Tailor the main target but as things start to warm up Dusky Flathead and Bream will be caught. Beach and rock fishing is still a great option particularly at day break flicking lures for Salmon. We have started to have a few insect hatchings so I'm sure that the fresh water fishing is set to fire. Anglers chasing Spotted Pommy Carp are doing well in Lake Jindabyne and Eucumbene.  As always the clubhouse will be open this Friday 6.30 pm start with happy hour. We have Dave Stewart and Darragh Reynolds on bar duty so come down for a night of fun. The Beer and Seafood raffle will be some time after 7.30 so see you there.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

Attached photo shows.  Tom Scott with a Lake Eucumbene spotted pommy carp taken on lure.

27-09-2010

Thankfully the weather is starting to improve and with this the water out at sea will soon start to warm and bring the fish back on the bite. Water close to shore was around 14 degrees and at the shelf up to around 16 degrees. Crews that fished the bottom wide of the shelf fund Blue Eye Trevalla and anglers fishing the inshore reef found plenty of species but unfortunately only small numbers of Snapper were found. Still no Flathead on the sand flats but plenty of Whales on the forty fathom line to keep crews entertained.  Anglers fishing the beaches are catching  Salmon and Tailor up to 2 kilo on small metal lures and baits. The estuaries are providing a few Dusky Flathead, Tailor, Trevally, Salmon, Garfish and Mullet. Estuary Perch are having a dip if fishing the Bega River and were all hoping that the Bream and Perch will be firing when we head down to our club weekend away to Wonboyn 15-17 October. Please put your name down at the list at the clubhouse on any Friday night if attending. Friday night Darragh Reynolds and Andrew Buckland will kick of proceedings 6.30 pm with happy hour followed by the fishing report and beer and seafood raffle. Members and visitors all invited to come down for a fun night.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

20-09-2010

Fishing hasn't changed over the past week with anglers having another tough time on the water.  Whale watching is a better option with plenty about but if fishing the Pambula River is probably the best bet. A few small Bream were caught but on some days plenty of Salmon were found. Small metal slugs and plastics trolled until the fish are found then casting to the school is the go with anglers catching as many as they could hope for. A few Tailor also have turned up with them so it’s a bit of a lucky dip. Merimbula Lake and Bega River are still tough with the odd Bream, Trevally and Tailor taken. Rock and beach fishing is the next best bet with Salmon and Tailor on the beaches particularly at high tide. The club will be open Friday night 6.30 starting with happy hour. Shane Mayberry and I will be wearing our Collingwood jumpers in preparation for Saturdays win so come and have a couple of early celebration drinks with us. The beer and seafood raffles will be after we sing Good Old Collingwood Forever so come on down for a fun night.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

13-09-2010

Fishing is still slow with anglers doing it tough over the last week. Even the estuary fishing shut down with Bream, Salmon and Tailor not keen to take bait or lure. Flathead fishermen also did it tough with small fish found north of town and the reef fishing was near non existent.  About the only highlight for many was the sighting of Whales. Never mind as now is the time to maintain all you’re fishing gear.  All reels should be serviced and if you aren't happy doing it yourself they can be sent back to the manufacturer for a full service at a very reasonable price. All hooks in lures should also be checked and sharpened and rods particularly runners given the once over. All participants in last years Tinny Tournament are to attend the fishing club Friday night September 17th as the winner will be announced. You must be there to pick up the cash so don't miss out.  We also have a list at the clubhouse for our weekend away at Wonboyn, October 15-17th so please put your name down if you intend going. Darragh Reynolds and Geoff Knox are on bar duty this Friday night starting at 6.30 pm. Beer and seafood raffle will be after the fishing report about 7.45 pm so bring a friend and enjoy a night of fun and fellowship.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

06-09-2010

Fishing was very tough for anglers heading to sea over the past week. Unfortunately the winds and seas were up and that didn't help the cause. The Flathead grounds were very scarce and local inshore reefs just as bad.  Only good thing was the rain and that in the long term will help the breeding cycle of all fish including Prawns so maybe we may get a good run of Prawns early in the season. Estuary fishing was a little better with Bream, Dusky Flathead, Tailor and Salmon on the chew but fishing the rocks on a safe day is probably the best bet at the moment with Drummer being the targeted species. Hopefully things will improve as we swing into the summer pattern of weather and maybe an early run of Tuna in the next month or so.  This Friday night Shane Mayberry and I are on bar duty starting with happy hour 6.30 pm so bring a friend and enjoy a couple of drinks at our Spencer Park clubrooms. Members and visitors to the town are all invited so come and enjoy a fun night with the beer and seafood raffle and fishing report sometime around 8pm.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

30-08-2010

Fishing was a lot better for anglers this week with catches reported from out at sea on the rocks and in the local estuaries. This is great news as this time of year can be very tough with plenty of effort for a small result. Outside the Flathead have been up to 50 cm in reasonable numbers and plenty of Snapper, Morwong, Sweep and Nannygai caught on the inshore reefs. There were Snapper caught over the weekend ranging from a kilo to 2.5 kilo in weight which is great for this area this time of year. Barracouta are the only problem but you don't mind losing a bit of gear when quality fish are about. Whales are starting to show up in our waters and are also an added bonus when fishing so take your camera for a couple of memorable photos. Beaches have reasonable numbers of small Salmon and rock fishing this time of year is well worth the trip as Drummer are about and its perfect when the winds are coming from the west. Local estuaries are good with bream, Trevally and Tailor on the chew, but the pick of them would be Pambula River as Salmon have also been keen to take lures on the troll or when cast. Our new 2010-2011 committee was appointed recently and will soon announce the full club calendar detailing functions and weekends of club interest to be held. Our weekend away has already been locked in for ’Wonboyn Resort on 16th- 17th October so ring president Shane 64950008 to book early or put your name down on the list at the clubhouse. Congratulations to club stalwart Robert Wood who has been recognised for his tireless efforts over many years and has been awarded life membership.

May your reel scream, MexMex.><((((º>

Attached photo - Sandra and Robert Wood enjoying a meal by the water. Club stalwart Robert Wood has been awarded Life Membership of the Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club.

09-08-2010

Fishing was tough for anglers during the past week and about the only fish to be caught were Flathead taken north of town. Some of these fish were up to 45 cm but most were around the 40 cm mark which is great as that is an ideal size for eating. Anglers fishing over the shelf and the inshore reefs did it tough with very few bottom fish found. Estuary fishing was slow but tossing Squid jigs from the wharfs and rocks is the best bet with Calamari ready to pounce. Don’t forget our presentation night will be this Saturday night at the RSL and our AGM at the clubrooms Monday night. Both nights are very important for the club and all members are encouraged to attend.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

26-07-2010

Now may be the time to strip your game reels down and do a bit of maintenance on tackle and boats as the Gamefishing seems to have come to a halt. It’s not in concrete though but the chance of a good fish is a lot slimmer in the next few weeks. Fishing the deep reefs may be an option for Blue Eye Cod, Harpooka and Trumpeter but if you’re not prepared to do the miles a drop on the Flathead grounds north of Merimbula has proved successful for most crews. The Flathead haven't been monsters but fish up to 50 cm have hit the deck with consistency. The inner reefs are also providing great fishing with plenty of Snapper and Morwong most days. Plenty of Tailer about on the beaches and still big Bream found in our local estuaries. Still plenty of Squid if Calamari is on the list with local wharfs and rock platforms worth a shot. Current club members need to book there boat in to Merimbula Mowers and Marine for there yearly service and receive a 15 % discount held over the months of July and August. Club dues also need to be paid and would members please put there names on the list provided at the club for presentation night, August 14th. Tickets will be $31 per adult with junior prices still to be advised. Shane Mayberry and I will be on bar duty this Friday night with happy hour starting 6.30 pm. A beer and seafood raffle will be held sometime after the fishing report so bring a mate and have a fun night in our warm club surrounds.

May your reel scream, Mex .><((((º>

19-07-2010

The weather over the past week has been kind and boats put to sea hoping to find Bluefin tuna. Unfortunately none were sighted or caught and many anglers are now starting to think that the run for 2010 is over. It was interesting to hear that a few Yellowfin tuna up to 45 kilo were caught and apparently there is a report of a patch of water coming down with Tuna and Marlin in it. Fishing the bottom in close has had mixed results with reef species including Snapper and Morwong although some days Barracouta are about on the reefs, headlands and flathead grounds. If its Calamari on your menu then all local wharfs and rock platforms are worth a shot particularly at daybreak or dusk. Estuary fishing was a little tough but for those that persisted Tailor, Trevally and big Bream were found. A lot of bait fish are also in both the Merimbula and Pambula systems so it’s wont are a surprise if the fishing gets better. Over 90 club delegates and the executive of the New South Wales Game Fishing Association held its annual general meeting and trophy presentation at Club Sapphire in Merimbula last weekend. New South Wales Southern Zone that encompasses fishing waters from Eden to Kiama took many trophies for the year including the highly sought after Cock of the Walk trophies in both capture and Tag and Release categories. Host club Merimbula was congratulated time after time on a job well done and I would personally like to thank Club Sapphire, Lindon Thompson and all those people who contributed in making the AGM a fantastic weekend. Please don't forget we are now into the new fishing year and club membership needs to be payed. Our trophy presentation night will be on Saturday August 14th and AGM the following Monday 16th. Andrew Buckland and Darragh Reynolds will open the Spencer Park clubrooms 6.30 pm Friday night so bring a friend and enjoy a night including happy hour, raffles and the local fishing report,

May your reel scream, Mex .><((((º>

12-07-2010

It will be interesting to see what does eventuate over the next couple of weeks regarding Gamefishing as the Bluefin tuna were found early last week but unfortunately non existent in the latter part and weekend. Albacore and Striped Tuna were caught where the Bluefin were and hopefully it was just a few quiet days and not the end of this years run. The majority of Tuna have been around 35 to 50 kilo but a couple around the 120 kilo had most anglers relishing the chance to have a crack providing the weather is right. Flathead fishing is still an option with most crews coming home with a feed and the inshore reefs are definitely worth a shot with plenty of Snapper, Morwong, Nannygai and Leather Jackets all on the chew. The only downer to the fishing has been the presence of Barracouta, cutting off baits, sinkers and lures on some days. Rock and beach fishing is still number one for finding Salmon, Tailor and Bonito and the local estuaries are a close second with Bream and Tailor heading the hit list. The Spencer Park clubrooms will be open this Friday night with Darragh Reynolds and Mark Smith on bar duty. Happy hour starts the proceedings 6.30 pm followed by the fishing report and raffles some time around 8 pm. everyone’s invited so bring a friend and enjoy a fun night.

May your reel scream, Mex ><((((º>

05-07-2010

What a difference the weather makes when travelling wide and far. Calmer conditions made for great results during the past week with anglers catching Buefin and Yellowfin tuna out over the 1000 fathom line. Blake Buckland fishing on Jedi hit the scales with a personal best Bluefin Tuna weighing at 56.5 kilos. Most of the Bluefin have been around the 40 to 55 kilo mark and hopefully a jumbo sized fish will be caught over the next few weeks. Yellowfin Tuna have also been caught but unfortunately only small fish and not the 50 kilo plus specimens found earlier in the season. Flathead fishing is also great with plenty of fish north of Merimbula and reef fishing is still firing with legal sized Snapper and Morwong on the chew. Kingfish are about and can be found on any of our local reefs or headlands and a few bonito have also been found with them. Estuary fishing is good with bream, Tailor and Trevally on the chew and Pambula River also has salmon some days keen to take a lure. Also squid are about and again any rock platforms or wharfs are the spot to try. We will be hosting this years NSWGFA annual general meeting at the Sapphire Club Merimbula over 16th, 17th and 18th July. Saturday night is trophy presentation night and if any members would like to attend please ring me 64954795 and book a seat. Greg Liddell and John McKay are on bar duty this Friday night and will start with happy hour 6.30 pm. Members and visitors all invited to enjoy a night at our Spencer Park clubhouse.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

28-06-2010

Unfortunately the winds kept coming over last weekend and due to this no crews put to sea to fish the 2nd leg of the 18th Broadbill Tournament. Let’s hope that the winds do stop over the next few weeks as reports of Bluefin up to 90 kilo have been reported. These fish are well over the shelf so we need perfect conditions to have a crack at them. People that did go to sea had a great time on Snapper fishing the inshore reefs both north and south of Merimbula. Not a lot of big fish in amongst them but plate sized fish seemed to be encountered in numbers. Morwong and Leather Jackets are also on the chew along with heaps of rubbish fish including Barracouta. Flathead have been very patchy but once found fish up to a kilo have been caught. Rock and beach fishing is still firing with plenty of Salmon and Tailor about and the local estuaries are still fishing great with Bream, Trevally, Salmon and Tailor on the chew most days. Michael Hampson and Darragh Reynolds are on bar duty this Friday night starting with happy hour 6.30 pm. Raffles and fishing report to be held during the night so bring a friend and come and enjoy a fun night at our Spencer Park clubrooms. Members and visitors al invited.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

21-06-2010

Fishing was a bit tough for anglers over the past week and hopefully things will improve. Last weekend was the first leg of the Broadbill Swordfish tournament and most crews stayed home due to a forecast of south west winds. Those that did brave the elements were rewarded with Blue Shark, Mako Shark and Tuna. We are all hoping for better conditions this weekend as the second leg of the tournament starts Friday afternoon and finishes Monday morning. Bottom fishing was also tough on the inshore reefs as the Snapper, Morwong and Leather Jackets were about but only fired up early mornings. Flathead fishing was slow but a feed was caught by most if prepared to move around until a patch could be found. Reports of Thresher Sharks on the Flathead grounds are common so live bait under a balloon is worth a shot. The surprise of the week has been schools of Striped Tuna within casting distance of the rocks and anyone looking for Salmon and Tailor with small metal lures would be in the box seat when a school of Stripies pass by. Estuary fishing has been best late in the day with Tailor up to 800 gram keen to eat bibbed lures. Tom Scott and Bill Pryor on bar duty this Friday night so come down to our club for a fun night with happy hour starting 6.30 pm followed by the beer and seafood raffle after the fishing report.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

4-06-2010

The weather is still a concern but anglers fishing on the inshore reefs have had success with Snapper, Morwong and Leather Jackets all on the chew. Hopefully this is the start of a run of reef species as they have been a bit quiet over the last month. The Flathead are a bit patchy and at this time of year can be frustrating as some days you will find a patch whilst the next you can't even lose bait. Luckily you don't have to leave shore early as many days the frogs don't come on the chew until late morning or well into the afternoon which is a complete change to the normal early morning bite happening on the warmer months. The wind being from the south west hasn't made life easy for the Gamefishing fraternity and even fishos in the estuaries are having a battle. This time of year Tailor is a target and sooner rather than later Salmon should be found in Merimbula Lake and the Pambula River. Beach fishing is a great option with the westerly winds and again Salmon and Tailor are the main species sought but Bream and Flathead can also be found. Rock and wharf fishing is also worth a shot providing the swell isn't up with all species including Arrow Head and Calamari Squid on the chew. We're hoping for some great weather conditions over the next 2 weekends as a lot of interest has been shown by anglers keen to have a crack at catching a Broadbill Swordfish. Our Broadbill Tournament is sponsored by Merimbula Tackleworld and we hope all anglers support them as they support us with sponsorship in many of our club events. Good luck and safe fishing to all participating crews and I'll see you at the tournament briefing this Thursday night 7pm. Our Spencer Park clubrooms will be open this Friday night and all members and visitors are invited. Darragh Reynolds and Barrie Francis will be on bar duty and happy hour will start 6.30 pm. Beer and seafood raffle will be around 7.30 pm so come on down and enjoy a fun night.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

07-06-2010

The weather hasn't been kind to us for the last two weeks and this if frustrating for gamefishers as plenty of Yellowfin Tuna are to be caught if the seas enable us to travel over the shelf and on to the 1000 fathom line (also known as the second drop off). For those that don't fish, this mark is about 25 mile to sea and as you can imagine weather conditions are the most important factor of the day and dictates if and when we are to be successful. Some boats were able to get out during the early part of last week and yellowfin over 50 kilos where caught north of Merimbula. Broadbill fishing is shaping up as excellent as another was caught during the day on a deep bait . The fish was over 160 kilo and is a pending Australian record. This is all sounding great for our Broadbill Tournament with the first leg starting Friday afternoon June 18th through till the following Monday morning June 21st. The second leg will be then held Friday afternoon June 25th through till Monday morning June 28th. Prizes for capture and Tag and Release of Broadbill, Shark and Tuna are up for grabs. Anyone affiliated with the Game Fishing Association of Australia is invited to compete in the 18th Merimbula Broadbill Swordfish Game Fishing Tournament. The briefing for the first leg will be held June 17th,Thursday 7 pm at the Spencer Park clubrooms. For more information call Rob 0413333598. All other forms of fishing including rock, reef, wharfs, beaches and estuaries has been tough due to the big seas, rains and wind but this will improve as the fishing gods will surely give us some decent time on the water for a few days in the weeks to come. This Friday night Greg Liddell and Johno McKay are on bar duty so come on down to the club and enjoy a few drinks and fishing stories. Beer and seafood raffle will be some time after 7.30 and is open to both members and visitors to town.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

Attached photo shows. Anglers Shannon Stokes and John Rankin with one of two Broadbill Swordfish Tagged and Released on a recent night time broadbill trip. This year has been the best for many seasons for Broadbill and this years tournament is looking very promising.

31-05-2010

Wow, what a week of rain and wind. Obviously crews that had planned to fish over the weekend hadn't a chance apart from early Saturday morning and those that did only managed a couple of Flathead and small Snapper. Beach fishing was just as bad as the seas were pounding and by Sunday only the foolhardy stepped outside there door. The weekend proved great for getting gear ready as once the seas settle inshore reef fishing and beach fishing should fire up. Estuary fishing should also improve with a lot of fish near the entrances of our estuaries away from most of the fresh water. Gamefishing should be just as exciting as there has been plenty of Yellowfin Tuna and with fingers crossed a run of Bluefin Tuna should be just around the corner. Our Broadbill Swordfish tournament will be held on June 18th, 19^th, 20th and also June 25th, 26 and 27th. All indications are that we may have a ripper of a tournament as reports of Broadbill captures and sightings have been well above average this year. Entry forms can be obtained from the club on any Friday night or ring Robert 041333359 for any information. Dave Stewart and Darragh Reynolds are on bar duty this Friday so come on down to our Spencer Park clubrooms and enjoy the club with a view. Members and visitors all invited with happy hour starting 6.30 pm followed by the fishing report and raffles. 5.30 pm Sunday nights we run our huge seafood raffle at Club Sapphire so support this and have a chance at taking out the cash jackpot which now stands at $1900.

May your reel scream, Mex .><((((º>

24-05-2010

Fishing has been great over the past week with anglers having a ball catching Yellowfin Tuna. Most of these fish have been caught over the continental shelf between the first and second drop off. Unfortunately we people that have to work for a living are finding it a bit tough as the Tuna have been lining up to take baits on weekdays but have proved a little tougher on the weekends. Our Snapper tournament sponsored by Merimbula Mowers and Marine was last weekend and plenty of plate sized Snapper between 800 grams to the kilo were caught. A few bigger fish were also about and Pella DiDonato took home the $500 cash prize for a snapper that hit the scales at 2.2 Kilo. Runner up was Shane Mayberry with a rod and reel winning fish of 1.95 kilo. Daryl Williams took out the mystery weight snapper. Plenty of Morwong, Leatherjacket, Nanaguie and gear stealing Barracouta were also caught. Flathead fishing is also firing with crews reporting reasonable catches off the grounds north of town. Estuary fishing can be a lot of fun with Salmon and Tailor caught in Pambula River and the Merimbula System. Local beaches have schools of Salmon and Tailor taking lures and Pilchards but beach worms can be a handy backup if targeting Bream and Flathead. Shane Mayberry and I are on bar duty this Friday night so drop in for a yarn and a couple of coldies. Members and visitors are all invited and happy hours starts at 6.30 pm followed up with the fishing report and raffles.

May your reel scream, Mex .><((((º>

17-05-2010

The days are starting to cool down but this doesn't mean the end of fishing. In fact it will improve with some species. One of these is Snapper fishing and after the latest bout of big seas hopefully the Snapper are in close to shore readily feeding on baits on lures. We will find out this weekend as the club is running its Snapper Classic out of Merimbula . All anglers holding a NSW fishing licence unless exempt are invited to fish this tournament. Entry fee is $50 per team consisting 2 anglers with and additional $25 per person. There are fantastic prizes on offer including cash and fishing gear. A briefing will be held this Friday, May 21st at the Spencer Park clubrooms some time after 7.30 pm. Gamefishing is still in full swing. Most of the Yellowfin caught are averaging the 50 kilo mark and have been taken on live baits and cubes out of a burley trail. Plenty of sharks and the odd Marlin have also been hooked. Flathead fishing had dropped of over the weekend but now that the seas have settled I'm sure that anglers will be a bit more successful. Beaches, headlands and local wharfs are a great option with Salmon and Tailor being the main targets. Our estuaries are slowing down but with a bit of searching plenty of Tailor can be found. Andrew Buckland and Darragh Reynolds will open the bar starting with happy hour 6.30 pm this Friday. A raffle and fishing report will be held after the Snapper Classic tournament briefing so bring a friend and enjoy a fun night at our cosy clubrooms.

May your reel scream, Mex .><((((º>

10-05-2010

Fishing is still at a premium with anglers having success when putting to sea or on our estuaries. The Tuna season is in full swing with plenty of Yellowfin averaging around 50 kilos. Boats cubing have had the most success but some days including last Saturday can be frustrating as plenty of Yellowfin were seen crashing into schools of Sauries but wouldn't touch baits or lures presented to them. When they’re on the schools of Sauries they have tunnel vision and are not interested in anything else. Albacore are also starting to show and hopefully the season will run for at least another month and be capped off with a run of Bluefin. Sharks are also on the chew but anglers must be aware that at this stage it is illegal under federal law to capture Mako Sharks unless you are fishing in a NSWGFA sanctioned tournament.

Flathead fishing is still productive and the inshore reefs are getting better with captures of Snapper, Morwong and Leatherjacket common. This is great news as we will be running our Snapper Classic on May 22nd, 23rd. Plenty of prizes on offer for this event and is open to all anglers with a current NSW fishing licence unless exempt. Entry forms can be obtained at the fishing club on Friday nights or speak to Shane 64950008. Beach fishing is great with Salmon, Tailor and Bream on the chew and all the headlands are worth a shot particularly for those that are live baiting. Estuary fishing is still good with Dusky Flathead, Bream, Trevally, Snapper and Tailor keen to take bait or lure. This Friday Darragh Reynolds will be on bar duty at the Spencer Park clubrooms and kick the night off with happy hour starting 6.30 pm. A raffle and fishing report will be held some time after 7.30 pm so bring a friend and enjoy a great social night. All members and visitors to town are most welcome.

May your reel scream, Mex .><((((º>

Attached photo shows- a 100 kilo Mako Shark now protected by federal law, cruising at the back of the boat.

19-04-2010

Estuary fishing is fantastic up and down the coast with plenty of Bream, Dusky Flathead, Snapper, Trevaly and Tailor on the bite. Beaches, headlands and wharfs are just as productive with a chance for anglers to catch Kingfish, Salmon, Tailor, Squid and even Yellowfin Tuna. Flathead fishermen are coming home with a feed but alas the reefs are still under par for this time of year. Gamefishing is cracking down our way with Marlin and Tuna caught during the past week and anglers are looking forward to our 30th Merimbula Open Gamefishing event to be held this Friday,Saturday and Sunday. The tournament briefing will be held at the Spencer Park clubrooms 7.30 pm Thursday 22nd and all GFAA members are invited. Clubrooms will also be open Friday night with Tom Scott and Bill Pryor on bar duty starting with happy hour 6.30 pm. Everyone's welcome so bring a friend and enjoy a couple of drinks overlooking the Merimbula Lake before and after the fishing report and raffles.

May your reel scream, Mex .><((((º>

12-04-2010

Fishing was much better last week with anglers finding a feed of Flathead on the grounds north of Merimbula. There were pockets of fish and some boats had trouble locating them but once found had no trouble catching a feed. Reef fishing was still quiet but will improve before our Snapper Classic competition to be held late May this year. Beach fishing is firing with Tailor over a kilo caught in numbers and Salmon keen to take baits and lures on both the beaches and headlands. Estuaries in the area are back to normal with plenty of Dusky Flathead, Trevally, Bream and Tailor all on the chew. Game Fishing is heating up with Marlin, Shark, Yellowfin and stacks of Striped Tuna caught over the week. Fish of the week goes to Blake Buckland who landed his first marlin on the weekend. Fishing on Jedi, Blake managed to capture of a 98.5 kg striped marlin. Our Merimbula Open is April 23-25th and for more information ring Rob Wood 0413333598 or come down to our Spencer Park clubrooms and pick up an entry form. Darragh Reynolds and Barry Francis will open 6.30 pm Friday and kick the night off with happy hour. Don't forget our Sunday night seafood raffle at the Sapphire Club. The bonus cash jackpot now stands at over $2,500 and all you need to have a chance at winning is buy a raffle ticket.

May your reel scream, Mex .><((((º>

05-04-2010

Fishing was at its toughest last week with most species virtually disappearing. Don't know why it happened but sometimes it does and unfortunately flathead, gummy sharks, reef species, estuaries and gamefish were in shut down mode. Thankfully they are like us and have to eat so hopefully by time you read this they will be back on the bite. Luckily the beaches, headlands and wharfs produced salmon, tailor and squid. It’s also worth a crack trying for prawns over the next few nights as the new moon will be on Wednesday 14th. Our Merimbula Open is on the 23rd-25th so I hope everyone has the gear up to scratch ready for this big event. Greg Liddell and Johno McKay are on bar duty this Friday night so bring a friend and come on down for a couple of drinks and fishing stories. Happy hour starts and 6.30 pm followed with the raffle and fishing report. Members and visitors all invited.

May your reel scream, Mex. ><((((º>

29-03-2010

Fishing was good over the weekend for the bottom bashers with nice catches of Flathead taken from the grounds north of Merimbula. Not so good for the game fishers as Marlin, Tuna, Kingfish and Sharks were rarely sighted. The rocks headlands and beaches were a better shot with Salmon, Tailor, Bonito, Bream and Whiting all on the chew. Estuary fishing was fantastic with Dusky Flathead, Trevally, Tailor, Snapper and Bream keen on taking baits and lures but again Pambula River still has that shocking weed in it. The committee has its meeting next Monday night and all members are invited to attend if wanting to and don't forget the Merimbula Open happening on April-25.

May your reel scream, Mex. ><((((º>

Photo shows- a bag of bream up to 36cm caught locally about to be released back into the system.

22-03-2010

Last week was a ripper for anglers fishing outside with great weather and most species keen to take bait or lure. Game Fishing is looking good with marlin, sharks and tuna all on the prowl. Paul Jones fishing on his boat Sea Mode had a great day Saturday catching an 86 kilo Thresher Shark of Bournda Island whilst Flathead fishing. This was a most welcome feed of flake to add to there catch of flattie fillets. Kingfish are still on and its proving to be the best season for many years with jigs, poppers and live baits all doing the job. Inshore reefs are now starting to fire and the crews that have experience and the right approach can be assured of some snapper ranging up to 2 kilo hitting the decks regularly. Local wharves and headlands are also proving fun for anglers throwing small metal jigs with plenty of salmon and Bonito on the prowl and there's also the added bonus of trying for a Squid or two. Beach fishing is also hot with plenty of Salmon and Tailor on lures and Whiting, Bream and Flathead on worms. Estuary fishing hasn't stopped since last week with many Dusky Flathead, Bream, Tailor, Trevally and small Snapper all on the chew. All in all it’s a great time of year to fish with all types of fishing worth trying. If you’re new to the area or to our sport come down to the Spencer Park clubhouse this Friday night 6.30 pm. Bar staff Shane Mayberry and Mex Williams will kick the night off with happy hour followed by a raffle and the local fishing report.

May your reel scream, Mex. ><((((º>

15-03-2010

Fishing over the last week has picked up for anglers fishing the Flathead grounds with both sand and Tiger Flathead hitting the deck regularly. Still a few Gummy Sharks caught and I'm thinking that they will come on even better as we start to get into the rising stage of the moon. Reef fishing is still a bit slow with only a few Snapper found but plenty of Kingfish, Bonito and Salmon on the prowl. Game Fishing is also great with Marlin, Mako Sarks, Dolphin Fish and Striped Tuna all encountered and again the 40 to 60 fathom line worked best for most crews. Estuary fishing has now also picked up with anglers catching Dusky Flathead, Bream, Trevally, Whiting, Tailor and Snapper in very reasonable numbers. Our Dusky Dash for Cash was held last week and Val Harvey took home the $500 cash for the longest Flathead caught and released at 80 cm. Val's team-mate Shane Shaw took out second longest catch and release Flathead at 60 cm and between the both of them took out the prize for the combined longest length of 5 fish caught coming in at 2.930 mm. Secret length flathead went to me. The Spencer Park clubrooms will be open this Friday with Andrew Buckland and Darragh Reynolds on bar duty starting with happy hour 6.30 pm. A beer and seafood raffle will be held after the fishing report so come on down for a fun night full of fishing stories and fellowship. Members and visitors to town are all invited so bring the family or a friend and enjoy our great facility on the shores of Merimbula Lake.

May your reel scream, Mex. ><((((º>

Attached photo shows- Val Harvey with his winning 80 cm Dusky Flathead caught during the Merimbula Tackle World Dusky Dash for Cash catch and release competition run by MBGALAC. This 80cm fish was the winner and a very happy Val received $500 cash for this effort.

08-03-2010

Sadly the game fishing dropped off a bit this week with marlin rarely sighted, baits disappearing and only a couple of small Yellowfin caught on the shelf. This is not all bad though as maybe we have just gone through the quiet time of the month. Great news for the bottom bouncers fishing the sand flats over the last week with sand and tiger flathead caught in reasonable numbers. Fishos that fished late in the afternoon instead of early morning also found gummy sharks on the sand but the best spots were on or near the inshore reefs and headlands as plenty of bonito; kingfish and salmon have also been on the chew. Even better news is the appearance of morwong and snapper in our waters around Merimbula but these fish can be a bit choosy and at times take baits intended for other species. Beach fishing is still at a premium with plenty of flathead, bream and whiting keen to take beach worms and the ever present salmon great on a high tide taking pilchards, surf poppers and small metal slugs. Estuary fishing has been a bit slow with all the fresh water over the last month but this should work in our favour for these weekends Dusky Dash for Cash competition to be held in the Merimbula Lake 13-14th March. Teams (minimum of two) can register at the Spencer Park clubrooms this Friday night. Team entry is $50.00 plus extra individual angler fees $25.00.All anglers have a chance at taking out the $500 cash for the longest flathead. Other prizes include a rod and reel combination retail over $200 for second longest flathead, also great prizes for a secret length flathead caught by an angler and another for the team that has the highest total combination length of flathead caught over the duration of the competition. This competition is open to not only club members but to any visitors that would like two participate. Tackle World Merimbula are our sponsors for this and many other tournaments and we thank them for there support and also ask people to visit them for tackle and information. Spencer Park 6.30 pm Friday Darragh Reynolds and Mark Smith will be busy serving drinks and nibbles to all that attend so come on down for a fun night with family and friends.

May your reel scream, Mex. ><((((º>

01-03-2010

Game fishing is at its best at the moment with bonito, kingfish, striped tuna, Yellowfin tuna, marlin and sharks all caught over the past week. Bonito, sharks and kingfish have been taken close to shore on lures and live baits whilst the majority of striped tuna, Yellowfin tuna and marlin have been taken between the 40 to 60 fathom line. The weekend proved to be a cracker with over a dozen marlin hooked up by anglers fishing out of Merimbula and Eden. The bottom bouncers fishing on the sand flats and inshore reefs are still doing it tough and unfortunately the estuary fishing isn't much better. This years Dusky Dash for Cash competition will be held March 13th and 14th in the Merimbula Lake. Entry forms will be at the clubhouse and the lucky angler that catches the longest flathead will walk away with $500. More details can be found at the clubhouse Friday night so come on down to the Spencer Park clubhouse and register for this fun event. Rob Wood and John Whittaker are on bar duty starting at 6.30 pm with happy hour and as usual a raffle will be held after the local fishing report.

May your reel scream, Mex .><((((º>

22-02-2010

Best news of all is the abundance of fish to be caught from our rock platforms, headlands and local wharfs. Bonito are thick as flees on a dogs back and salmon and kingfish are also about in big numbers. Plenty of kings over 10 kilo and fish have been taken on live baits, poppers and plastics. Marlin have been active from 40 fathoms on and have popped up when least expected. Plenty of striped tuna and some small Yellowfin tuna have also hit the deck. The local beaches are fishing just as good with salmon keen to take a bait or lure and whiting lining up to take a beachworm. Bottom bouncers are still having a hard time catching flathead on the sand and the inshore reefs are still a bit quiet. Estuary fishing has come to a screaming holt but once the waters clean up anglers can expect a red hot bite. Michael Hampson and Darragh Reynolds are on bar duty this Friday and will kick the night of with happy hour starting 6.30 pm so make sure you bring the family down as its Family night and the club will put on a barbeque for all followed by a fishing report and raffles. Members and visitors can all be assured of a great night.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

15-02-2010

Fishing was a bit hard for most unless a full set of wet weather clothes or a boat with a shed was used. Highlight of the weekend was the appearance of kingfish up to 10 kilos caught off Haycock Point. Most of the fish took weighted live baits although some anglers reported hook-ups on poppers and lures on the surface. Most other species including snapper, flathead and salmon were on holidays and didn't fire at all. Even the lake systems shut down with anglers finding dusky flathead, bream, whiting and tailor very hard to find. The grudge match between Merimbula, Pambula and Eden went ahead as scheduled and this year’s host club Merimbula was victorious with 80 points followed by Eden on 35 points and Pambula 25 points. President Shane thanked everyone that fished in tough conditions over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday and a special thanks to Barrie Francis and many other members that helped in our catering needs for Sunday afternoon’s luncheon and presentation. We have earned the right to retain the trophies in our clubrooms for another 12 months and will defend them in the coming season. Our next big fishing event will be the Dusky Dash for Cash on March 13th-14th and the winner will take home $500 cash. Other prizes will also be on offer so mark this down on the calendar. More on this to follow soon. Tom Scott will kick off 6.30 Friday night at the Spencer Park clubhouse with happy hour followed by the fishing report and raffles. All members and visitors welcome so bring a friend and sample a drink or two at our fantastic venue on the water.

08-02-2010

Fishing came to a screaming holt due to rain and wind but I'm sure no one is complaining and is happy to take time out and prepare for the next time on the water. Good news is that the ocean flathead came on the bite before the weather set in and estuary species will fire especially near the entrances of the lake systems. Rock, reef and beach fishing should also pick up and now is the time to target snapper. This is all good for this weekends Inter Club grudge match between Eden, Pambula and Merimbula fishing clubs. Fishing starts on the Friday afternoon and finishes Sunday noon followed by a meal and presentations at the Spencer Park Clubrooms. We are hoping for a big turn out and ask that people bring either a salad or sweet to help in the catering. Please ring Shane 64950008 regarding food so we can organize a feed for all. Don't forget that we have a meat raffle at Club Sapphire Tura 6pm Thursday nights and a seafood raffle 5.30 pm Sunday nights at Club Sapphire Merimbula and again ask all club members to support these events. Darragh Reynolds and Barrie Francis will be on duty this Friday night and hopefully some of us will be weighing in quality fish for the grudge match. A selection of drinks and nibbles will be offer to club members and visitors with happy hour starting at 6.3.0 pm.

01-02-2010

Fishing for flathead on the grounds off Merimbula proved to be very tricky for all anglers. Not many were caught but fortunately some nice gummy sharks up to 10 kilo were caught. Inshore reefs were a bit patchy but excellent catches of salmon were caught from Tura Headland, Short Point and Haycock area. Always pays to fish for these with heavier gear than normal in case a kingfish turns up. All the local estuaries are firing with plenty of bream, dusky flathead, flounder, snapper, trevally, whiting and tailor all lining up to be caught. Game fishing is good with striped tuna and Yellowfin caught over the week. Even better news is the rise in water temperature above 20 degrees with marlin sighted and caught from 30 fathoms to the second drop off. Also good to hear that some crews were lucky enough to troll up dolphin fish and as usual the majority of fish were found wherever schools of bait were present. So true is the saying that you don't leave fish to find fish. We hope to get a big roll up of members for the interclub grudge match held between Eden, Pambula and Merimbula on the 12th -14th March. We are the host club this year and we ask all to bring a salad or sweet to compliment the barbeque lunch to be had on Sunday afternoon followed by presentation of winners over the weekend. We also are running a raffle at the Sapphire Club Tura Beach on Thursday nights starting 6pm.We have 8 meat trays, bottles of wine and club vouchers on offer and ask all to support both our fishing club and Club Sapphire by attending this fun night. Greg Liddell and John McKay are on duty this Friday night and members and visitors are all invited to head down to the Spencer Park clubrooms starting 6.30 pm with happy hour kicking off the night’s proceedings.

25-01-2010

Fishing at sea turned out to be a bit tougher last week through high winds and the disappearance of the hot water encountered over the last few weeks. Its not all bad news though as the warm water is now back and with it marlin have been hooked as close to shore as 40 fathoms in with the schools of striped tuna and mackerel. Kingfish are also on the chew with Mowary and Greencape being the most consistent but fish have also been taken from the local Merimbula headlands. The big numbers of tiger flathead have moved on but anglers fishing in close to shore still managed to catch plenty of sandys up to a kilo. Gummy sharks are still being caught regularly and are a welcome bonus to all anglers when fishing for flathead or on the reef edges. The inshore reefs are also patchy with morwong and leatherjackets being the main species to take a bait and the estuaries are still firing with dusky flathead, trevaly,whiting and bream all keen to a bait or lure. Don't forget the grudge match coming up between Eden, Pambula and ourselves on February 13th &14th. We are the host club this year and will need as many people as possible to help on the Sunday afternoon to feed all who attend and everyone to fish over the weekend to show our southern peers how to catch a fish or two. Dave Stewart and Darragh Reynolds will open the Spencer Park clubrooms 6.30 pm this Friday with happy hour to start the night off.Plenty of drinks and nibbles on offer and a raffle will be drawn after the local fishing report.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

11-01-2010

Fishing is great with heaps of flathead on the chew caught in waters north of town and if anything has improved on last week as the inshore reefs are now starting to fire with reports of snapper hitting the decks when fishing Haycock and further south. Game fishing is starting to get into top gear as marlin have started to be seen in numbers and plenty of striped tuna and the odd mahi-mahi have been caught. Estuary fishing is great with all species on the bite and beach fishing is still firing with salmon and tailor on lures and pilchards and bream, whiting and flathead keen to take worms and cockles. This Friday Shimano in association with Merimbula Tackle World will present the Shimano Road Show at Spencer Park Merimbula. It starts with a Junior Catch and Release Fishing Festival from 11am-4pm. 12 Shimano Combos and winning sashes are to be won plus plenty of mystery prizes. Age Categories are sub juniors, girls and boys up to 10 years and junior girls and boys 11 years to 16 years. $3.00 entry forms are now available at Merimbula Tackle World or from the fishing club Friday morning 9.30 am. The actual Shimano Road Show runs from 5.30pm-7.30 pm with raffles, fishing clinic, BBQ, refreshments, prizes and lots of give aways. Top anglers Bushy, Brett Wilson and Chris Wright will also be present so a great night is guaranteed. The clubhouse will also be open to members and visitors and both Darragh Reynolds and Andrew Buckland will be on duty serving nibbles and drinks.

May your reel scream, Mex><((((º>

04-01-2010

Our 2010 Gala Weekend was held last weekend and thankfully the weather was picture perfect on the Saturday with boats finding quality sized tiger and sand flathead north of Merimbula from 20 metres to 80 meters of water. Gummy sharks, gurnard and whiting were very quiet but the biggest downer was the presence of the gear pinching Chinaman leatherjackets. Everyone lost plenty of sinkers, hooks and trace gear once the sun lifted over the horizon and again I will say that you must be early to not lose the gear as the mongrel pinching guys don't seem to come out till 7am or later. The reefs are still much hit and miss with only a few snapper caught but morwong, nannygai and leatherjackets were all keen to take bait. Estuary fishing is still on fire with plenty of dusky flathead, bream, trevally and tailor on the chew and yes the beaches are still producing salmon and tailor. Game fishing was a little quiet with the kingfish only turning up on the odd occasions down south and marlin and Yellowfin were scarce. Striped tuna were caught from 40 fathoms to over the shelf and plenty of small Mako sharks were found by anglers when drifting for bottom fish. The weekend was a success and the Pambula District Hospital will receive a donation from the proceeds of the fish auction held on Sunday afternoon. A very big thankyou to the 65 local sponsors, without them this weekend would not happen. The Shimano Road Show in association with Bluewater Sports Tackle world Merimbula will be held on 15th January 5.30-7.30. It’s a great afternoon with a fishing competition for all juniors 16 years of age or under. Plenty of activities happening for all others including, raffles, BBQ, refreshments, prizes to be won and plenty of give aways. Gun anglers Bushy, Brett Wilson and Chris Wright will be there so there's no excuses, hop on down to the Spencer Park clubrooms for a great time. This Friday night 6.30 Darragh Reynolds and Mark Smith will start the night’s proceedings with happy hour followed by the local fishing report and raffle. Members and visitors are all invited so come on down to the Spencer Park clubrooms for a refreshing ale or soft drink and enjoy the fellowship while taking in the views of our great lake and town.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

28-12-2009

Both visitors and locals alike are happy with the fishing here in Merimbula over this festive season.

Flathead fishing is as good as it gets on most of the sand areas North and South of town and gummy shark, gurnard and whiting on the chew is a bonus.

Kingfish are still about in numbers and can be found on any of our local reefs, wharfs and headlands but as usual the best grounds are to the South at Greencape and Mowary.

Gamefishing is firing with striped tuna taking small skirted lures but anglers should be dragging bigger lures on heavier tackle as marlin have been hooked on light gear over the weekend.

Reef fishing is probably the toughest way to catch a feed but with an early morning start, plenty of patience and burley a feed of snapper, morwong, nannygai and leatherjacket isn't out of the question.

Beach fishing is still great with salmon and tailor keen to take lures and pilchards whilst Main Beach, Merimbula is normally the best if targeting bream and whiting on beach worms.

Estuary fishing is brilliant with dusky flathead, bream, trevaly, whiting, snapper, flounder and tailor all on the bite.

As you can see all is looking great for our Gala Weekend this Saturday and Sunday and we are hoping for a big roll up of anglers. Over 30 prizes are on offer and the weekend will finish with the fish auction held on the Sunday afternoon. Net proceeds from the auction will go to the Pambula District Hospital. Entry forms can be found any time at Merimbula Tackle World or at the clubhouse this Friday night. Rob Wood and John Whittaker will open the Spencer Park clubhouse doors 6.30 pm and start the night off with happy hour. A raffle will be held after the local fishing report and all members and visitors are invited to attend. Shimano in association with Merimbula Tackle World presents the Shimano Road Show in Merimbula on the 15 th January. Its all happening at Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club at Spencer Park 5.30pm-7.30 pm. A kids fishing competion, raffles, fishing clinic, BBQ, refreshments, prizes to be won, lots of give aways. Don't miss out on this great afternoon as there will be something for all ages.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

21-12-2009

Fishing hasn't changed over the last week and anglers fishing for flathead are coming home with plenty of sand and tiger flathead. All the grounds both north and south are firing and a few gummy sharks, flying gurnard and whiting have also been taken. Out wide the fishing is just as good with harpooka and blue eye trevalla caught and game fishing is on the up with striped tuna taken within a stones throw off the rocks. Kingfish are still proving fickle with fish on the bite one day but not the next. The grounds south of Eden are the best but in saying that many kings were found on most of the grounds around Merimbula. A tape measure is needed though as the majority of fish are under the legal length. Reef fishing hasn't been brilliant but with time and effort a few morwong, snapper and leatherjacket have hit the decks. The local wharfs and rock platforms are worth a try early morning and late in the afternoon with a few squid being caught when not trying for kingfish. Estuary fishing is brilliant with all species on the chew and yes the beaches are still fun with plenty of salmon and tailor to be found. Hopefully all anglers in town will fish our Gala Fishing Competition 2nd &3rd January. Entry fees are adults $20 children $5 or family $25 and there are over 30 prizes on offer. Our monster fish auction will be held 2.30pm Sunday 3rd January and we will gratefully accept any fish donated from the entire weekend. The net proceeds made from the auction will be donated to the Pambula District Hospital and we hope that we get the weather and the fish for this very special weekend. The Spencer Park clubhouse will not be open this Friday 25th December but will be open on New Years Eve if we have an indication of good numbers wanting to come to the club to see in the New Year and take in the fireworks display. If you are attending please ring Shane 64950008 to ensure that we open up the club. On behalf of President Shane Mayberry and the committee of the Merimbula Big Game & Lakes Angling Club I would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and happy new year.

May your reel scream, Mex.

07-12-2009

Fishing over the last week has been generally good with anglers reporting catching fish everywhere even though the wind made it tough on some days. The crew on Billfisher had a great day Sunday coming home with blue-eye trevalla and Harpooka fishing beyond the 100 fathom line. Plenty of striped tuna about but unfortunately no Yellowfin sighted. The flathead are still on the chew on all the usual grounds north and south of town and still a few gummy sharks, gurnard and whiting hit the decks. The inshore reefs can be a little unpredictable but most crews found leatherjacket, morwong and snapper most days. Beach fishing is still good with salmon found most days and estuary fishing is getting better each week with all species on the bite. This Friday night Tom Scott and Bill Pryor will open the clubhouse 6.30pm in readiness for our children's Christmas party. Parents need to speak to Shane 0428424496 regarding gifts from Santa to ensure all the kids and adults have a good night. Members and visitors are welcome and a beer and seafood raffle will be held after the local fishing report.

May your reel scream, Mex.

30-11-2009

Fishing slowed down outside with reef fishing coming to a stand still over the weekend. Luckily the flathead still had a go although they weren’t as easy to find as in earlier in the week. The other factor was the wind and the change of weather and hopefully when this settles the fish will be back on the chew. One interesting point was that the Chinaman leatherjackets weren’t thick north of Long Point on Saturday but were thick as thieves south of Long Point and found both over the sand and reef areas. Game fishing can be a bit hot and cold but the crew on the boat Sea Mode had a great day Sunday catching Yellowfin and striped tuna north of Merimbula in 1000 fathoms of water. Estuary fishing is still a great option with all species on the chew in most of our local waters. Plenty of whiting, dusky flathead, trevally, salmon,tailor,bream and snapper all keen in taking bait and lures. Beach fishing is great with plenty of salmon and tailor and I'm sure that beach worms will produce whiting, flathead and bream this time of year. Our children’s Christmas party will be held December 11th and all parents going are asked to contact president Shane 0428424496 to ensure that all kids receive a gift from Santa and we all have a feed on the night. This Friday Darragh Reynolds and Barrie Francis will open the Spencer Park clubhouse with happy hour starting 6.30 pm. Plenty of drinks and nibbles on offer to members and visitors and as usual a raffle will be held after the fishing report.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

16-11-2009

What a fantastic week of fishing we had with anglers reporting great weather and fish in big numbers. Flathead fishermen were very happy with great catches of sand and tiger flathead caught on all the inshore grounds. The added bonus of gummy sharks and monster gurnard were also caught more often than not. Trick is to get out at daybreak to beat the gear stealing leatherjackets as they don't seem to get into attack mode until after 8 am. Even the local reefs have started to fire with a few snapper and morwong on the chew. Salmon are being taken from the headlands and beaches and yes the kingfish are still putting in an appearance off Long Point, Haycock and all local reefs on any given day. The only problem with the kingies is trying to work out when and where each day as they could turn up anywhere anytime. Estuary fishing is also producing thumping dusky flathead and a few bream, trevally, tailor, whiting and flounder which isn't surprising as the water temperature has risen to 24 degrees Celsius in most of our estuaries. 14 teams fished the Merimbula Tackle World Tri-Estuary Challenge and again the Bega River proved to be the most popular spot and both the longest bream and flathead came from there. Merimbula Lake provided the biggest trevally and tailor and Pambula had heaps of whiting happy to take surface lures. Friday night 27th Nov our club will be the venue for a meeting held by fisheries regarding the possible stocking of fish in our local estuaries. Fisheries has invited all club members and the public to attend and would like to hear any input from local fishos regarding estuaries. For more information on this call president Shane 64950008. This Friday Dave Stewart and Darragh Reynolds will open the club with happy hour starting 6.30 pm. Members and visitors all invited with a range of drinks and fellowship all on offer. As usual a raffle will be held after the fishing report so come on down and spend a couple of hours at the club with a view on the shores of our beautiful lake.
May your reel scream, Mex.

09-11-2009

Game fishing is well worth a shot as anglers fishing the second drop off found yellowfin to 25 kilos during the week. Albacore were also caught and some of these were in as close as 60 fathoms. This time of year a burly trail could produce either tuna or sharks and hopefully marlin are only a couple of months away. Green cape and Mowary is still the place to go for kingfish but are still patchy as one day there on and not the next. Anglers fishing the 40 fathom mark were smashed by gear pinching leatherjackets but the best news is plenty of tiger flathead up to 800 grams are on the inshore grounds. Beach fishing is still producing salmon and this weekends Merimbula Tackle World Tri-Estuary Challenge should be a ripper. Plenty of cash and fishing gear on offer and competitors can fish the Merimbula Lake, Bega River or Pambula Lake. Contact Dave Stewart for more information 0403198997 or be at the Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Clubrooms at Spencer Park for the tournament briefing held this Friday 7.30 pm. This competition is open to all anglers holding a current NSW fishing licence, or are exempt from holding one. President Shane Mayberry and myself will open the bar starting with happy hour 6.30 pm and expect plenty of trade from members and visitors to our club. A fishing report and raffle will be held after the tournament briefing so come along to night of fun.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>

01-11-2009

Fishing was tough over the last week with anglers having trouble with strong winds happening most days. Those that did get a good day found flathead on most of the grounds but again had to fight to get a feed due to the mongrel gear pinching leatherjackets. Even fishing with heavy trace doesn't mean that you won’t get bitten off as they will also have a go at knots and swivels. Down south both Greencape and Mowarry is still a great option with kingfish up to a meter in length hitting the decks. There is also the added bonus of snapper and gummy sharks caught so the short trip by road to Eden or 20 minute run by sea is well worth the effort. If travelling by sea it’s always a good plan to fill your live bait tank at Merimbula Wharf on the way past. Beach fishing is still a fun way of spending an hour or two on the top of the tide with plenty of salmon happy to take baits and lures. Estuary fishing is also on the up with the water temperature now up near the 20 degree mark. This will improve the fishing by a country mile with bream, dusky flathead, trevaly, salmon and tailor all lining up to take bait or lure. It’s the right time of year for the keen anglers to put in some night trips for jewfish and already I have heard of a jewie being caught last week. We are hoping for great weather on the 14th -15th November as we will be running the Merimbula Tackle World Tri-Estuary Challenge. Registration forms are available at the club rooms for this fantastic competition. Tournament cash prizes will be awarded for longest bream $500 longest dusky flathead $300 longest tailor $150 and longest trevally $150. Other prizes include fishing tackle and a lucky entry draw. For more information contact Dave Stewart 0403198997. This Sunday will be a ripper with our annual Mandeni golf challenge. Ring Gerald 64959541 if you intend hitting off. Starting around 10 pm with a bring your own BBQ after the golf then followed up with activities including golf range and bocce. Andrew Buckland and Darragh Reynolds will be on bar duty this Friday night starting with happy hour from 6.30 pm. The usual beer and seafood raffle sponsored by McKay’s Discount Oysters will be held after the local fishing report and both members and visitors are invited.

May your reel screem, Mex.><((((º>

26-10-2009

Anglers fishing outside had success on the flathead grounds with a mixed bag of tiger and sand flathead during the week. The best spot by far were the deeper grounds on 40 fathoms with tigers hitting the deck up to 900 grams. Most of the sandys were found on the inshore grounds between 15 and 25 fathoms. The worst news to hear was the arrival of gear pinching chinaman leatherjackets turning up again. They can be an absolute pest but if you want a feed of jackets fish in deeper water as usually the bigger fish are out wide. Kingfish are on most peoples minds and are having a crack down Greencape and Mowary but some nice fish have also been taken from Long Point and Haycock Point. Beaches are still firing with tailor and salmon and I'm sure a light rod with beach worm would be successful if chasing bream and whiting. Estuary fishing is getting better with the passing of each week and big numbers of trevaly are now on the bite. Still plenty of salmon moving about in Merimbula Lake with a few monster tailor keen to destroy anglers without trace gear. This Friday Darragh Reynolds and Mark Smith will open the bar with happy hour starting 6.30 pm. Its a family night BBQ and a gold coin donation is all that is asked from members and visitors who participate. The beer and seafood raffle sponsored by McKays Discount Oysters will be after the local fishing report some time after 7.30pm. Two important dates to remember are the Mandeni Golf day November 8th, ring Gerald 64959541 to registrar and November 14-15 the Tri-Estuary Challenge. Entry forms at the club or ring Dave Stewart 0403198997 for details.

May your reel scream, Mex.><((((º>