The DPI ran its January Kids Fishing Workshop from the fishing club’s Jetty at Spencer Park last week. With 24 boys and girls on deck, the workshop, organised by DPI Education Officer Stephen Thurston and supported by Fishcare volunteers, was a great success.
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The junior anglers are taught to assemble rods and reels, how the reels work and about different types of fishing tackle, soft plastics, lures and bait set-ups. They practise casting and learn about DPI rules and regulations, conservation, and catch and release.
After a sausage sizzle lunch everyone went out onto the jetty to test out their newly learned skills first hand. Notwithstanding some organized chaos and minor tangles the group was rewarded with the catch and release of a number of trevally, leather jacket and mullet.
At completion of the workshop the junior anglers get to keep their fishing rods, reels, T-shirts and hat along with a box of tackle and information. The next workshop for Merimbula is scheduled for April 19. Contact Stephen Thurston: stephen.thurston@dpi.nsw.gov.au. Workshops are for children aged between 8 and 14 years. Workshops generally last no more than 5 hours and the number of maximum participants is 30.
Weather conditions have remained difficult for offshore angling over the past week with big seas and strong winds. However reports from Bermagui have confirmed the summer run of marlin is now in full swing and it should not be long before mahi-mahi frequent the Merimbula FAD.
As the seas abated intrepid anglers found that ocean flathead, both sand and tiger, became a little patchy off all the usual marks. Better size fish are now being report; try Merimbula and Tura beaches, Bournda Island and Tathra at 20-22 fathoms. During the big seas some good returns came from Twofold Bay off the Marine Rescue radio tower.
When the Merimbula Bar is safe try around the yellow shark buoy which is beginning to act as an FAD and now and again good flathead are available. With the calmer seas now, good snapper and morwong are back on the chew off Lennards Island, Haycock and Long Point. A few gummy shark have been taken in the same areas.
Large kingfish remain on the prowl at both the Merimbula Fishing Platform and the Tathra Wharf with calamari squid in the mornings and evenings. Possibly due to the rough seas we have seen a large influx of anchovies into Merimbula Lake and with so much feed available estuary fishing is at its best. There are trevally and bream about the oyster racks and in the lower channel. Dusky flathead, flounder, mullet and whiting are available. Good tailor and mullet are prolific at Pambula Lake. The Bega River continues is fishing well at Mogareeka and also well up river for bream and dusky flathead.
The Club house in Spencer Park will be open from 6.30pm on Australia Day, January 26. Visitors are very welcome. Come and enjoy the fishing report, raffle, the ambience, friendship and lovely views with very competitive bar prices. Darragh Reynolds is the scheduled host. All enquires to John McKay on 0427 639 585. Membership Application, Membership Renewal and everything you need to know about local fishing is on the Club’s Website www.mbglac.com.au.
Keep your rods bent!