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Estuaries :
With the cool winter nights starting to set in, the lakes and rivers are starting to slow down a little but there are still plenty of fish to be caught especially in the larger systems like the Clyde river, Tuross, and Wagonga inlet.
Some very nice Yellowfin Bream can be found around the mouth of these estuaries at this time of year and will still take lures and well presented baits. Small hardbody diving minnows such as the Ecogear SX40's, and small 2-3inch minnow or prawn imitation soft plastics are a good start for anyone wanting to score some nice Bream and Flathead on lures.
Black Bream and Estuary perch can be found in the upper reaches of most systems in the brackish water and are providing some excellent fishing for those willing to put in the extra effort to find some nice quiet and relatively un-fished waters, a kayak is the ideal weapon of choice for this type of fishing, with the advantage of a silent approach you can get yourself closer and into a much better position to fish the hard to get to snags and corners where the good fish more often than not, like to hide. When fishing upper reaches of rivers and lakes, please be aware that there is a closed season for Estuary perch and Bass starting from the 1st of June and ending on the 1st of September each year.
Beaches :
Most of the surf beaches along the south coast are fishing very well for big Australian Salmon and Tailor at the moment. The best time to fish the beach is 2 hours before and 2 hours after high tide, and when a high tide is at sunrise or sunset the fishing can be sensational. Find a deep gutter by looking for the darker water, this can be made easier by finding an elevated position to view the beach from. Whole pilchards on 3/0 gang hooks are probably the best baits for Salmon and Tailor, metal slice lures are also worth a go for those that prefer to throw some lures rather than baitfish.
Rock Fishing :
Winter is a great time to fish the many rock platforms on offer along the south coast and there is a good variety of fish on the bite right now. Salmon, Tailor, Bream, Trevally, Drummer, and Snapper are now starting to come in close as well. A good burley trail will improve your chances of getting some good fish. Live yellowtail yakka's make a great bait for big Snapper and also gives you a chance of a big Mulloway. Yellowtail Yakka's make great cut bait as well for most species that are hanging around the rocks at the moment, fresh squid, Stripey Tuna and any other oily fish flesh will work well.
For Drummer, a size 4 hook with a small pea sinker running straight down to the hook with a quality 15lb flurocarbon line will be sufficient. Cabbage weed and cunjevoi are the preffered baits by most Drummer enthusiast's, and can be gathered on any rock platform where you are likely to find Drummer.
Look for area's with plenty of whitewash, this is where you are most likely to find good Drummer that hang around waiting for anything that gets washed in off the rocks. If you cant collect any cabbage weed or cunjevoi, bread will work quite well too. Again, a good burley trail preferably bread crumbs, will increase your chances of going in to battle with a hard fighting Drummer.
Rock fishing can be dangerous so always be cautious, on arrival sit back for 5-10 minutes and watch the waves and swell in the area you plan on fishing from. If you are not sure about the conditions, a beach is a much safer option and the fishing can often be just as good.
