Recently, the Bega River closed up to the ocean with a large sand bar formed where the entrance normally is. What does this do to the fishing? This is now a good time to target bream within the system, as they have to move around to find food. This creates plenty of options for anglers.

Black bream are a prospect with lures and the Bega River is a hotspot. Areas around rock bars, sunken timber or gravelly bottoms are particularly good. Both hardbodied and soft lures work. Don’t disregard baits for these fish either, as they are partial to a pink nipper, worm or live prawn. Whichever species you target around Tathra you won’t get better bream fishing than now.

Not to be outdone, all your other favourite estuary species are hot to trot as well. There are plenty of flathead in the Bega River, along with some nice estuary perch, bass in the upper reaches and the odd mulloway in the deeper water towards the bridge. In the surrounding estuaries open to the ocean, anglers can expect to catch all manner of estuarine species, where fishing should be great for at least another two months.

Beaches are fishing well with a good run of whiting. The north end of Tathra Beach is one of the better areas. Mullet, bream, tailor and salmon are also being encountered. At night you can expect the occasional mulloway and sharks.

Tathra Wharf and adjacent rocky areas are hosting quite a few small pelagics as well as some larger ones. Kingfish are patrolling these areas and are being taken on lures and live baits. They are following schools of mackerel and yellowtail, which in turn are providing plenty of action on the wharf.

Small tuna in the form of bonito or frigates are only too willing to take a lure. You can put one of these out as a live bait where a hammerhead shark or small black marlin may be passing. Ocean garfish are around in good numbers and can be enticed with the use of berley to gain a nice bag of these tasty morsels.

There is plenty to do from trolling close to shore for some of those smaller predators to reef and gamefishing out wide. On the reefs, snapper have lingered through the warmer months and are still a regular catch. Morwong are the most prolific of the reef fish. A few ocean perch and nannygai are also there to be found.

Off the reefs on the nearby gravel, flathead fishing for tigers has been terrific. This is one of the best seasons in recent times. Anywhere from 40m water depth should produce. The deeper you get, the bigger the fish. Sand flatties are out from most beaches closer to shore, for those who don’t want to travel as far. And no matter what areas you are fishing, whether it’s shallow or deep, there’s a good chance of some gummy sharks.

Out wide there are gamefish in the form of marlin, mostly stripes and blacks, as well as hammerhead sharks, some small tuna and yellowfin. Most fish are being taken on lures. If you find bait schools, you’re likely to find predators as well.