First up don’t forget Compleat Angler Illawarra’s $5000 fishing challenge and the target species for January are whiting and flathead.

The lake has gone into overdrive with this recent hot weather and there is a wide list of species all on the bite. Plastics or live poddy mullet have been working very well for good sized flatties and around the drop off or main channel and even up the back Lake, it didn’t seem to matter as guys all found fish.

Whiting have been populating the sand flats and main channel around the road bridge and were suckers for tube worms and beach worms. 

If you care for some knee high wading, try orange or yellow tinged pencils or mini popper and work those same flats, trust me you’ll have a ball but please keep the squealing and yahoos down to a reasonable level.

Offshore, the warm water has pushed in closer and has brought big mahi mahi to the FADs and anything else you might come across while trolling.

Lester Pearson caught a stonker bull dolly of 10 kilo around midday off Shellharbour.

Marlin are about and the key is to find bait and the marlin will find your livie. They have been sighted and caught anywhere from 50 fathoms right out past the shelf.

Rock fishos are rejoicing as bonito have finally turned up and coconut rigs, ganged pillies or if metal spinners is your thing, shiny or chromed plated  metals around 60 mm long, seemed to be work the best especially the early morning run up tide.