Reel Deal: Marlin still biting despite change in water temp

On the bright side, there were still quite a few marlin raised again over last weekend with mostly blacks and stripes on the reefs closer to shore and a few big blues towards the shelf. 

Dolphin fish have gone a little quiet with only a few solid fish coming back to the cleaning tables over the weekend and earlier this week. 

In close, the water temp dropped suddenly to now be around 19 to 20 degrees with the crews that went wide to the shelf reporting that it is only marginally warmer out there at 22 degrees. 

Those on the hunt for a feed of snapper said there were some solid fish towards 4 kilos coming in again over the weekend and midweek by fishing the deeper reefs such as Bandit and Wollongong from around the 50 metre depth and wider.

Anglers were using soft plastics jigs and bait. 

The flathead are still about in good numbers and size with the majority of the bigger fish coming from grounds off Wollongong and further south around Port Beach which was holding some cracking size fish up to 70cm.

With the current moon phase that is upon us most beaches have been chock a block on dusk with anglers tempting their fate at catching the elusive jewfish, and they have not been disappointed. 

Pete Burnside has bragging rights for the time being with his 22 kilo silver ghost he caught last Tuesday night from an undisclosed beach.

Luke Mason fished with Wayne Cooke also on Tuesday night with Luke getting his PB for the year with a healthy 11.4kg mulloway.

There also has been a lot of school sized fish as well but the bigger ones seem to be coming back on the bite. 

Flathead and bream are still about in good numbers off the beach also with a couple of healthy blue nosed bream starting to show up.

Website: reeldealfishing.com.au  Email: garywade@tpg.com.au