This year marks the 36th anniversary of the Golden Lure. As in recent years, the tournament is based at the Port Marina, with the public welcome to come along and see the catches. There is a terrific juniors on-shore competition on Wednesday, January 15. The competition is open to kids aged 6 to 15, costs $5, and has heaps of prizes and giveaways. Entry forms are at Ned Kelly's Bait 'n Tackle, and the marina.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Black marlin have arrived in close, while some solid blues are wider out, plus a sprinkling of yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi. For those fishing the bottom, the local charter boats have been scoring some nice snapper, pearl perch, flathead and the odd solid kingfish.
In the estuary, action has been consistent with just about every available piece of foreshore occupied. Star attractions have been the summer staples of flathead and whiting. Plenty of flathead have been taken from the south wall on pilchards, with soft lures particularly effective further upstream.
Whiting are best around Blackmans Point and Pelican Island on surface lures and yabbies. A few nice bream have been taken from the breakwalls after dark on mullet strips and pilchard pieces, while upriver, surface lures have been effective.
A few school-sized mulloway have been taken from around Rawdon Island and the highway bridges, and with a full moon tonight a decent fish or two should show-up around the breakwalls. There's still plenty of blue swimmer crabs in the lower reaches.
Off the beaches, tailor remain spasmodic on metals or pilchards. Bream and whiting have been a little more consistent, with the northern ends of Lighthouse and North Beach on a run-up tide using worms.
Off the rocks, the odd solid tailor has been taken by early risers. Blackfish are a good proposition with Lighthouse and Point Perpendicular producing a few reasonable bags. A few good bream have been taken during the darker hours. Drummer are around Lighthouse and Diamond Head.