Merimbula Fishing Advice

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azkay
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Merimbula Fishing Advice

Post by azkay » Fri Dec 18, 2015 10:21 am

Hi Team,

Heading to Merimbula this Christmas Break. Keen to get onto some fish. I've been doing quite a bit of research. There's so many options so I've had to narrow my target's & the type of fishing i'd like to do. It's actually my first time there in many many years, i use to fish there with my father when the brothers and I were kids, now i'm taking my young family over.

Curious to see if there are any members who are knowledgeable in that area??

I love fishing the surf/rocks so that's what i'll be doing there. Also, love chasing the bigger species at night so hopefully ill throw a little bit of that in there too.

I'd like to find the Salmon & Tailor off the surf during the days and maybe float out some bigger baits at night time for possible Jewies & Kingies (realise both are tough species to catch but i believe they do frequent the area).

The plan as it sits at the moment is to gather hopefully get onto some bread&butter species off the Merimbula Wharf at sunrise, head towards the surf during the day and sit on some rock platforms on the protruding edges in the evening. Google/Google Maps has been my best friend thus far

I do a lot of Surf/Rock fishing here so i'm familiar with this type of fishing. However any advice would be appreciated. Beaches that have been productive for members in the past? Rock ledges alike? Guidance as to where I'd find some more information online? Any useful tips and techniques?

Will post some photos and reports upon my return.

Thanks :)
Az.

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Re: Merimbula Fishing Advice

Post by poodoo » Fri Dec 18, 2015 12:37 pm

I've had friends there this last week and they have been catching tailor, squid, trevally, yakkas and leatherjacket off the wharf with the odd flathead. The trevally and tailor have been on and off with small bite windows. They have been prawning at night and getting some of those as well.

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Re: Merimbula Fishing Advice

Post by scott__henning » Fri Dec 18, 2015 7:56 pm

Greencape is your best land based option for kingfish, but they do sometimes come in to the Merimbula wharf as well.

Mulloway at the entrance and salmon+tailor at north tura beach.

Good luck!

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Re: Merimbula Fishing Advice

Post by azkay » Sat Dec 19, 2015 4:24 pm

Thanks guys. Didn't know anything about Greencape so I'll look into that too.
Tura Beach is one that's popped up so I'm adding that to the list :)

Thanks again!
Az.

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Re: Merimbula Fishing Advice

Post by CalaMarinez1 » Mon Dec 21, 2015 5:24 am

azkay wrote:Hi Team,

Heading to Merimbula this Christmas Break. Keen to get onto some fish.....

Curious to see if there are any members who are knowledgeable in that area??

I love fishing the surf/rocks so that's what i'll be doing there. Also, love chasing the bigger species at night so hopefully ill throw a little bit of that in there too.

I'd like to find the Salmon & Tailor off the surf during the days and maybe float out some bigger baits at night time for possible Jewies & Kingies....
I do a lot of Surf/Rock fishing here so i'm familiar with this type of fishing. However any advice would be appreciated. Beaches that have been productive for members in the past?

Thanks :)

Hi Azkay. Im happy to give you all my best spots up sapphire coast ;) i also grew up goin up to eden merim tathra for close to 30 yrs.

ok so SURF spots ive found up there (tips gained from local buddies & lots trial & error;) are:

before Eden about 15 mins or so there is a turn off to Ben Boyd National Park . you can find it on maps. once you turn off the highway you drive for about 25 mins on a dirt road (edron rd) you turn right onto saltwater creek rd and go right to end where there is a carpark and access to beach. If unsure just ring tackle shop and theyll know how to drive to 'benboyd surf beach';)

you wanna fish the gutters on left towards eden direction.

**Key point is you must get there by 4-430 AM latest so you have baits in water before sunrise!. The big salmon bolt thru at predawn brekky blitz then **** off not long after sunup.

(basic surfrod.
paternoster with starsinker . use ganged 3hook on whole pilchard . we use to attach the ganged hooks swivel onto the main line by simply pinching a loop out of the main line to act as the dropper leader if that makes sense. that way you avoid lots of tangling the rig up in the surf.)
can add a surfpopper if u want but the pilchards all you need when they are biting.

#2 Tathra Surf beach

Main spot from last few years is at the surf beach just past tathra main town . turn off on right very soon after passing caravan park and Main beach.
the surfbeach has a small spaces for camping and carpark. outdoor toilet. wallabies;)

walk towards beach and fish the deep gutter that forms on the left after you walk onto beach.
same rig as benboyd. Times: more active than benboyd. predawn and morning -arvo rising tide.

my catches: big 45cm+ Salmon & big Tailor.

Buy good qual pilchards. best u can get that wont break apart in surf.( one trick is using elastic thin white fishing thread.if stuck with soft pilch. you can easily tie it around the pilchard on the ganged hooks by wrapping it around like a mummy up body and then tie if off )

Jetty fishing:
-Tathra has larger yakkas , slimy mackerels compared to eden wharf or merimbula wharf.

use those easy premade Sabiki type dropper rigs with chopped fish or squid pippies etc.

fish depth of 3-4m under surface. u dont need to go real deep there. float fishing here with live bait yakka under a balloon can get bonito couta sumtimes kingfish.

lures like any metal silver type for salmon bonito on the surface.

and if u fish to the right hand side on the very corner facing towards the rocks , you can get nice size squid.
iv caught many off that railing and corner using float 1m leader to a size3-4 squidjig.

i think thats it. good luck. if i remember anything else il update you.

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Re: Merimbula Fishing Advice

Post by CalaMarinez1 » Mon Dec 21, 2015 6:13 am

one more spot worth mentioning is the Eden Chipmill.
Look up their phone number to check they are open and allowing fishos on the giant wharf.
you drive down a long dirt road to the chipmill.
theres a toll booth office u have to sign-in at.
once thru u can park ur car . access toilets.
then prepare for a 'little walk' down to the wharf. id recomend using a trolley of somekind with wheels so u can carry ure fish bucket n tackle etc. its all the way dowm the hill past the woodchip mounds.
maybe not the safest spot for young kids so stay safe.

often times the workers goin past in buggies or utes will give u a ride;) but its still fine to walk.

the best spot is on the right hand side of the Central platform with the dunny. no need to venture out over bridges to other platforms if there are no ppl there;)

its deep water so good spot to target kings.
but mainly good for big couta caught by live baiting slimy mackerel or yakkas (hook thru back)

bread n butter r really big leather jackets so use decent hooks n line so u can haul them up. i dropped many bigguns there!. same goes for silv trevs etc.
random pike too. usually fish straight down off the platform .

note there is a ladder access to the water along the main section just before the main platform.
i nearly fell in once. i was stepping past along the edge in Front of the rods when my foot slipped on a chunk of pippi on the rounded edge. lol. but thats me being an idiot!

enjoy the fishing. good luck.

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Re: Merimbula Fishing Advice

Post by matt1991 » Mon Dec 21, 2015 7:47 am

Hey buddy all these spots that have been mention make it sound like a maze and to complicated.

Put it this way we go up every 2nd year basically and we always end up coming back home with a freezer full of good size fish. If you fish from the Merimbula pier you will have no problems landing some big fish. The best months to go usually are from April through to June.

We have landed Bonito, Salmon, Tailor, Travelly, Yakkas and even an 18kg Kingfish! Get to the pier at around 4am with your baits in the water before sunrise and you cant go wrong.

I suggest using a float with gang hooks about a 1.5 metres deep.

Goodluck

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Re: Merimbula Fishing Advice

Post by greggo » Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:28 am

MBeach.jpg
If you dont want to drive anywhere, Middle Beach at Merimbula has it all.

To the far right of of the beach is a headland; crays, abs, Kingys (balloon), Bream Snapper, Salmon, Taylor...etc.

Along the beach; Salmon, Taylor, Bream, Shark.

The headland at the left of the beach holds the same fish as the right headland.

Good luck.

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Re: Merimbula Fishing Advice

Post by davjak » Mon Dec 21, 2015 9:42 am

Every time I head up to Merimbula I hear about Haycock Road off the beach?

Perhaps someone can share their thoughts ? I've never been, it's a dirt road just before Pambula
This year we will visit as we will have a vehicle capable of heading down the road.
HaycockRoad.png
HaycockRoad.png (33.15 KiB) Viewed 5447 times

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azkay
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Re: Merimbula Fishing Advice

Post by azkay » Mon Dec 21, 2015 10:20 am

CalaMarinez1,
Thats unreal, thanks :). That opens up a whole new set of options for me.. Based on what you've told me i think i might swap the time i spend at Merimbula Wharf with Tathra Wharf instead and then head to the Tathra Surf for sun up..

Matt, there some great species, would love to get onto them, especially that king, hehe, doesnt have to be 18kg, 10kg will do me :).. Good to know that i've got a chance with those species local too, atleast i can give it a crack if i'm not up for a drive/walk/surf..

Greggo, thanks for the photo, Merimbula Point is where ill be spending my nights i think, fair walk but the possibilities have me excited. Out of the local beaches (Short Point, Middle and Main), would Middle be your pick of the bunch?

I'll be taking plenty of photo's of these spots & posting a report..

Thanks! Az.
Az.

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