Merimbula: sambo central!

[adamski]

Hey folks,

Was on hol down on the Sapphire Coast last week and had a couple of nights in Merimbula. We were staying just up from Bar Beach (sadly it turns out there's no bar there 😭) and noticed a deep channel that looked good for fishing. I'd only packed the light rod, so I thought I'd nip down for a quick flick to see if there was a flatty or whiting hanging around on the runout tide.

As soon as I got down there, a guy fishing a hardbody was onto a decent fish and pulled in a salmon. Five minutes later he had another, then a few mins afterwards it was my turn on the old faithful Zman grub (Christ those things go crazy on light gear!) After a hard fight, I pulled in a fish in the low 50s. A couple fishing just down then had their rods go off too with similar-sized fish. It started to get dark and I couldn't see my line, so I called it quits.

I went back the next day at around the same time and things just started to get a wee bit daft: I'd guess there were about 10 people spread out along the beach. You could see fish leaping around in the channel and every few minutes someone's rod would go. The fish seemed to be hitting anything: bait, plastics, hard-bodies, metals, a couple of older guys seemed to be almost heavy duty drop-shotting with feathered jigs... A seal got attracted by all the commotion and spent a good half hour patrolling 2-3 metres off the bank stealing people's fish... A flock of pelicans came in... Madness! I managed 4 more fish but none as big as the first night's and lost a couple of better models in the bay.

I've no idea if it's always like that down there, or whether we'd all just fluked the conditions: maybe other Raiders can shed some light? One thing's for sure: I'd definitely like to give it another go when the beach is a bit quieter!

Thanks for reading! 

 

[scottyboy]

Good on you mate, I wish I was there. Nothing like a good old feeding frenzy to get the old heart pumping.  I got stuck on a sand bank about 25 years ago at Stockton Beach with sharks and dolphins smashing a school of salmon that was all around me. I still have my legs and still my favourite fishing story!!

[Isaac Ct]

Great report mate. Sounds like mayhem, but the good type. Great fish and well done.

[Larkin]

Just good timing - great fun when a school’s on the bite! 

[Yowie]

Salmon fishing provides a lot of fun fishing when they are like that.

[big Neil]

They must be a regular attraction down at Merimbula beach. I have only fished there on 2 consecutive days and caught my biggest Salmon there. As you say they put up a good fight.

Cheers, bn

[Green Hornet]

Sounds like you had a couple of fun sessions.

The salmon can get like that at times and it can be a fish every cast. That’s what I love about those good days on the beach.

The guys you refer to that were dropshotting with feathered jigs were most likely using surf poppers. You fish them on a paternoster rig and let the wave action work the lure. It can be very effective at times and always worth a go if you’re having a break from casting lures.

[Rebel]

Top report.

Well done.

[LuckyFil]

Sounds like a lot of fun!

Yes the big one pull hard and take a while to get to shore but if you're going to eat one go for the smaller models. The big ones get pretty chewy so I don't usually bother with them other than catch and release.

Fil

[jenno64]

Good fun on the light gear! Lots of action with the seal and pelicans too!