# VIC/NSW - Pambula River/Lake



## YellowDagger (Mar 21, 2010)

School holidays just gone I took a trip up to Merimbula with a mate and family. Not really sure where to fish and what waters to spend time on we settled for Pambula Lake and the river mouth out to the entrance. Over the course of the week we hit the river mouth around the oyster beds for three mornings straight with 5:30am starts out of bed. Then in speakng to the motel owner we were recommended to visit Bournda National Park where the Wallagoot lake was to be found. But to the south of that is a little river mouth that is lagoon like but open to the sea and a very productive area.

Ok now the report: Morning one we had an arsenal of gear to try out and the area was quite unknown so in reality a perfect yak trip in my book. We launched our yaks down at the oyster sheds just off the highway and around the corner from the Pambula river mouth to the Entrance. Tide was still running out and perfect for a nice drift across and through the oyster beds. The water clarity was amazing and the amount of fish we saw and subsequently spooked was numerous. Flathead, bream, mullet, skates, toadies, but we never spotted trevally and tailor even though we landed them. Sounders were very busy showing a lot of movement below. Most likely the schooling mullet and they rarely showed any interest.

Our first hook up came not too long into and around the oyster beds. A nice sand flatty on a plastic lobby. Nothing huge but a good starting sign. From there there were numerous hits and fun catching and releasing a few small flatty. We tried to mix the gear up a bit and pulled out the metal vibes. Straight away I had a nice trevally on, now we were talking! Then a nice tailor that went 36cm. The oyster beds started to reveal themselves as the tide drained out and we worked ouselves around the corner just when we heard the sound of doof doof music in the distance! Yep a group of weekenders (but it was a weekday!) Blaring their music out of their stinkboat with a wakeboarder in tow!!!!! Serenity ruined!

We retired for the day and returned the next few mornings to work both filling and draining tides around the beds. Over the three mornings we kept only a handful of nice flatties and another single trevally for a family dinner. No need to rape the ocean like too many of us seem to do these days! Through this river mouth the metal vibes were most successful and to our suprise as I have had limited success in the past on these.

Day four: Entering the Bournda National Park we reached the lagoon after a dusty and bumpy 10mins. Nice little place to relax and looked to be quite lively with baitfish and water movement. Funny thing was as soon as we launched and made the first cast Az was onto a 42cm flatty nice one! Great little spot that Aaron seemed to have the right gear for. In that I mean he had trialled his eco gear prawn vibe the day before and had success and now it was seeming to be Mr reliable for the flatty, as he had hit several over the two hours we were there. No such luck for me and with no eco gear in my arsenal I had to witness his success over me in this session. A great little waterway and If I had discovered this earlier we might have had another day there.

We had hit the lagoon in the afternoon as we hit the uper reaches of the Yowaka river as it crosses under the highway bridge. This early moring session looked like a perfect spot to try the hard bodies but it was fair to say we didn't even have a touch. We tried flick baits, lobbies, pumpkin seeds, vibes and the hard bodies all for nothing that morning. We worked the structure of the bridge and the banks along the roadside all to no evail. Beautiful spot and some thumping tailor or mullet working the water around us to add to the frustration of not inticing even a nibble. Like I said glad we went to the lagoon.

We also had a play around the oyster beds around the corner of the Merimbula side near the bridge and felt the tide was too quick here.

A great week had with an amazing amount of possibilities for yak fishing.

Whilst the family didn't see me much I certainly left feeling like I had had a break! A fishing break that is!!!!!

Glad to hear any tales of anyone else who has fished these areas.


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## paffoh (Aug 24, 2006)

yowaka river is a nice look but unless you fish below bridge on a high tide there is nothing available unless your into tiny bream on prawns. The search function should reveal quite a day reports from days gone by, i dont get down there as much as i used to.


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## spork (Jan 21, 2012)

Haven't fished the area from a 'yak, but plenty from the shore.
Caught whiting and flathead in Pambula River, maybe 500-800m from where it enters the sea. Hooked something unstoppable (on my bream gear) there too one evening.
The "Top lake" (above the bridge) is full of fish. Have caught good bream, trev's, garfish, mullet and dusky flathead there. Also whiting, tailor, luderick and baby snappers. If you stand on the pontoon @ the main boat ramp, and polaroid the bottom of the ramp itself, it's like a bloody aquarium!
Haven't fished the "bottom lake" (below the bridge) much, but have caught decent bream, whiting, more small luderick and a flounder there.
The "back lake" (often a lagoon, not open to the sea at all) had some good flatties and good bream, but also 1 000's of smaller ones.
Would be an awesome system to fish from a 'yak.


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