Lachie Wombell with a prime Portland whiting taken off Cape Grant
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
With our ever-present windy weather, many anglers have been fishing land based: Among them, Mark Sesar and wife Tina who tried their luck from the Limeburners Point breakwater on Saturday morning.
Wasting no time in getting a berley trail going, they eventually attracted a shoal of garfish, and – using pieces of prawn for bait – they caught a dozen or so before the bite shut down in the early afternoon.
Lure casting enthusiasts like Jason Treloar have also taken Australian salmon from the same location recently, but he says this can be a hit or miss affair with their appearance being less than predictable.
As far as whiting reports from the outer harbour go, it’s been lean pickings. Even those prepared to follow the rules of whiting fishing have not taken very many fish.
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that while flathead have been plentiful, squid have become scarce and whiting are practically non-existent: I have in fact, only one whiting report this week:
On Sunday afternoon Murray and Darcy Scott, tried their luck just offshore from “Cottage by the Sea” at Queenscliff. Initially, things were looking up with four beautiful whiting around the 45 cm mark as the tide began coming in at around 3.20 pm; but that was their lot for the trip.
Freshwater
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that while Lake Purrumbete has been quiet of late, possibly due to a lack of talent on the water, nearby Lake Bullen Merri has had a dedicated band of followers.
While no individuals were identified, several anglers have been successful here, both from boats and while fishing land based. Chinook salmon and rainbow trout to a kilogram have been the main catch, while one angler caught a 2 kg brown trout while trolling a bibbed lure.
John also mentions, that despite a number of anglers recently attempting to launch boats on Lake Elingamite near Cobden, it is an exercise fraught with hazard.
The current low water levels have, all too easily, allowed the wheels of boat trailers to drop over the end of the ramp, and – since the deep and treacherous mud beyond the ramp precludes any leverage from this quarter – outside assistance must be summoned, usually from the local farming community.
On the beach
Surf fishing enthusiast Tony Ingram took advantage of Saturday evening’s high tide from Jan Juc where Australian salmon to a kilogram and better where on offer, both on baits of cut pilchard and metal lures. Hopeful of catching a gummy shark, he stayed until after dark but his only reward was a large skate.
Portland
Down Portland way, Bob McPherson reports that a number of boats were out over the weekend seeking tuna, unfortunately though, all reports were negative.
However, unlike local beak whiting fishing close to home, good size whiting have been on offer with some prime fish coming in from Portland’s north shore and around to Cape Grant.
Raul asks:
Geoff, I’ve heard that luderick may be caught from the Barwon River estuary, can you give me any guidance as to the approach, bait, and time of year to fish for them?
Raul, autumn and winter are the best times to fish for luderick in the Barwon estuary. Those that my companions and I caught during the 1980s and 90s were taken from small boats while fishing in around 3m of water between Sheepwash Road and the boat ramp, usually on the last of the incoming tide or beginning of the ebb.
Those that I caught were either taken on baits of fresh abalone gut – I say fresh because, once frozen and thawed out it just becomes a mess – or live sand or beachworm, all fished on a No 4 baitholder hook and small bomb sinker.
Others fished, and possibly still fish here, in the more active and traditional way, casting up-tide with a weighed “blackfish float” using green weed for bait on a suitable hook like the Mustad Snek, which was specifically designed for this purpose.
Those who fish with this strategy assure me that berleying with a mixture of green weed and sand increases the efficacy of the approach.