Scott Edgar with an example of the flathead to be caught in Corio Bay lately.
Lucy Beusmans with a 1.8 kg rainbow trout (Picture: Tim Beusmans).
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
The large flathead presently in Corio Bay have created some interest, and among those to catch them were Paul Raduka and Scott Edgar
The pair caught eight larger-than-usual fish among their flathead catch on Thursday evening while fishing in 8 metres of water off North Shore, their biggest measuring 75cm, which would make it about 3 kg. That one was caught on a whole squid head.
John Goleby with the whiting he caught on the vibe, while on the phone (Picture: John Goleby).
Robbie Wild with one of the flathead he caught from the Sunshine Coast canal (Picture John Goleby).
Fishing the incoming tide for snapper from 5.30am on Wednesday, were Andrew Phillips and Tony Greck who’d anchored up in one of their previously productive spots, just east of the Wilson Spit.
And, as happened last week, they didn’t have long to wait for the action to begin, the pair taking their respective bag limits of fish from 1.5 to 4.5 kg, and returning others; all being caught on silver whiting and squid with the action slowing down after sunrise.
Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that good catches of flathead have been taken by anglers fishing on the drift in the deeper water, and that snapper are also about, but the volume of undersize fish in some areas can be a nuisance.
Mike also mentions that among those to catch whiting were Peter Clark and Des Mc Kiernan who caught 29, their largest measuring 40 cm. These were taken in 5.5metres of water off Curlewis.
Mind you, they are not there for the taking, something that Dennis O’Brien could relate after a fruitless trip off Curlewis on Wednesday. But on his way back to Clifton Springs, he got the word that there was a good bite at the east end of the mussel farm off Portarlington, and that’s where he eventually took a bag limit catch.
And, that’s where Dennis and Andrew Johnson finished up during Saturday’s stiff southerly, but – despite the blustery conditions – they finished with 22 keepers, but Andrew’s neighbour John Fotias, took bragging rights that evening, catching a whiting measuring 46 cm off Curlewis.
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire reports that flathead, including some good size specimens, caught mainly from the shallows, have been taken, but squid have been scarce. The good news, said Rod, is that whiting and pinkie snapper are now regular captures.
Amber Stone with one of the two Murray cod she caught from the Loddon River at Baringhup on Saturday (Picture: Kevin Wild).
Freshwater
Following Kevin Wild’s capture of an 80 cm Murray cod from the Loddon River at Baringhup a couple of weeks ago, he and Amber Stone, both Maryborough Angling Club members, returned on Saturday with a good supply of yabbies for bait.
Not in vain as it turned out, for while Kevin was unable to repeat his previous performance, Amber caught two beautiful cod measuring 79 and 78.5cm.
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that brown trout to 3 kg have been taken from the lake with Tony Nisson of Airport West producing a good sample of these while fishing mudeyes beneath a float.
Lucy Beusmans 11, and Ryland Hogan 7, both from Geelong, were also in the mix, Lucy with a rainbow trout of 1.8 kg and Ryland with a brown trout, also of 1.8 kg, while Charlie Farrugia of Oaklands Junction caught a 2.5 kg rainbow.
Michael Bux of Narre Warren and Chris Hayes of Colac have taken any amount of chinook salmon to 1.5 kg on pilchard fillets suspended just above the bottom, while George Gillies of Winchelsea has been catching redfin to 600 grams on soft plastics.
John Goleby with his 47 cm Fingermark; inset, the hook lost by his father Scott the week previous (Picture: John Goleby).
John Goleby with his 52 cm Mangrove Jack (Picture: Robbie Wild).
Upstate
Fishing the Maroochy River, on the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane last week, the first order of business for John Goleby, was to capture some herring for live-bait, something he accomplished in short order with a cast net. Following that, John was soon in business, on 3 kg tackle, with what turned out to be a 47 cm fingermark that was carrying another hook; one obviously lost in a previous encounter.
As it turned out, John’s father Scott had fished the very same location the week previous, and – after hooking a good size fish – fell foul of a drifting palm frond, which ended the encounter. And, when presented the hook the fish had been carrying, recognized it as his own.
That was by no means John’s only catch, for – while engaged in a tech support call on his phone, rod between his legs – his 60 cm soft vibe in black, was taken by what turned out to be a 32 cm whiting.
John’s ongoing encounters with his friend Robbie Wild – while fishing the Sunshine Coast’s canals the last week – included one with a 52 cm mangrove Jack that snapped his rod while ferociously doubling back under the kayak’s hull. Never the less, the feisty jack was subdued.
As for Robbie, he picked up two great flathead of 54 and 56 cm on a 60mm soft vibe while working the canal’s sandy edges on the high tide.
Lachie Wombell with a Bigeye Ocean Perch that he caught while bottom fishing in almost 600 metres of water off Portland.
Robson asks:
Geoff, after travelling to the Western District over the holiday period, I would like to fish Lake Elingamite up Cobden way. I hear launching here can be problematic, so can you provide an update on this water? And also, what fish are present?
Robson, as of January 1, this year I have an update from Rod Shepherd, who regularly fishes this water, and who states that the single-lane concrete/wooden ramp, which has an adjacent pontoon – will currently accommodate shallow-draft boats to 4 metres.
On a cautionary note though, Rod is quick to point out that any prolonged spell of hot weather without rain would likely see this water fall to a level preventing the launching of even small craft.
Present in Lake Elingamite are redfin and trout, both browns and rainbows, all of which may be caught on a variety of baits and lures.