Martinus de Lange with the mulloway he caught from the Sheepwash last week.
Barwon estuary
Martinus de Lange, an angler of great determination, lost what was an obviously good fish from the bank of the Sheepwash last week and returned the following night to claim his just reward, a mulloway measuring over a metre long.
After losing that first fish, he stayed on until around 4.00am with no luck and said he was too tired to fish the following night. However, the gift of several freshly caught squid (excellent bait for mulloway), from a friend, changed his mind … and his luck.
John Vass with another tuna from Portland (Picture: Bob McPherson).
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
On Thursday evening, Andrew Phillips and Tony Greck anchored north of the channel west of the Wilson Spit for snapper, and using silver whiting and squid for bait, they caught two, each weighing 4.5 kg.
That was around 10pm, but after that all was quiet, but being a pleasant night they stayed out, and at 12.30am, added a third fish of 5 kg to their tally.
On the Tuesday prior, Andrew and Colin Radley fished for whiting east of Point Henry, and – as usual – had to make several moves, first to escape the hoards of bait-thieving pinkie snapper, and then to find the whiting, which they eventually did, taking their respective bag limits using pipis and squid for bait.
And, as has they had previously, caught several snook to 80 cm on pilchards.
Friday’s afternoon northerly created a degree of indecision for whiting specialists Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien, but they finally faced the music to find only two other vehicles and trailers in the usually crowded Clifton Springs boat ramp car park.
If the rough conditions and undersize pinkie snapper taking their baits weren’t enough, they had to contend with a greedy seal that followed their every move.
Eventually free of the beast, just east of the Dell, they finally triumphed with 35 good size whiting.
Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that others to catch whiting included Peter Clark who caught a dozen off Beacon Point, while Barry Ure and Steve Bryant picked up a nice catch of flathead near the channel junction.
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire reports that clients have returned with squid despite the discoloured water, but flathead are the main catch from the deeper water, along with occasional captures of good size whiting.
Bailey Petch and Duncan Forrest, each with a Portland barrel, caught while fishing with Richard Abela in 120 metres of water (Picture: Richardson Marine).
Offshore
With a favourable forecast on Wednesday, Keith Fry, Gary Maya and John Porter made an early start off Barwon Heads, but the light northerly predicted soon changed to a strong southerly.
Never the less they stuck it out, and anchored in 37 metres of water, they caught a dozen or so pinkie snapper to 42 cm, but the largest two fish they hooked; a good size gummy shark and a seven-giller, escaped beside the boat.
Fishing in 30 metres of water off Jan Juc, Kevin McLoughlin, Brian Nolan and Marcus Carson’s catch included two gummy shark, each around the 10 kilogram mark, along with a mixed bag that included a tailor nudging a kilogram.
Victorian Inland Fishing Charters clients, Stuart, Stephen and Vasco looking pleased with their catches from Lake Purrumbete over the weekend (Pictures: Michael Evans).
Freshwater
John Clements of Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that redfin remain the main catch from the lake and among those to do well on fish to 800 grams was James Keating of Ballarat who had great success using minnow for bait.
Michael Evans of Victorian Inland Charters, found good fishing for his clients on the lake, down-rigging various Tassie Devils to depths of 12 metres or so, an approach yielding
several brown trout to 1.8 kg, chinook salmon to 1.4 kg and several redfin.
Portland tuna
Spectacular fishing for bluefin tuna off Portland augurs well for the current tuna competition being held there over four weekends with three remaining. The biggest tuna presented over the weekend – gilled and gutted, as all fish must be before being presented to the weigh-master – weighed 116 kg and was taken by gun angler, Richard Abela.
These great fish deserve respect, and respect involves their proper handling after capture, something that has not always been the case with several inappropriate disposals evident.
All other considerations aside, these great fish are prime table fare – a reflection of the astronomical prices they fetch in the market place – that’s provided they are handled in the prescribed manner, some guidance in that preparation being provided at http://tunafishingcharters.com.au/processing-bluefin-tuna-caught/