Callum Ritchie with a 103kg bluefin tuna that he caught offshore from Portland aboard Magnet Fishing Charter.
This 64.5kg tuna caught by Isaac Zannit was carrying a long-liner’s hook (Picture: Bob McPherson).
Portland
Bob McPherson reports that barrel size tuna are still turning up offshore from Portland and among those to catch one last week was Callum Ritchie who was fishing with skipper Jason Farrugia aboard Magnet Charters.
Callum’s fish weighed 103kg and took a lure in 60 metres of water off Cape Bridgewater. Also successful was noted Western Port angler Sean Furtiere, and skipper of “Think Big” charters, who picked up another of 114.6kg from much the same area.
Of some interest was the capture of a tuna weighing 64.5kg by Isaac Zannit that was carrying a long-liner’s hook, which – judging by the associated scaring – had been there for some time.
Jony Ai Ung and David Dean with the gummy shark they caught on Saturday.
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
After a very cold daybreak start on Saturday, Andrew Phillips, along with Mark and Tina Sesar were again on the whiting trail off Point Henry, but initially those they caught were small; barely legal size fish that they returned.
As usual they persisted, and out in 7 metres of water toward Leopold, they struck a much better class of fish, finishing up with their respective bag limit catches, their biggest fish nudging 42cm while using pipis and squid for bait.
Also on Saturday, Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien were astonished to see a virtual armada of craft in their favourite whiting possie the Leopold’s caravan parks, persuading a re-think of what to do. After some discussion, they anchored up inshore from the fleet, and put their lines out while planning a strategy.
That was from about 9.30 am onwards during the last of the outgoing tide. They probably wouldn’t have stayed there had they not picked up a couple of good size fish. It was slow going though, but that all changed when the tide began coming in during the afternoon, precipitating a frantic bite from which they each took bag limit catches.
They tried for a repeat performance on Sunday to find another boat right in the spot where they’d fished the previous day. Never the less, they fished nearby and again picked up their respective bag limit catch of whiting to 40cm.
Also on the whiting, but off St Leonards on this occasion, were Jeff Richards of Indented Head and Chris Hateley of the Keysborough Angling Club. They found the fishing slow, but picked up eight really nice fish while their colleague, ABC radio fishing correspondent and president of the Keysborough Angling Club, Colin Wilkinson, and his companion who were fishing nearby, took a total of 24 whiting to 42cm.
Amber Wild with a sample of the redfin currently on offer at Tullaroop Reservoir, near Maryborough.
Freshwater
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that things have been pretty quiet of late, but Scott Gray, along with Mark and Luke Gerkovich caught several brown trout between two and 3kg.
Also successful was Michael McKay of the Ballarat Fly Fishers Club whose catch included several brown trout in the same size range, naturally enough, on the fly.
Keryn Millard with one of the blue eye trevalla she caught over the weekend (Picture Bob McPherson).
Western Port
On Saturday morning Jony Ai Ung and David Dean launched from Hastings on Western Port and headed over to Corinella in search of a gummy shark. Unfortunately, those they caught were small; just pups really, so they headed south to Western Port’s eastern entrance and out from San Remo, they marked up some fish in 30 metres of water. Unfortunately, they dropped their first fish, a good size gummy. The second, a gummy of possibly 12kg, wasn’t so lucky and finished up as flake.
Ollie asks:I was fishing offshore from Point Wilson recently and was surrounded by a flock of penguins. I’ve fished the bay, and offshore from Point Wilson where this sighting occurred, for many years and have only seen the occasional penguin, but not as many as on this occasion.
Have you heard of penguins like this in the Point Wilson area, and what species would they be?
Ollie, I too have seen only the very occasional penguin on the bay, but like you, others have asked me about penguins on the bay. My information is that there is a penguin rookery on the north side of Corio Bay but I don’t know of its exact location, my source not being specific on that aspect.
While know very little about penguins, a web search suggests they are little penguins (Eudyptula minor), which are sometimes referred to as fairy penguins.