Roger Miles with a 48 cm redfin from Tullaroop Reservoir.
Kevin Wild with one of his redfin from Tullaroop Reservoir.
Freshwater
Michael Evans of Victorian Inland Charters covered a bit of ground last week, not only finding fish for his clients on Camperdown’s crater lakes, but caught a couple good size redfin himself from one of his former hunting grounds, Wurdiboluc Reservoir.
Mind you, he was on the job at very first light, and using the somewhat challenging strategy of casting out past the weed beds with his 4” Fish Arrow soft plastic (rigged with a 3/8 ounce jig head), then ripping it back through the weed growth to stir them up, he caught two, the biggest of which measured 41 cm and weighed 1.2 kg.
Michael also found time to go prospecting along the edges of Lake Purrumbete’s weed beds just on dark with his old faithful OSP Bent Minnow where he caught yet another beautiful brown trout that measured 63 cm and weighed 2.85 kg.
Back on the job at Lake Purrumbete, his clients Paul and his son Flynn, enjoyed a half day’s session on the redfin, catching 40 on live minnow from 16 metres of water.
Michael also found the redfin for clients Michael and Bryan, ‘finding’ being somewhat subjective, because – possibly because of cooler water temperatures – finding does not necessarily mean catching.
Never the less, after constantly moving on from shoals of unco-operative fish, he eventually found the players in 25 metres of water, his crew catching 35 before the bite shut down.
Kevin Wild of the Maryborough Angling Club reports that redfin are still very much on the go at Tullaroop Reservoir and picked up half a dozen good ones himself while down-rigging lures at some depth.
Others to do the same included Roger Miles who also took his share that included some beauties up to 48 cm.
Rhiannon Atkinson of the Victorian Fisheries Authority reports that freshwater fish stocking programs continue; the next being a release of 10,000 rainbow trout (size not specified), into Lake Bullen Merri early on Thursday afternoon.
Due to gatherings being currently restricted to 10 people, bookings need to be made by email to rhiannon.atkinson@vfa.vic.gov.au should you wish to attend.
Reddie reckoning: Michael Evans with one of the redfin he caught from Wurdiboluc Reservoir (Picture: Michael Evans).
Michael Evans with yet another brown trout from Lake Purrumbete. This one weighed 2.85 kg (Picture Michael Evans).
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
On Friday morning, Andrew Johnson and wife Jenny took a run down to their usually productive area in front of the Leopold Caravan Parks, but despite picking a up a couple of good size whiting right away, things were pretty quiet.
That was until the high tide began running off around mid day when they really came on the bite. Each took their respective bag limit catches, and there were some good ones among them, but Jenny caught their biggest fish at 42 cm.
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports a decline in business due to Melbourne’s lock-down, but those who did avail themselves of his services were successful on the drift out deep where flathead provided reliable catches.
Rod also mentioned visiting the St Leonards pier on one occasion, where he was surprised at the number of really good size garfish being taken from this structure.
Jesse Paech, junior winner of the Whiting Classic with one of his fish.
Whiting Classic
Results of last week’s Whiting Classic were something of a family affair: The senior prize for the heaviest bag of five whiting, 1416 grams, was awarded to Matt Paech, while his son Jesse won the junior section with a bag of five whiting weighing 1186 grams.
Victorian Inland Fishing Clients, Paul and Flynn, with a sample of their redfin catch from Lake Purrumbete (Picture Michael Evans).
Barwon Estuary
Fishing upstream the Sheepwash on Thursday morning, Tony Ingram & Col Simmons, had lines out for mulloway, but most of the action came on their light tackle, with which they were hoping to catch some mullet or Australian salmon for live bait.
They had no problem there, and they also caught several good size silver trevally in a burst of activity from around 10.30.
Fishing for bream in the Sheepwash, Jason Treloar picked up a couple of keepers as the high tide began running off, but was surprised to catch a striped fish of about a kilogram, which was almost certainly a luderick.
Sam asks:
In regard to your Q&A on defeating sea lice (GA July 7), my question is; would floating your bait off the bottom also defeat bottom feeders like banjo sharks, which can be a terrible nuisance when fishing for snapper or gummy shark?
Sam, I have indeed floated my baits off the bottom when fishing for snapper to defeat bottom-dwelling creatures like crabs. However, I have still caught banjo sharks, rays and skates while doing so. So, for that reason I cannot endorse that strategy for avoiding those supposed bottom feeders.