Andrew Johnson with a 7 kg snapper from Clifton Springs.
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
An early start on Wednesday morning saw Andrew Phillips and Tony Greck at anchor by 4.00 am at a previously productive spot just south of the Point Richards Channel where they didn’t have to wait long for the first of their rods to bury.
By 6.00 am they’d caught three snapper to 4.5 kg, but after that, save for a couple of eagle rays and banjo sharks that took a liking to their squid baits, there wasn’t much doing. So, with the nor-easter freshening, they called it quits.
Fishing in somewhat lumpy conditions, just north of the No 9 Point Richards Channel marker early on Friday morning, where he’s done very well on the snapper of late, Tim Johnson wasn’t even getting a bite.
So he up-anchored, and – with the sounder running – he moved east toward the nearby spoil ground, picking up some good marks north of marker 7A.
They were snapper alright, any amount of them, and ranging in size from 2 kg upward. He kept one of about 4 kg, releasing the others, eventually putting the bait rods away for a catch and release exercise using soft plastics.
Breaking out the Kayak on Sunday morning, Simon Werner also fished with soft plastics, but in the shallows off Beacon Point.
With a falling tide, conditions were less than ideal, but he persisted, and eventually caught two flathead, each around 50 cm in length.
Tim Johnson with a sample of his snapper catch off Point Richards.
Whiting fishing has still been good with Dennis O’Brien and Pete Dawson finding a productive patch off Curlewis on Friday. And, in somewhat breezy conditions, they finished with 26 fish from 34 to 40 cm by mid afternoon.
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that while squid have been present in reasonable numbers, whiting have definitely been the main attraction with clients bringing in good catches of fish to 40 cm.
And of course, a good many others found them as well. Among them were Col Simmons and Jason Treloar who first caught several squid fairly close in toward Steeles Rocks. And with the high tide beginning to run off toward evening, they anchored up off the Indented Head Yacht Club for the whiting.
Although they took near bag limit catches by sun-down, conditions were marginal with a somewhat unfriendly nor-easter squalling up at times, giving them a bumpy ride.
John Longtack with the 2.95 kg brown trout he caught from Lake Purrumbete (Picture: John Clements).
Moses Cocubia with his 55 cm redfin from Lake Purrumbete (Picture: John Clements).
Freshwater
Kevin and Amber Wild of the Maryborough Angling Club spent the weekend fishing around Corio Bay and the Bellarine Peninsula, and while they broke no records, they did catch a few fish, and got the mail from fellow club members closer to home.
Among them was Steven Eels who fished amongst the timber at Cairn Curran Reservoir with small yabbies for bait. He had no trouble catching yellowbelly to 40 cm and had his bag limit by 11.00 am.
Darren Watts fished the Loddon River under the Laanecoorie Road Bridge where he caught two respectable yellowbelly, and – as something of a surprise – several nice redfin as well that took a liking to the worms he was using for bait.
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that large brown trout remain on offer for those skilled at catching them. Among them was John Longtack of Port Fairy, who – while fishing with mudeyes under a float along the weed beds – picked up a good one of 2.95 kg.
And, as usual, redfin have been on the go said John, but Ballarat angler Moses Cocubia’s catch included one measuring 55 cm: Now, you don’t see too many that size.
Keryn Millard with one of the blue eye trevalla she caught out wide from Portland (Picture: Bob McPherson).
Colin asks
Geoff, I don’t have a boat or a car, just a pushbike. Is there anywhere I might catch a big snapper land-based in Corio Bay at this time of year?
Colin, provided you have lights on your bike, there is always a chance if you are prepared to rise early and be fishing by first light.
With that in mind, you could try one of the platforms below the old weighbridge off The Esplanade, below Incitec Pivot at North Shore, for starters.
But, after an onshore blow, virtually any structure or rock platform is worth trying, even in daylight, including the rock walls at either St Helens or Limeburners Point.