Shane Handley hooked up to a bronze whaler from the Point Lonsdale Pier, Grazio Dalli in the background, (Picture: Rohan Mandad).
Shane Handley with the bronze whaler he caught from the Point Lonsdale pier (Picture: Rohan Mandad).
The February new moon, which occurred last Tuesday, has always been a prime time to catch a decent shark from the Point Lonsdale pier.
So, it was no surprise that three hopefuls; Shane Handley, Grazio Dalli and Rohan Mandad, were all present and appropriately equipped.
As it turned out, they each caught sharks; Rohan and Grazio caught seven-gillers, but Shane got the one he was after, a bronze whaler of probably 160 kg that took the eel he was using for bait.
Mind you, that was the fun part, for there was quite a bit of work involved cleaning their respective catches, which should keep them, and their families, in flake for some time.
Fishing the beach just north east of the Torquay boat ramp early last week was Ray Millman who had plenty of action from around 8.30, until the bite shut down after10.30 pm.
Legal-size pinkie snapper were on offer, most of which he returned, but not the 12 kg gummy shark he caught at around 10.30.
Ray also returned an obviously newborn bronze whaler, along with several juvenile eagle rays.
Fishing RAAF’s Beach at Ocean Grove early last week, Tony Ingram and Col Simmons took advantage of the low evening tides, where – as usual, under such conditions – good size pinkie snapper were on offer, and of which they caught several.
Just on dark, with the tide beginning to creep up the beach, they were bitten off a time or two, suspecting the culprits to be the juvenile bronze whalers that have been present along our beaches of late.
Stephen Hill, president of the Lake Purrumbete Angling Club with one of the chinook salmon he’s taken recently from Lake Bullen Merri.
Kevin Wild and Darryl King 11, with a sample of their redfin catch from Tullaroop Reservoir.
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
Fishing off Curlewis from around 1.30 on Saturday afternoon were Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien.
Anchored up in five metres of water, they were into the whiting on their very first drop, and by 4.00 pm, they’d each taken bag limit catches of really good size fish, their biggest measuring 41 cm.
Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that while pinkie snapper are also about off Curlewis, whiting remain the most sought after species,
Among those to catch their share of whiting was Pascoe Keet who picked up a good catch just out from the old jetty ruins at The Dell using pipis for bait.
Speaking of whiting, Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports, that on those rare days when favorable weather has provided access, some clients – including Brendon Clarke – have taken excellent catches fairly close to shore.
Simon Werner reports that, for most of the week, the sea has been too rough to venture offshore, but that there are numerous Australian salmon in The Rip, the biggest nudging 3 kg, and they’ve been taking almost any lure presented.
Don Rayner with a nice redfin from Tullaroop Reservoir (Picture: Kevin Wild).
Paul (Babba) O’Loughlin with a 47 cm, 2 kg redfin from Lake Purrumbete.
Freshwater
Of the Camperdown crater lakes, most of the reports I receive come from Lake Purrumbete, which has been fishing extremely well, I’ve only had had the very occasional report from Lake Bullen Merri.
However, Stephen Hill of the Lake Purrumbete Angling Club has revealed that Bullen Merri is also a productive fishery, taking some great catches from here himself, mainly chinook salmon.
The biggest of these have measured around 60 cm and were taken on lures trolled at some depth.
The unwelcome news is that there is a planned closure of the Bullen Merri South Beach boat ramp for a much-needed upgrade: Please contact Corangamite Shire on 5593 7100 for more information.
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that redfin the main catch from the Lake, and that Swan Hill visitors Paul (Babba) O’Loughlin and Mick Burns both caught any amount; Paul’s biggest, at 47 cm, weighed 2 kg.
Mick also picked up four nice chinook salmon trolling a metal spoon.
Kevin Wild of the Maryborough Angling Club reports that on Wednesday, club members – including himself – Don and Robert Rayner, and John Rivett, took redfin to 47 cm from Tullaroop Reservoir using Baltic Bobbers.
And on Saturday, Kevin, and 11-year-old Darryl King, managed a repeat performance, while club member Stephen Eales, and companion Lion Falkenstein, did likewise.
Another club member, David Harris, visited nearby Cairn Curran Reservoir for an impressive catch of yellowbelly and a 60 cm Murray cod, all being taken on Blade lures.
Damon Sherriff with yet another snapper taken just outside the entrance of the Bridport harbour in Tasmania; it weighed 8 kg and was taken on a slimy mackerel fillet
Tassie snapper
Damon Sherriff continues to catch big snapper just outside the Bridport harbour mouth in Tasmania, including a beauty of 8 kg, of which he sent me a photo. The bait used was a slimy mackerel fillet.