Darcy Scott with the first kingfish he and his father Murray caught at Coffin Bay last week (Picture: Murray Scott).
Darcy Scott with yet another kingfish from Coffin Bay (Picture: Murray Scott).
Early last week, Geelong anglers, Murray and Darcy Scott saddled up for the 1300 km journey to Coffin Bay in South Australia to sample what is arguably one of the best inshore kingfish fisheries in the country.
Although tired after one and a half day’s travelling, followed by unpacking their gear, they were on the water by around 3.00 pm, and – after catching some small, but legal-size Australian salmon for bait – Darcy was soon into a kingfish that weighed 21 kg.
Their early success could have been compensation for a less productive trip to the same destination on an earlier occasion, but this time, it was clear their luck had changed for the better with a final tally of four kingfish.
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
Andrew Phillips and Tony Greck were persuaded to move from their preferred snapper spot on the east side of Wilson Spit on Saturday evening because of the small fish taking their baits, but the pinkie bite was widespread and continued until dark.
However, the late shift proved more to their liking with the capture of a 4.5 kg snapper at around 10 pm. This was followed by another of 5.6 kg during the last of the ebb tide an hour or so later, their most productive baits being slimy mackerel and silver whiting.
With good weather predicted for Sunday, Justin Burns and Simon Williams were on the water over the Leopold grass beds by first light, and – fishing with soft plastics – they had bumper catch and release session on snook to 80 cm or so, along with the usual pinkie snapper and flathead.
Angler Andy with the 7 kg snapper he caught off the Lee Breakwater at Portland last week (Picture: Whaler’s Rest).
On Tuesday, as unfriendly as conditions were on the bay with strong winds and heavy rain, Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien couldn’t resist another try at the whiting, and – anchored up in 7 metres of water between Hermsley Road Curlewis and the Leopold Caravan Parks – they picked up 25 good size specimens and three decent flathead.
Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that among those to catch whiting were Ben Patterson and Andrew Young who picked them up just offshore from the boat ramp, while Rhys Davis and Matt Drew caught 8 good size squid in much the same area.
Fishing near the wreck of the Clarence off St Leonards on Friday were Peter Clark and Des McKierana who caught 32 whiting and 8 flathead on the incoming tide
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that fishing over the weekend was surprisingly good with whiting to 40 cm well represented in anglers catches, along with squid aplenty; some of them approaching 2 kg.
There were a variety of other fish taken as well, said Rod including a stargazer that client Greg caught while fishing for flathead.
Royal event: Murray Scott with one of the kingfish he caught at Coffin Bay S.A. last week (Picture: Darcy Scott).
Chris Stamalos with one of the squid he caught offshore from Barwon Heads (Picture: Daniel Stamalos).
Offshore
With good weather predicted for Saturday. Chris Stamalos and his brother Daniel headed out off Barwon Heads before daybreak.
Anchored up in around 30 metres of water, the fishing was slow to begin with, but while bringing up a large squid, the pair were amazed to see a fair size gummy shark grab the squid just below the surface, leaving just a cloud of ink.
Chris wasted no time in dropping a line baited with a trevally fillet over the side, an exercise that resulted in the capture of a 10 kg gummy shark.
Of course that wasn’t the only squid they caught, and there were some beauties among them.
They also caught two smaller gummies, which looked like their lot for the morning, but just as they were about to leave, Chris caught another gummy shark of 16 kg.
Chris Stamalos with his 16 kg gummy shark (Picture: Daniel Stamalos).
Keith Boots with a 72 cm snapper he caught from the Lee breakwater last week (Picture: Whaler’s Rest).
Freshwater
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park report that both rainbow and brown trout to 1.8 kg or so have been caught, both from the jetty and by anglers fishing from boats fishing in the shallows. Among those to do well on these was Gary Holt of Colac fishing mudeyes beneath a float.
Redfin to 600 grams or so have also been taken with Norm Armstrong of Geelong among those to do well on these, while at nearby Lake Bullen Merri, Clinton Jackson has taken both rainbow trout and chinook salmon to 1.5 kg while fishing with his own home-made dodgers.
Bill Athanasselis took his mate Con out to try for a snapper; successfully as you can see.
Lachie Wombell with a sample of the blue-eye trevalla he and Bob McPherson caught off Portland over the weekend (Picture Bob McPherson).
Col asks:
Geoff, as you can see in the photo I’ve sent, there are two snapper that are much darker in colour than any I’ve seen previously. Can you give me any reason or explanation for this?
Col, looking at the photo I can see what you mean. While I’ve caught several, and seen a good many dark coloured snapper, I’ve never seen any quite as dark as those in your photo.
They bear the usual muddy stains around the mouth and gill of fish that habitually dig for crabs in the mud, several of which I caught from the Grammar School Lagoon back in the 1960s, but your fish are dark all over: I have no explanation for that.