Anthony Saric with the 7.1 kg snapper he caught from the Swan Island grassbeds off Queenscliff on Saturday.
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
Fishing the ebb tide for whiting, in around 5 metres of water off the Swan Island grass beds at Queenscliff on Friday morning, was Anthony Saric.
Not only did he finish with a bag limit catch, but was interrupted by hooking a fish on a small strip of squid that was clearly not a whiting. It was in fact a 7.1 kg snapper that took him 25 minutes to subdue on the light tackle he was using.
Andrew Phillips and Mark Sesar took advantage of good weather early last week but their previously productive locations for whiting off Indented Head produced nothing; neither did they find them off nearby St Leonards.
It was a nearly two hours before their luck changed for the better while at anchor off the entrance of Swan Bay, just east of Coles Beacon, with a new run of – judging by their light and silvery colour – fish from outside The Heads.
And, after reaching their respective bag limits of fish to 43 cm by 5 pm or so, they broke out the squid jigs, and – during the latter stages of the incoming tide – added six of these tasty cephalopods to their tally before heading back to St Leonards.
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that squid have made a comeback after their near absence during the previous week, and that flathead – which were taken on the drift – saved the day for a good many of his clients.
Whiting were patchy however, and those taken – mainly from St Leonards – ranged in size from barely legal size to 39 cm.
Jaxon, Shakira Robinson-Redpath, 3 and 5, with coach grandpa Mick Redpath, on the job at Bannockburn Lagoon (Picture: Liffy Jennings).
Jaxon and Shakira Robinson-Redpath, 3 and 5, with their respective bags of rainbow trout from Bannockburn Lagoon (Picture: Liffy Jennings).
Freshwater
With the weather too rough to put the boat on Corio Bay at the weekend, Michael Redpath and partner Liffy Jennings, had a quick dig in the vegi-patch for worms before rugging up against the inclement weather and heading out to Bannockburn Lagoon with grandchildren Shakira 5, and Jaxon 3 around mid day.
Using the worms they’d dug and some corn kernels for bait – and with a little coaching – the grandkids had no problem catching their five rainbow trout each, which made it a great day for all.
Liffy also reports that 14 year old Jake Redpath, and his uncle Paul Kovzan, dropped in on their way back from Eildon Pondage on Sunday with some really hefty rainbow trout.
They’d headed up there an Friday evening, and were casting lures at the crack of dawn the following day when Jake hooked their first fish on a purple Tassie Devil, a rainbow trout of possibly 4 kg, the first of several they caught on Saturday.
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that brown trout are still on offer, and that Nathan Wright, one of a group of Kayak fishing enthusiasts, picked up one of 2.7 kg on an OSP bent minnow.
Chinook salmon are also on offer with Les Broughton of Geelong among those to pick up fish to 1.5 kg or so using the time-honoured technique of suspending pilchard fillets just above the bottom.
Jake Redpath 14, with a sample of the rainbow trout he and his uncle, Paul Kovzan, caught from the Eildon Pondage on Saturday (Picture: Liffy Jennings).
Kevin Wild of the Maryborough Angling Club reports that Talbot Reservoir continues to attract anglers and among them was Alan Pool who picked up a rainbow trout of 51 cm on Thursday.
Fishing Lake Tullaroop near Maryborough was Steven Eales, along with his six year old daughter Lily who caught a 1 kg rainbow trout on Berkley Powerbait.
Steven, who works at the Maryborough Lyal Eales store, reports that an angler – for whom we have no name – dropped in to display a 4 kg brown trout he caught from Tullaroop on a Daiwa Double Clutch minnow.
With school holidays to begin next week, fishing is a paramount activity and Fisheries Victoria advises that rainbow trout have been stocked in the following locations:
· Bannockburn Lagoon 300
· St Augustine’s waterhole 700
· Lethbridge Lake 300
The VFA website also says that “Anglers are reminded that a daily bag limit of five trout applies, of which only two may exceed 35 centimetres.” https://vfa.vic.gov.au/recreational-fishing/fish-stocking/school-holiday-trout-stocking
One of several whales Bob McPherson of Portland photographed over the weekend.
Portland
Bob McPherson reports that good size school shark have made a welcome return along Portland’s north shore after a long absence. Fishing here on evening last week, Bryce Goldby caught two, each around the 16 kg mark, and returned others.
A Spotted Sand Diver Trichonotus setiger, caught – and released – from Brad Smith Fishing Charters at South Currigee Island, Queensland. It was identified by Roger Swainston of Anima.
Corey asks:
Geoff, while trolling lures off Port MacDonnell, for barrel tuna, we were amazed to find spearfishermen on jet-skis beating us to the bust-ups. Is this seemingly hazardous activity regulated?
Corey, I phoned South Australian Fisheries (PIRSA 08 8226 0995) to be told that, as long as spearfishermen are not using any underwater breathing apparatus like hookahs or SCUBA gear, and have a dive flag displayed, they are not breaking the law, as hazardous an activity as this might appear.
I rang Marine Safety in South Australia who re-affirmed that using jet-skis as a vehicle for offshore spear-fishing is allowed provided existing rules of the sea are applied as to right of way etc. And also, that craft must slow to no more than 4 knots within 50 metres of swimmers.