Lachlan Oliver with one of his snapper from Corio Bay (Picture: Ken Oliver).
Off the beach
With a high tide during the early hours of Friday morning, Ray Millman was rigged and ready near the BBQ area just south of 64W at Torquay by 1.30 am, his first reward being a 3 kg gummy shark at 2.45 am. That was on the lighter of his two outfits, which was baited with bluebait.
As the night wore on, drifting weed became a problem, but he stuck it out: Then, as the first hint of daylight lit the sky, a good bite on his heavier outfit – which was baited with squid – heralded the capture of a 4 kg snapper.
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
An early start paid off for Lachlan Oliver and his father Ken last week, who were at anchor off Clifton Springs by 4.00 am in perfect conditions.
Using squid and silver whiting for bait, it wasn’t long before their first rod buried over, reel singing to the tune of a 4.5 kg snapper. It was followed by two more with the show finishing on daybreak.
On Friday evening, Andrew Phillips and Darren Baldock anchored up near the pile marking the Nine Foot Bank off Avalon where their first catch was an eagle ray.
It was all hands on deck after that though as they took bag limit catches of snapper from 3 to 4 kg on their silver whiting and squid baits.
Chris Stamalos with the 6.8 kg snapper he caught offshore from Point Richards on Saturday evening.
Also fishing for snapper, but just north of the channel off Point Richards on Saturday evening, Chris Stamalos and Brendan McKenzie were initially occupied with a run of respectable pinkies. But, just before dark, Chris caught a beauty of 6.8 kg on a strip of squid.
Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that windy conditions have proved the only obstacle to generally good fishing with anglers, that included Jordan Whitman – who was fishing between the mussel farm and the channel – picking up mixed bags of flathead and pinkie snapper.
Squid have been on the go as well said Mike, with George Mioch, Jason Haw, and Lee Cleary picking up 15 from “The Dell.” They also caught a number or silver whiting down near the channel junction off Curlewis.
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Heads reports that, during the few days providing safe access to the water, the fishing has been good with whiting turning up regularly in angler’s catches.
In fact whiting numbers have improved around the peninsula as Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien could attest after taking 30 beauties – their biggest fish measuring 42 cm – on Friday.
They fished in 6 metres of water between the Portarlington mussel farm and the shore in possibly the worst conditions imaginable, including strong winds, occasional bouts of heavy rain, and wind against tide.
Jeremy McLoughlin with a gummy shark he caught off Torquay (Picture: Kevin McLoughlin).
Offshore
Picking a break in the weather on Saturday morning, Kevin McLoughlin and brother Jeremy headed out off Torquay, where – in 30 metres of water – they each took a respectable gummy shark in double-figure weight range.
Freshwater
John Clements of Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that redfin are still the main catch from the lake, and of which he caught quite a few himself, being in good company with George Gillies of Winchelsea, and Geoff Broughton of Geelong who also added a 2.4 kg brown trout to his bag.
A 5 kg chinook salmon also greeted the scales. It was taken by an Melbourne angler known as Gary who caught it trolling a lure at some depth with a downrigger.
With current access to Lake Elingamite near Cobden, for boats to 4.5 metres or so, Rod Shepherd tried his luck, but initially there wasn’t much doing.
Come 4.00 pm though, the sea breeze kicked in creating better prospects, but Rod’s presence was soon required elsewhere. Never the less, in the remaining time available, he caught a 45 cm redfin and a pan size rainbow trout, both on a Pontoon 21 Crack Jack lure.
Kevin Wild of the Maryborough Angling Club reports that his friend Andrew has taken a number of large brown trout, up to 2.7 kg from Teddington Reservoir near St Arnaud.
It’s not a place that would suit everybody, with no mobile phone or internet coverage, but the fishing is OK.