Darcy Scott with one of the tuna he caught off Anglesea last week.
Murray Scott with yet another tuna taken off Anglesea.
Offshore
Darcy Scott and his father Murray were confronted with a heavy ground swell on the way out through Barwon Heads. And, although a good many were out looking for the tuna, they’d gone. However, they did catch a couple of kingfish amongst the diving birds.
The drumbeats came from Darcy’s cousin Nathan who was fishing with David Lees, both of whom were into the tuna down past Anglesea and that’s where they headed, each catching their bag limit of two fish – the biggest 30 kg – by 10.30 before heading back in.
Mind you, it wasn’t only tuna present down that way, Aaron Habgood of Reds Fishing Adventures and his crew were about to bring a good size tuna alongside after a long, drawn-out tussle when it was taken by a huge great white shark, right beside the boat.
David Lees with one of several tuna he’s caught off Anglesea recently.
Jeremy McLoughlin with yet another tuna taken off Anglesea.
Off the beach
Fishing the outgoing tide from 63W at Torquay on Wednesday evening, Ray Millman’s biggest challenge was surviving the onslaught of undersize pinkies taking his baits, but sticking it out; he caught several to 35 cm and a whiting of about that size.
Returning early on Friday morning, before the heat set in, it was repeat performance with the pinkies, but this time he only took two keepers, the rest being far too small.
Fishing from the beach adjacent to the Point Lonsdale Surf Club (between 3 and 4W) on Thursday evening were Daniel Johnson, Joel Trezise and Brandon Kelly.
Their catch of 5 gummy shark – all around the 4 kg mark – and several pinkies to 2 kg, was rewarding enough. However, one fish that was hooked after dark would have dwarfed any of those already caught, but – as sometimes happens in fishing – it escaped.
Andrew Johnson, Daniel’s father, did a little beach fishing himself from the bank of Edwards Point, St Leonards, taking two flathead to 38 cm on soft plastics.
Sharing the catch (Picture: Rod Lawn).
Danny Lees with yet another tuna taken offshore from Anglesea (Picture: David Lees).
Bellarine Peninsula
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that some good catches of whiting to 40 cm or so have been on offer, but squid, although present in reasonable numbers have been a little harder to find.
Among those to find both were Jeff Richards, Brian Cumming and Ken Shae. They picked up 7 squid off Grassy Point before anchoring up near Dean Man’s Stick, a little further out on the Prince George Bank.
Here, they took 28 whiting to 40 cm before the breeze picked up, persuading their retreat, but the following day – with more favourable conditions – Brian, along with wife Jenny – returned, taking a catch of 8 whiting, the biggest measuring 42 cm.
Keith Fry, along with granddaughters Heidi 10 and Ellian 8, and their mother April, fished in 20 metres of water off Indented Head taking snapper to 38 cm, flathead to 37 cm, and a 4 kg gummy shark.
However, a stiffening breeze ruined what had been the promise of a great day, causing the anchor to pull and some discomfort amongst the crew.
Rhys Tingay with a yellowbelly taken on a spinnerbait from Lake Chum near Donald.
Aaron Collicoat with a 54 cm yellowbelly that he caught at Gunbower on the Murray River (Picture: Amber Wild).
Freshwater
Kevin Wild of the Maryborough Angling Club reports that some members, including ex-president Rob Catchell, have taken good size redfin from nearby Lake Tullaroop, while Craig and Rhys Tingay travelled a little farther afield.
They took yellowbelly to 39 cm while casting spinnerbaits from the bank at Lake Chum near Donald.
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that good size brown trout are on offer from the lake, and among those to catch them was Tom Hogan of Drysdale who’s biggest weighed 3.5 kg. It was taken while down-rigging a bibbed lure at some depth.
However, redfin to 800 grams or so remain the main catch said John, with Geoff (Shorty) Woollard of Shepparton among those to take their share.
Lachie Wombell with a zebra fish taken while fishing for whiting off Portland (Picture: Bob McPherson).
Ollie asks:
Geoff, is it worthwhile fishing for mulloway in the Barwon estuary at this time of year? I caught some last year but haven’t heard of any being caught lately.
Ollie, while nobody has owned up (not to me anyway) to catching mulloway from the Barwon of late, I have heard of some being caught upstream from the Sheepwash toward Lake Connewarre; no details mind you, but I guess it’s worth a look.
If you go of an evening though, I suggest taking a mosquito net, or at least some protection.