A sample of Peter Marshall’s and Peter McCarter’s snapper catch off Clifton Springs (Picture: Mike Windsor).
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
Whiting are about, and Ivan Bereza of Geelong Boat Hire and Fishing Charters found a good patch for John Irvine and his mates who took 18 to 40 cm off Curlewis last week. They would have caught even more were it not for the number of undersize pinkie snapper taking their baits.
Mike Windsor of Clifton of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that larger snapper are about as well, and among those to catch them were Peter Marshall and Peter McCarter. They found a good patch out toward the Point Richards Channel, where – using pilchards and squid for bait – they caught 7 from 2 to 3 kg on Friday’s outgoing tide.
Squid have also been about said Mike with Dave McInerney picking up several off the jetty ruins at the Dell. He also caught 7 whiting over the grass beds just out from the boat harbour on the way back in.
Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien put a serious effort in on the whiting off Portarlington, and in around 4.5 metres of water, inshore from the mussel leases; they finished with 15 fish, to 37 cm or so.
It was tough going though, because the number of undersize pinkie snapper moving in on their baits – on every occasion they found a good patch of whiting – continually created the need to find new ground.
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that flathead remain the main catch down that way, with most being caught on the drift – weather permitting – along the edge of the Prince George Bank.
Whiting were scarce last week said Rod, but squid numbers have improved with both visiting anglers, and his clients bringing in some respectable catches.
Amber Wild with a nice redfin from Tullaroop Reservoir (Picture: Kevin Wild).
Freshwater
Kevin Wild of Maryborough Angling Club reports that club members have caught any amount of redfin from Tullaroop Reservoir; mainly on bobbers, but baitfishing with small yabbies has also been productive.
Kevin also fished nearby Cairn Curran Reservoir with his father John and companion John Gray where yellowbelly have been on offer. Using worms for bait, they took 8 keepers and returned a good many smaller ones.
Their club trip to Lake Mulwala at the weekend was something of a disappointment with strong winds making the lake virtually unfishable, but they did fish on the Murray River with Kevin’s wife Amber’s catch of four Murray cod to 57 cm, unbeatable.
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that redfin are still on offer with Andrew Kompa of Werribee picking up his share, along with Thirteen year old Josh Shelly of Corio who also picked up fish to 800 grams or so.
Lachie Wombell with a sample of the whiting to be taken at Portland lately (Picture: Bob McPherson).
Portland
Down Portland way, Bob McPherson and Lachie Wombell have caught some nice whiting along the north shore on Saturday, the wind being too strong to do much else.
Other options, like tuna have been on offer during calmer weather, but – the kingfish we usually see off Portland at this time of year – have been on the small side.
Trevor asks
I heard about that great white shark off Anglesea; it’s supposed to be 5 metres long. I know they’re protected now, but what would a shark that size weigh?
Trevor, the current world record for white shark on rod and line, under IGFA rules, measured 5.59metres and weighed 1208 kg. It was caught by Irymple fruit grower Alf Dean from Ceduna, SA in April 1955.
Clive Green’s larger capture from Albany, WA in 1976, also on regulation IGFA tackle, was an unsuccessful record claim because the use of whale meat – which he used for bait – had been disallowed by then. That shark measured 4.82 metres and weighed 1536.8 kg.
The biggest great white shark caught, that I know of, was taken by Hervey Bay fisherman Vic Hislop in 1987, shortly before they were protected. It was caught on a setline off the Phillip Island seal colony in Victoria. It measured 6.3 metres and weighed 2306.5 kg.
The late, and much esteemed angler and authority of game fishing, Peter Goadby, in his book “Big Fish and Blue Water” claimed that great whites can reach 4500 kg, and occasional sightings of specimens of 7 metres or more, are supportive of that.