Ray Millman with the 20 kg gummy shark he caught from the beach at Torquay on Wednesday night.
Masterclass
On Wednesday evening, Ray Millman set up his tackle on the beach just north east of the Torquay boat ramp. From then on, he caught a number pinkie snapper – some of which were undersize and returned – along with three really good size whiting.
Suitably impressed, Melbourne couple, David and Natalie, admitted they’d fished here earlier in the day but had caught nothing at all but were receptive to any tips that might come their way, Ray obliged with a baiting-up and casting demonstration.
Waiting for a bite took a while though, but the fish Ray hooked this time was no whiting or pinkie. It was in fact a large gummy shark, that David – after wading into the slop –grabbed by the tail and dragged ashore where it registered 20 kg on Ray’s digital scales.
Also taking advantage of last week’s low evening tides were Tony Ingram and Col Simmons who fished from RAAF’s Beach at Ocean Grove.
They too caught a number pinkie snapper at the bottom of the tide, and – although some were undersize – they included a couple around the kilogram mark. These were all caught on squid, along with a couple of gummy shark, each around 4 kg, before the incoming tide began covering the beach.
Peter Horrocks caught this 20 kg tuna at the Portland ship anchorage 8 kilometres or so east of the harbour (Picture: Bob McPherson).
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
On Thursday morning, Andrew Phillips and Tony Greck headed out off Clifton Springs, hoping to catch a few whiting, but – initially at least – the fishing was slow with only an occasional small fish.
Andrew said they must have moved a half dozen times before the incoming tide changed their luck. And, in 7 metres of water, off Leopold’s Pelican Shores Caravan Park, they eventually caught their respective bag limits of whiting to 42 cm.
Mike Windsor of Clifton Spring Boat Hire reports that, before the state lockdown, there were some good catches of whiting taken, and that garfish have made a welcome appearance.
Among those to catch both were Gordon and Carol Williams who took a respectable catch of whiting as they did the week previous, despite having to cope with the undersize pinkies that often turn up. The garfish though were a surprise, but welcome catch.
There are also whiting in the Corio Bay inner harbour as Paul Rahman and Selin Inan proved on a trip before the lockdown, catching 27 keepers in Stingaree Bay.
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that the fishing had picked up last week before the lockdown with a variety of fish being caught.
Species included whiting and squid, which had all but disappeared the week previous. However, both of which were taken by Harley Griffiths and Stan Owen who fished Governor Reef.
Freshwater
Paul Rahman also fished Lake Purrumbete on two occasions recently taking bag limit catches of chinook salmon to 1.8 kg on both occasions.
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park and Michael Evans of Victorian Inland Charters, also fished for chinook salmon, and – using cut pilchards for both bait and berley in depths from 18 to 25 metres – caught chinook salmon to 2 kg.
Redfin are still the most prolific catch said John, with George Gillies of Winchelsea and Terry Lindsay of Leopold both getting their share of fish to possibly 800 grams.
Large brown trout have been a bit scarce said John, the only one sighted last week being taken by Wayne Snell of Colac. It weighed 2.7 kg and it took a mudeye fished beneath a bubble float.
Cooper asks
Geoff, where have the snapper gone? We caught them up until late December, but none since.
Cooper, snapper are still about, but you are right, they become harder to find at this time of year. One of the most productive grounds for snapper in the new year is over the deep mud off Indented Head and St Leonards, and fishing dawn, dusk and the tide changes out in 17 to 21 metres of water, can be time well spent.
Closer to home though, the all-night sessions I used to put in at this time of year, in around five metres of water ENE of the Limeburner’s Point boat ramp, produced good size snapper on almost every trip, most being caught between midnight and dawn.