Geoff’s Fishing Report

 

 

On hearing of sharks being caught from the Point Lonsdale Pier, Melbourne angler Rohan Mandad – suitably equipped with game-fishing tackle and a bonito he bought from the Preston market for bait – drifted his line out from the pier on Wednesday evening’s rising tide.

 

All was quiet until the tide slackened off at around 9.00 pm. That’s when the reel’s growl had Rohan at action stations, eventually beaching a 2.4 metre seven-gilled shark that should see him well supplied with flake for some time.

 

Off the Beach

With his favourite beach at Torquay fouled with weed on Thursday evening, Ray Millman found the beach in front of the main Jan Juc car park much cleaner.

 

That was at about 8.00 pm, but – apart from small pinkie snapper taking his baits – his first decent bite produced a fair-sized Australian salmon, a fillet from which he cut into bait-sized portions, one being taken by what was almost certainly a shark that bit him off.

 

Another, presented on a wire trace, was duly taken by what turned out to be a two metre seven-gilled shark, that – with assistance from an angler fishing nearby – greeted Ray’s digital scales: But, with a maximum capacity of 50 kg, they fell well short of the task.

 

Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula

I’ve had very few snapper reports lately, but on Saturday evening, Darcy Scott picked up two of 5.5 and 5 kg in 8 metres of water along the west side of the Wilson Spit using squid for bait.

 

He was joined by his dad Murray on Sunday evening and they caught another two of 5.5 and 3 kg, again on squid.

 

Whiting have been a little hard to come by in Corio Bay, but fishing in the vicinity of Point Wilson, Paul Rahman caught 20 from 30-35 cm in a two-hour session. Also included in his catch was a 3 kg snapper which put the icing on the cake.

 

Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that good catches of flathead were taken on the drift out in the deeper water, while modest catches of good size squid and whiting were taken between Grassy Point and Governor Reefs.

 

Among those to do well on the squid were Andrew Phillips and Tony Greck who found a good patch off the entrance of Swan Bay, and had just taken their respective bag-limit catches when the wind came up curtailing their plans to fish for whiting.

Offshore

Tuna are still about off Barwon Heads and among those to catch them on Saturday were Simon Werner and Mario Callahan. They caught one each before heading back in; one weighing 18 kg, and the other 15 kg. Both fish were taken on small skirted lures.

 

Freshwater

With redfin on their mind last week, John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park, along with Kurt and Joe Rundle, had no trouble catching approximately 100 Reddies to 800 grams or so.

 

However, the trophy size trout the lake is famous for have been lying low with none being weighed in at the office over the past week or so.

 

Kevin and Amber Wild of the Maryborough Angling Club fished “Go-fish Nagambie” held on Lake Nagambie downstream from the Goulburn Weir, each picking up valuable prizes including a fish finder and a boat stereo.

 

Who won the $80,000 prize for the largest cod? That I’ve not been able to discover, the event’s home page not as yet having been updated.

 

Fishing Clinic

Fishing guide and charter boat operator, Andrew Malouf, is running fishing clinics at Point Lonsdale on Tuesday April 6, Wednesday April 7, and again on Tuesday April 13 and Wednesday April 14.

 

Participants are to meet at 8.45 am at the Point Lonsdale Skate Park which is situated on the Bellarine Highway at the roundabout adjacent to the Beacon Resort Caravan Park from where it is less than a 100 metre walk to the beach.

 

• Junior participants are to be at least 8 years old and supervised by a parent or guardian.
• Fee for participating adults is $20 and $10 for children under 15.

 

Book at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/fishing-clinic-tickets-148254403913 and for additional info contact Andrew on 0407 517 122 or by email hookedonland@gmail.com