Andrew Johnson with a nice snapper sample from the Corio Bay outer harbour.
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
Andrew Johnson was out on one of his favorite snapper marks, down toward the Wilson Spit, before daybreak at the weekend, but there was no action except for a large pod of dolphins.
Eventually, they moved away and by 9.45 it was clear they were rounding up something. So, while heading over to see what was doing, Andrew got a promising reading on the sounder.
Anchoring up, the action was immediate, with three good size snapper soon coming aboard.
On Wednesday, Andrew and Dennis O’Brien fished for whiting in only three metres of very discoloured water and had their respective bag limits by 11.00 am. And, there were some really good ones among them, the biggest measuring 43 cm.
Fishing of Point Richards, just to the east of the mussel farm, Garry Ridgeway and Marti Bluml also had a productive trip on the whiting: They caught 36, and there were some over 40 cm among those.
Fishing near Coles Beacon off Swan Bay on the outgoing tide, Steve O’Keefe picked up a bag limit catch of whiting, also with some good ones among them.
Fishing in one of their productive snapper spots, just north of the No 3 Point Richards channel marker from around 5.45 am on Wednesday, Andrew Phillips and Tony Greck were hopeful of catching a snapper or two.
Unfortunately, there was nothing doing, so after an hour or so, they raised the anchor and motored slowly west with the sounder ticking over, and – more or less north of the No 7 channel marker – their screen lit up, so over went the anchor.
Using baits of squid and silver whiting, the action was immediate, with half a dozen snapper – the largest four between 3.5 and 5.8 kg – coming aboard in short order.
Paul Raduka was among the successful land-based anglers last week. He found the St Leonards Pier a bit crowded so he fished from the beach just south of the boat ramp.
During the early morning hours he caught two snapper, each around the 4 kg mark, but the number of banjo sharks continually taking his baits made for a labor-intensive exercise.
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that the weather has been a stumbling block of late, but most clients heading out returned with squid of mixed sizes.
John Clements and Tom Hogan with their catch of redfin from Lake Purrumbete using scrubworms for bait.
Stephen Eales of the Maryborough Angling Club with a 60 cm yellowbelly taken on a Jackall lure.
Freshwater
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that redfin are still on offer, with he and Tom Hogan taking enough to cover the fish cleaning table.
There were a handful over the 40 cm mark, the biggest measuring 48 cm, there was another of 46 cm, while the rest were in the 30s and 20s.
John also reports that trophy size brown trout are on offer, with Charlie Farrugia, who was fishing with his father Chris, picking up a beauty of 3.7 kg while downrigging with a bibbed lure.
Stephen Eales with the Murray cod he caught and released from the Loddon River below the Cairn Curran spillway.
Charlie Farrugia with the 3.7 kg brown trout he caught from Lake Purrumbete.
Kevin Wild of the Maryborough Angling Club reports that with flood waters beginning to subside, club members have experienced some good fishing, Stephen Eales in particular took yellowbelly to 60 cm from the Loddon below the Cairn Curran Spillway on Jackall lures.
Stephen also caught a hefty Murray Cod with the same approach, which, naturally – being out of season – was released.
Jemal with the snapper he caught from the Lee Breakwater at Portland (Picture: Compleat Angler Portland).
Portland
Portland’s Compleat Angler highlights action both from offshore and from the Lee Breakwater where Jemal caught a good size snapper while fishing with his mate Alem. There were other snapper caught from the breakwater as well.
Offshore, “Get Varced” Charters picked up two large bluefin tuna, one of 104 kg, the other was taken by client Dylan at 127.5 kg.
“Get Varced” Charters client Dylan with the 127.5 kg tuna he caught offshore from Portland (Picture: Compleat Angler Portland).
No Kidding! That’s the name on the boat. Varced being past participle of Varc – whatever that is – I guess.
Dominic Asks:
Geoff, whenever I’ve gone fishing for snapper lately, I get bitten off by what I suppose are sharks. Is it unusual to have so many sharks in the bay at this time of year?
Dominic, school sharks and seven-gillers are about year-round, but most of the larger sharks, like bronze whalers, usually arrive to bear their young in the bay from November onwards.
However, this year saw more, and earlier, shark encounters than usual, with at least one bronze whaler being hooked and identified as such. So, this year, they may have been earlier than usual.