Grazio Dalli with the bronze whaler he caught from the Point Lonsdale Pier in the early hours of Saturday morning.
From the pier
Fishing from the Point Lonsdale Pier on Friday night, Grazio Dalli was hoping to catch a shark, and after sending his line out using a paravane, had a strike at midnight that completely smashed the bonito he had on for bait.
Staying on into the early morning hours, he baited up once again, and at around 1.00 am, he had a screaming run. That was just after some other guys arrived on the pier whom Grazio got to know as Tarek, Bekir and Furkan.
All proved to be willing helpers but were defeated when a large swell came through, and somehow aided the shark, a bronze whaler of about 2 metres in length to escape beside the pier; but Grazio was not to be defeated.
His third bait was taken at around 3.00 am on the outgoing tide, and this time there was no mistake, Grazio – aided by his newfound companions – landed the shark, a bronze whaler of just over two metres in length.
Tarek, Bekir and Furkan, all of whom assisted Grazio in landing his shark.
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
Making an early start off Avalon’s Mountain View Quarries on Sunday, Mark Sesar and Andrew Phillips were hoping for a snapper or two. However, it took until 6.00 am for the first rod to buckle over, its reel growling to the tune of a 5.2 kg snapper.
Two others of 4.2 and 3.5 kg quickly followed, but – as is sometimes the case – that was the last hurrah: They continued to fish for another couple of hours into the morning but without getting another bite.
Gordon and Carol Williams fished for whiting at the weekend, but escaping a recent influx of small, but mostly just legal-size whiting, kept them on the move – seemingly in vain – looking for bigger fish.
However, before heading back to the ramp, they picked up a couple of larger whiting in around 4 metres of water off The Dell, eventually finishing up with a dozen good specimens, the biggest just on 40 cm.
One of Frank Benvenuto’s estuary perch from the Werribee River.
Fly fishing the creek at Airlie Beach in Queensland with partner Gaye last week, Frank Bluch caught this 9.15 kg barramundi, using a regulation 2 kg tippet, for which he is claiming a tippet-class record.
Freshwater
Frank Benvenuto visited the Werribee River once more on Friday evening, and – fishing soft plastic lures with a slow retrieve – added several estuary perch to his usual catch of bass, all of which he returned.
Frank also reports that his friend David Cox continues to find yellowbelly and bass in the Werribee River, along with the occasional estuary perch, using the same slow retrieve that proved so effective for him.
Kevin Wild of the Maryborough Angling Club was cleaning well over a hundred yabbies when I called, part of a catch from Tullaroop Reservoir.
This water has become a veritable “bay of plenty” in recent times with redfin the most sought-after fish, but there are also large brown and rainbow trout, and of course, plenty of yabbies, mostly in 7-8 metres of water.
Kevin also mentions that club members have also experienced some excellent fishing from the Loddon River below Laanecoorie Weir lately, particularly for Murray cod that seem to be taking an unnatural interest in surface lures, something which has made for spectacular fishing.
Geelong anglers Steve O’Keefe, Daniel Stranger, Mick Turner and Ian Cockerill, have just returned from central Tasmania where they fished a number of waters, some productive, others less so.
Of the various waters they fished, including Bronte’s Lagoon – where there was no shortage of fish following their lures – Brady’s Lake, along the Lyall Highway proved to be the jewel in the crown, so to speak, producing rainbow trout to 53 cm on Berkey Powerbait.
Sammy Sherriff, with an 8.8 kg snapper that he caught just outside the Bridport harbour entrance in Northern Tasmania last week.
Rupert asks:
Geoff, a beginner at surf fishing, I have fished in places you’ve mentioned in your reports with some success. However, my greatest concern is the number times I have wound in to check my bait, and – even after having no bites – it is usually gone.
Not sure what is going on: Is there a solution?
Rupert, I suggest you buy some bait elastic to secure your bait to the hook and trace. Coarser versions like Bait Mate are best for securing larger baits. You just wind it around the bait, hook and leader then break it off.
Or, when using small, soft baits like craytail or pipis, a finer version of the same thing, like Ghost Cocoon, should do the job for you.