Jackson Brady, Kalon Stavris and Caillan Keddy with the tuna they caught offshore from Portland last week.
Offshore
Early last week, Jackson Brady, Kalon Stavris and Caillan Keddy were booked in well ahead of time for a three-day fishing trip off Portland in Jackson’s 5 metre Quintrex Fishmaster, for some bottom bouncing at least, and weather permitting, an offshore run, hopeful of catching a large tuna.
Their first day presented them with a four-metre swell and 15 knot winds that kept them in 30-60 metres of water down toward Cape Nelson where they caught pan size pinkie snapper and assorted reef fish, but despite bird activity and the presence of bait fish, tuna seemed to be absent.
The following morning dawned on a glassy sea, so – with an extra jerry can of fuel – they headed out toward the Continental shelf, a journey only interrupted as Jackson spotted distant bird activity, something that had them rigged and ready with a couple of trolling skirts as they changed course.
With the sounder ticking over at 130 metres as they approached the melee of diving birds and dolphins, the lures were deployed. And, within a few minutes the 37 kg gear screamed off, heralding an hour-long battle that terminated with the tricky manoeuvre of sliding their catch over their low-sided gunwale without flooding the boat.
No doubt they could have caught another tuna given the continued surface activity, but well satisfied with their catch, and the big tuna dispatched, they phoned Portland Bait and Tackle and had the tuna, which they’d already gilled, gutted, and bled, weighed at 107 kg; a probable indication that the fish’s whole weight would have been around 125 kg.
It was then taken to the filleting tables at the ramp, processed and packaged that night and ultimately divided among family and friends.
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
Early last week, Andrew Johnson and Denis O’Brien were out off Curlewis and – anchored up in six metres of water – the spot where they also caught two snapper the week previous, they were soon onto the whiting.
They caught no snapper on this trip, but they did take bag limit catches of whiting from 33 to 41 cm, all caught on mussels and strips of squid.
Mark Richards and Darren Pidgeon fished their usually productive whiting spot offshore from the Leopold Caravan Park, but a late start had them running out of time. Nevertheless, they finished up with 22 fish to 40 cm before the bite shut down on dark.
From the Beach
Ray Millman has done very well on salmon casting lures from the beach at Moggs Creek, as I’ve reported, and wondering what else may be on offer through dusk and into the night, he tried his luck.
Catching salmon for bait using his faithful Savage Sea Missile, was a feat he easily accomplished by nightfall, but baiting up with fillets from same only attracted skates and a couple of toothy critters that bit him off.
Ray also lost a few bottoms on the snaggy ground out there, so there may not be a repeat performance for a while.
Sam Muscat with the 6 kg brown trout he caught from Lake Eildon early last week.
Freshwater
Kevin Wild of the Maryborough Angling Club reports that local waters have been quiet, with several members making the trip to Lake Lonsdale near Stawell.
Among them were John Gray and his son Jason who caught redfin to 40 cm on various lures, including soft plastics, beetlespins and Profishent rubber vibes.
Fishing Lake Eildon last week was Sam Muscat, who sighted a very large brown trout in feeding mode and presented it with a soft plastic.
With no hesitation the large brown, that was later measured at 78 cm and weighed at just over 6 kg, slammed the lure, and the rest is history.
On Sunday night, Andrew Ketelaar paid another visit to Devilbend Reservoir where – under the cover of darkness – he caught another, chunky estuary perch that fell to his old faithful Rebel Pop “R” retrieved in the “walk the dog” type method with plenty of pauses in-between.
Andrew Ketelaar with the estuary perch he caught from Devilbend Reservoir on Sunday night.
Roger asks:
Geoff, is there any way I can protect my bait from sea lice when fishing at night.
Roger, with two metres of trace, and your bait buoyed up off the bottom with a slightly inflated Big Splash Water Bomb balloon, you will avoid most of the lice.
Make sure you have a small sinker firmly attached to your trace at around the two-metre mark, a No 1 ball say, to prevent your bait from floating to the surface.
Please send your reports to geoffw10@optusnet.com.au, on messenger, or by phone, 03 5248 1307.