Over the rainbow: Michael Evans with a large rainbow trout that he caught at Wurdiboluc Reservoir last week (Picture: Michael Evans).
Wurdiboluc Reservoir is well known for producing magnificent fish, but catching them requires a good deal of persistence. However, Michael Evans usually gets the job done and sent in photos of yet another large brown trout and a similar size rainbow, both of which he caught from here on a metal spoon last week.
Also fishing Wurdiboluc on two occasions last week were Simon and Jayden Werner who caught a number of redfin and several brown trout to a kilogram or so, both on metal spoons and Rapala bibbed minnows.
John Clements of Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that fishing has slowed up somewhat at both of the Camperdown crater lakes. However, Lake Bullen Merri is still producing chinook salmon and rainbow trout to a kilogram or so for anglers fishing from boats – mainly by suspending glassies or pilchard fillets just above the bottom – and for those fishing from the bank with Berkley Powerbait.
At Lake Purrumbete, there’ve been no more large brown trout taken, but redfin remain a consistent catch with Stan Rae of Norlane among those to take good catches of them from here to 1.2 kg using minnow and scrubworms for bait.
John also mentions that the Bannockburn Angling Club, whose favourite destination of late has been Lake Purrumbete, had a competition on the Hopkins River at Warrnambool over the weekend where Todd Broughton caught the heaviest bream at 900 grams, while junior competitor Sam Giles took another of 660 grams. Estuary perch were also caught on that occasion.
With school holidays during the first two weeks of July, several waters have been stocked with rainbow trout including St Augustine’s water hole off South Valley Road via Augustine Drive, Highton, the old railway engine water supply at Lethbridge, and the Bannockburn Lagoon. Cowies Creek in Seagull Paddock is no longer stocked as it is deemed by the Geelong City Council to be a polluted water.
Spoon fed: Michael Evans with a 62 cm brown trout that he caught on a spoon at Wurdiboluc Reservoir last week (Picture: Michael Evans).
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
Anglers seeking the big snapper that we usually see in Corio Bay at this time of year have been largely disappointed, even though shoals of fish have been located from time to time. However, Australian salmon to a kilogram or so continue to be a reliable catch in both the inner and outer harbours with quite a few fish to a kilogram or so being caught by trolling or casting various lures.
Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that flathead have been the main species on offer and Barry Ure of Ocean Grove was among those to do well, taking a bag limit catch off Point Wilson. Squid have also been taken, but not in the numbers seen during the autumn, but last week, some respectable catches were made out toward the mussel farm.
Whiting however, have been scarce said Mike, as Andrew Johnson and his companions Kirt Brehan and Brodie Bell could attest having spent the best part of Saturday off St Leonards for mostly small fish. However, they did redeem the day to some extent by catching eight whiting from 40 to 43 cm toward nightfall.
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire reports that garfish, barracouta, squid and Australian salmon have all been caught from the Portarlington breakwater lately; a bonus for land-based anglers, but squid have been the main species caught by those fishing from boats.
Among those to do well on the squid were John Fotias, his mother Nikki and father Peter, after locating a good patch quite close to the Point Richards boat ramp from which they caught 15, the biggest going on the scales for a verdict of 2.5 kg.