Offshore
Heading out from Barwon Heads, Murray and Linda Stewart’s first stop was in 44 metres of water offshore from the old Sewer outfall at Black Rock.
Beginning a berley trail, they soon had any number of slimy mackerel to around 700 grams on offer, along with snapper to 800 grams or so from lines fished on the bottom.
A slimy mackerel they put out on Linda’s game fishing outfit didn’t last long either, the mako shark of possibly 60 kg that took it, leaped high out of the water and fought bravely before becoming fresh flake.
Linda Stewart’s mako shark comes alongside.
Linda Stewart with the mako shark she caught offshore from Black Rock (Picture: Murray Stewart).
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
Heading west to Curlewis, after launching at Clifton Springs at around 7.30 am on Wednesday, Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien were on the hunt for whiting, and after their initial success dried up, they went on the move.
Eventually, after making several moves and catching a few more fish, they found a productive area between Leopold’s Sands Caravan Park and Curlewis where they managed to top off their respective bag limits of whiting to 42 cm before the southerly breeze picked up.
On Thursday afternoon, Andrew Phillps and Mark Sesar launched at St Leonards to fish the incoming tide off the entrance to Swan Bay. And, despite the number of unwanted species like Tommy Ruff and slimy mackerel taking their baits, and some large squid stealing the occasional whiting, they finished up with their respective bag limit catches of whiting to 43 cm and six good size squid by 6.30 pm.
Trying for a repeat performance on Easter Saturday afternoon, they launched at Queenscliff on this occasion because the boat ramp at St Leonards was just too busy. And, heading out to the same area as before, again picked up bag limit catches of whiting using squid, mussel, and pipi for bait.
Fishing off Indented Head last week, Simon Werner had no problem picking up several squid on the drift before anchoring up on the whiting in 5.5 metres, catching a dozen respectable specimens.
Lockie Wombell with a 6.5 kg gemfish taken out wide from Portland (Picture: Bob McPherson).
Lockie Wombell with a good size whiting off Portland (Picture Bob McPherson)
Simon’s friend Michael Dean took advantage of the calm weather over the weekend to head out into 22 metres off St Leonards where he hooked an extremely large gummy shark, certainly well over 20 kg, that tangled all of his lines together before escaping.
And the catch and release of a number of gummy shark pups after that suggested that bigger gummy was their mum.
And speaking of gummies, among those to take advantage of the calm weather were Chris Stamalos and Calvin Mclean who anchored up in around 20 metres of water just outside Port Phillip Heads, where – using silver trevally fillets for bait – their first fish was an 18 kg gummy shark that was followed by another of 13 kg.
With a good supply of flake aboard, they came back in through The Heads and anchored up on the Swan Island grass beds where, eventually – after making several moves – they found a good whiting bite taking a dozen fish to 42 cm before heading back to the ramp.
Chris Stamalos with the 18 kg gummy shark he caught offshore from Port Phillip Heads (Picture: Calvin McLean).
Michelle Wallis of Colac with a 3 kg brown trout she caught from Lake Purrumbete using a pilchard for bait (Picture: John Clements).
Freshwater
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that several large brown trout were caught over the Easter Weekend including a 3 kg brown trout on a pilchard by Michelle Wallis of Colac and a 2.5 kg brown taken by Chris Farrugia of Oaklands Junction on an articulated minnow.
Kevin Wild and wife Amber, both members of the Maryborough Angling Club, returned to Lake Mulwala last week where they continued to catch Murray cod to 60 cm or so, mainly on spinner baits.
However, some club members – including John and Jason Gray – have been doing well closer to home, catching redfin to 45 cm using Baltic Bobbers and live yabbies from Tullaroop Reservoir.
A number of large European carp have also turned up with Narelle Harrison picking up a beauty measuring 83 cm.
Portland
With good weather over the Easter Weekend, a good many anglers headed out to the deep water marks off Portland. Among them were Bob McPherson and Lockie Wombell who were well supplied with bait from their by-catch of silver trevally and slimy mackerel while whiting fishing along Portland’s north shore.
As usual, they had no trouble catching blue-eye trevalla and gemfish – the biggest of the latter weighing 6.5 kg – along with a by-catch of ghost cod and nannygai.
John Gray with yet another large redfin from Tullaroop Reservoir.
Large redfin from Tullaroop Reservoir.
Narelle Harrison with her 83 cm carp from Tullaroop Reservoir.
Western Port
George Vlahogiannis fished Western Port Bay Monday morning with his workmate Dave and were well rewarded with a nice catch of snapper, gummy shark, King George Whiting, gummy shark, slimy mackerel and nice silver trevally.
Please send your reports to geoffw10@optusnet.com.au, on messenger, or by phone, 03 5248 1307.