Aaron Habgood of Red’s Fishing Adventures with one of several snapper he caught off Clifton Springs last week (Picture: Aaron Habgood).
Bellarine Peninsula/ Corio Bay
Although our regular night shift snapper fishermen, Andrew Phillips and George Uranus, didn’t turn a scale on their first trip off Point Wilson early last week, they made up for it on Thursday night with four snapper from five to 6.5 kg.
Beginning their shift on the low tide change just after dark, it looked like another unproductive trip until around 11 pm when they picked up a fish of 5 kg. They followed that with another three toward the high tide change in the early hours of Friday morning using squid and silver whiting for bait.
Naturally a good many snapper have also been taken throughout the day as Aaron Habgood of Red’s Fishing Adventures reports as he and his companions continue to take bag limit catches of large snapper off Clifton Springs with squid being the best bait.
Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that good size pinkies are about as well; Tony Vicary and his companion taking ten off Curlewis out toward the channel junction. However, Mike also says you don’t have to go far out to catch respectable flathead either as Sam Dowling demonstrated by catching several to 38 cm just offshore from the boat ramp.
On Saturday, Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien found a good patch of whiting in 7 metres of water off the Pelican Shores Caravan Park, and although they were mostly small fish, there were some big ones among them, and – using cocktails of squid and pipi for bait – they finished up with 20 fish over 35 cm; the biggest measured 43 cm.
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that squid were definitely the main catch last week, with some good size specimens being taken close to shore anytime there was a break in the weather.
Rod also mentions that snapper, mainly good size pinkies – along with some bigger fish – fired offshore from Portarlington between Oxley Street and Calhoun Road (the old Derby Day mark). Historically speaking, these should be about for the rest of the month.
Snapper in custody (Picture: Victoria State Police).
Thin blue line
On Friday night, the Victoria Police Angling Club had a snapper competition on Port Phillip Bay, during which, 13 members and one guest caught 44 snapper with nobody missing out.
The event was won by Tony Buhagiar (not the renowned footballer) with four fish weighing 12.27 kg taken off St Kilda. Tim Hose came second with five fish weighing 10.31 kg, and Chris Prescott came third with three fish weighing 9.81 kg; both of the latter catches being taken off Williamstown out toward the T22 marker Buoy.
Paul Rahman with a king-size redfin taken from Stony Creek Reservoir along the Geelong/Ballan Road.
Aaron Habgood of Red’s Fishing Adventures with his 2 kg rainbow trout (Picture: Aaron Habgood).
Freshwater
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that trophy size brown trout are still on offer with Ken Sewell of Ballarat picking up one of 4.6 kg while trolling a pink Tassie Devil over the weekend.
Numerous brown and rainbow trout, including one of 2 kg that was taken by Aaron Habgood of Red’s Fishing Adventures, have been on the bite as well, said John with the preferred approach for these being either trolling lures or fishing mudeyes beneath a float.
Redfin too have been offer with John, and George Gillies of Colac, taking fish to 1.5 kg. John also reports that nearby Lake Bullen Merri is still producing chinook salmon, with Daniel Sparks taking one of 3 kg on a cut pilchard suspended just above the bottom.
Matt Paech with one of the squid he caught during the Weekend Fishing Competition.
Portland
Bob McPherson reports that although he knows of a couple of big tuna, 104 and 86 kg, being taken last week, there are now more anglers than fish with around 70 boats seeking them over the weekend: But that’s the nature of fishing.
As for Bob, he mentions that there are still some really good size whiting about and that he and Lachie Wombell found them on the bite in the shelter of Cape Nelson last week.
Family Fishing Comp
Last weekend’s family fishing competition – run by Bellarine Pirates, St Leonards Angling and St Leonards Yacht Club & Motor Squadron – attracted thirty six competitors. However, high winds and rough seas kept most ashore.
Adult male champ was Joe Scaffidi with the heaviest snapper at 1.355kg. Runner up was Matt Paech with heaviest flathead at 327 gm and the heaviest squid at 1185gm. Junior champ was Jesse Paech with a catch of flathead, whiting and squid, and junior runner up was Brandon Scaffidi, also with flathead, whiting and squid. The heaviest leatherjacket weighed 462gm and was caught by John Bustard. Nipper champ was Connor Paech with the heaviest whiting at 427 gm, along with a catch of flathead and squid.
A weedy sea dragon fits right in when putting rubbish in a bin (Picture: Walter Penrite).
Walter asks:
Geoff, see the accompanying photo of a rubbish bin. It was taken at the Ocean Grove boat ramp, and onto which was stuck a poster featuring a large and colourful picture of a weedy sea dragon accompanied with the text: “Weedy Seadragon Hero of the Bay;” Victoria’s State Government being acknowledged as the source.
While I support disposing of rubbish properly, how do you suppose a weedy sea dragon could be the hero of a bay, and what relevance would that have to a rubbish bin?
Walter: What a great example of Envirospeak! How a weedy sea dragon could be either hero or heroine – compliant with any accredited definition of same – is a puzzle. I see that the only relevant message is written in tiny print at the bottom of the poster, and over a background that makes for difficult reading. It says: “Put your rubbish in a bin.”