Geoff’s Fishing Report

Damir Lukesic with the 9.5 kg snapper he caught from Corio Bay on Saturday morning.

Offshore

Taking advantage of calm weather on Saturday evening, Chris Stamalos was off to a good start with a 3.6 kg snapper right off the bat.

Using salmon fillets for bait, he didn’t have long to wait for a second strike that peeled metres of line from his reel; the protagonist being a 16 kg school shark.

By then it was dark, but the action continued with two massive runs that ended in disappointment; his 80 lb monofilament trace having been bitten through: A reminder perhaps to use wire traces after dark.

Eventually retrieving his anchor at 9.00 pm, Chris was startled by a mako shark in the 80-100 kg range that leapt clear of the surface within metres of his boat, and not just once either; an amazing occurrence to be sure, and all the more scary after dark.

Fishing much the same area from 10.00 am on Saturday were Keith Fry, Steve Grey and Gary Mayr. They also opened their account with a couple of snapper to just over 3 kg, but a heavy berleying session brought in a host of seven-gilled sharks, three of which – each around the 30-40 kg mark – they kept. They also caught an 8 kg gummy shark and a 9.3 kg school shark.

Off course with good weather over the weekend there were a good many folk fishing offshore including Kevin McLoughlin and Paul Carwson who were out in 30 metres of water off Anglesea, hopeful of catching a gummy shark.

They caught two as it turned out, one of 20 kg that they kept, and another slightly smaller that they released.

Bob McPherson Photographed this southern right whale at Portland.

Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula

Historically, we’ve had a run of snapper in Corio Bay’s inner harbour during late autumn and winter, and those prepared to fish during the cold nights are sometimes well rewarded.

Damir Lukesic braved the pre-dawn chill on Saturday morning, and using fresh squid for bait, caught two: The first of 6 kg at 5.20 am, followed by another of 9.5 kg an hour later. Damir stayed until after daybreak but there was nothing else on offer.

Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that it’s hard to go past local knowledge as Clifton Springs residents Nicko, Burkey and Mims caught several flathead and squid just off the boat ramp.

Whiting have been on offer lately and among those to take reasonable catches were Ross Francis and Ken Smedley. They fished along the southern edge of the mussel farm using pipis for bait.

Headed in the opposite direction off Curlewis, Andrew Johnson and Steve Leumont, initially couldn’t raise couldn’t raise a scale. Never the less they persisted and eventually found the whiting in 4 metres of water off Leopold, and what beauties they were: Their largest half dozen or so being in the 40 cm range.

Freshwater

John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that good size brown trout are still on offer with Jason Castles of Sunbury picking one up while trolling a Tassie Devil.

John also mentions that rainbow trout and chinook salmon to a kilogram or so have also been caught from Purrumbete, as they have from Nearby Lake Bullen Merri.

Rainbow trout on both lakes have either fallen for mudeyes fished beneath a float or on lures, while suspending a pilchard fillet just above the bottom has been the best approach for chinook.

Redfin are still the main catch from Purrumbete though said John and there are some good ones among them with George Gillies of Winchelsea taking a good catch of fish to 1.2 kg.

Portland

Down Portland way, Bob McPherson reports that bluefin tuna are still in offer, but you need to go a good deal further out to find them than has previously been the case. In fact most of the action has come from around 400 metres of water to the south west.

Colin asks: