David Lees with the bream he caught from the Barwon estuary upstream from Lake Connewarre (Picture Sean Dennis).
Kevin McLoughlin with another small mako shark taken off Black Rock and then released (Picture Kevin McLoughlin).
Barwon River
After going to the trouble of collecting some crabs for bait, David Lees and Sean Dennis took their small boat upstream from Lake Connewarre toward the second break on the Barwon estuary. Here, David’s catch included a bream of 1.14 kg; a good fish certainly, but perhaps not as big as one that Sean hooked, but which unfortunately, escaped.
Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula
With fresh squid for bait, snapper aficionados Andrew Phillips and George Uranus were anchored in 8 metres of water just west of the Wilson Spit by 4.00 pm last Tuesday, and their first fish, a snapper of 4.9 kg, was in the landing net within half an hour.
With a second snapper of 4.2 kg coming aboard at 6.30, and the north westerly wind following the outgoing tide, they looked set for a comfortable evening’s fishing. But then, the wind swung to the east, strengthening as it did so, so they came back in.
Fishing for snapper at the weekend, this time on the east side of the Wilson Spit, were Simon Werner, son Jayden, Jemma Thorpe and neighbour Alan. They also caught several snapper, the biggest being taken by Jemma at 4.5 kg.
Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien found the whiting slower than usual off The Springs over the weekend, catching only a dozen good size fish between them; but that would have kept most of the punters happy.
Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire also reports that the exceptional fishing we’ve experienced until now, dropped off over the weekend but holiday makers and locals are still catching enough flathead, whiting and squid to ensure their return.
Mike also mentions that the additional vehicle and trailer parking space at the ramp is now completed.
Rod Ludlow at Beach Lea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that no place was safe on New Year’s Eve; with many illegal fireworks landing too close for comfort at Indented Head. Apart from that though, said Rod, the whiting still about.
Among those to catch them were Ken Shae and George Hill who were dead ringers for bag limit catches on Friday morning in 4 metres of water off Indented Head, but the worsening weather had them heading back to the ramp with just fifteen good ones.
Marcus Pearson with one of the sharks, a small mako taken in 50 metres of water off the Black Rock outfall (Picture Kevin McLoughlin).
Brian Nolan and Marcus Pearson with another of the sharks – a bronze whaler this time – that they caught in 50 metres of water off the Black Rock outfall (Picture Kevin McLoughlin).
Offshore
Fishing offshore from the Black Rock outfall in 50 metres of water over the weekend were Kevin McLoughlin, Marcus Pearson and Brian Nolan. With baits of squid suspended under balloons they caught two small mako sharks, one of which they released.
Then Marcus hooked an obviously bigger fish from the bottom on a line rigged for a gummy shark. It eventually turned out to be a good size bronze whaler that kicked up a treat before they managed to subdue it.
Freshwater
John Clements reports that Lake Bullen Merri is still producing chinook salmon for anglers, while either bait fishing or trolling lures. John also mentions that regular angler Andrew Kompa, caught several while deep trolling pilchard fillets behind a downrigger.
At Lake Purrumbete, redfin have been on the bite said John, with Norm Armstrong catching 30 to a kilogram or so on minnow fished at the bottom. A large number of smaller redfin have been also been caught from the jetty, with the Bannockburn crew of Ryan Perkins and Sammy Giles, both 10, and Harry Stanford 6, racking up a decent tally.
Lockie Wombell with four nice whiting taken close in to Cape Sir William Grant (Picture: Bob McPherson).
George Geriege, also with a good sample (Picture: Bob McPherson).
Portland
Down Portland way, Bob McPherson reports that really good size whiting are on the bite and that he, Lockie Wombell and George Gereige, have had no trouble bagging out off Blacknose Point and below the cliffs of Cape Grant using local pips for bait. Others have done well along the north shore as far down as Snapper Point.
Bob also reminds readers that yellowtail kingfish are due to turn up in the immediate future with several small specimens being taken already, along with one of 13 kg taken by Corey Joosen on a soft plastic down toward the abalone farm.
Lockie Wombell with a sweep; a regular by-catch while fishing for whiting under the cliffs of Cape Grant.
George Geriege and Lockie Wombell with a “double” off Portland over the weekend.
Late mail
Bob had mentioned that tuna had been sighted among shoals off kingfish off Portland’s north shore, and on Monday, send me pictures of four tuna to 20 kg or so that were caught that day by Manuel and Adam Vella. The pair also released another two tuna. These were taken on lures in 17 metres of water along Portland’s north shore.
Four tuna to 20 kg or so that were caught on Monday by Manuel and Adam Vella amongst a shoal of newly arrived kingfish along Portland’s north shore (Pictures: Bob McPherson).
Ahmed asks?
Geoff, where could we expect to find some good freshwater fishing at this time of year?
Ahmed, Lake Tooliorook near Lismore and Deep Lake near Derrinallum, both located along the Hamilton Highway, have been stocked with trout, and there are redfin in Tooliorook as well.
Heading out to Camperdown, Lake Purrumbete is worth a try, both for trout, chinook salmon and redfin, and – further up the road – you will find the turn-off to Lake Bullen Merri where trout and chinook salmon are both present in good numbers.