Amber Stone with one of the Murray cod she caught from Lake Mulwala at the weekend (Picture: Kevin Wild).
Corio Bay
Anchored up in around 7 metres off water off the refinery by 6.00 pm on Sunday night, Tom Vanderloo was probably one of the very few out on Corio Bay.
At around 7.30 pm, and using calamari rings for bait, he caught a 5 kg snapper. However, by this time the north west wind, which was already blowing at around 20 knots, picked up to the point that Tom was soon back at the ramp.
Freshwater
Kevin Wild of Maryborough, and his partner Amber Stone, made yet another trip to Lake Mulwala last week – as they did the week previous – again, fishing in the vicinity of Yarrawonga.
Trolling Oar Gee lures on this occasion they caught thirteen cod – of which Amber caught eleven – the biggest of which measured just on 62 cm, and – as with the other fish they caught – was released.
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that among the very few anglers braving the wintry weather were Craig and Matt Mitchell of the Ballarat Fly Fishing Club who fished the shallows from their boat.
Not in vain as it turned out for they caught two brown trout to 1.5 kg, two rainbows to a kilogram and two chinook salmon of about 700 grams apiece, all on the fly,
Will McLauchlan of Warrnambool with the 6.25 kg snapper he caught from the Lee Breakwater at Portland last week (Picture: Compleat Angler Portland).
Surf
Surf fishing enthusiast Tony Ingram was among those fishing Jan Juc on Friday evening’s high tide. Australian salmon to a kilogram or so were on offer, both for anglers fishing with bait, and for those casting lures.
As usual, Tony stayed on until just after dark hoping for a good size gummy shark, or perhaps even a mulloway, but it was lean pickings with a draughtboard shark and a skate his only reward.
Portland
Although explanations are varied, heavy onshore weather, even at this time of year, increases the chance of dedicated land-based anglers of catching a big snapper.
Well aware of this was Will McLauchlan of Warrnambool, who on Thursday, braved wintry conditions on the Lee Breakwater at Portland where his catch of small barracouta and flathead also included a 6.25 kg snapper that was weighed at Portland’s Compleat Angler.
Prospects
Once again, with inclement weather keeping all but the most dedicate anglers from the water, we’ll look at prospects for the following week and weekend, during which, hopefully, the weather may be more conducive to fishing.
Neither of the two breakwaters at Portarlington can be overlooked, particularly with the same conditions prevailing here as they did last week at Portland, and – with the added benefit of this week being the lead up to the new moon – which occurs on Saturday, this lunar sequence has historically been a good omen when fishing for any large fish.
As well as the chance of catching a snapper, other species like Australian salmon, whiting and sliver trevally continue to remain possible catches here as they have throughout the year.
The days leading up to the new moon, and the new moon itself, also offer prospects to anglers seeking mulloway on the Barwon estuary, preferably while fishing either side of the low tide change.
On Saturday this should occur around 7.00 pm at the Barwon Heads bridge and an hour or so later in The Sheepwash. Naturally, the morning low tide – which occurs half an hour earlier than in the evening – is also worth consideration, particularly with a good supply of fresh bait on hand.
Michael asks:
Geoff, within a month or so, my partner and I are moving to the Western District. Being a keen, fly-fisherman, I will naturally be fishing various waters with a special interest in the Aire River estuary: I’ve heard a whisper that mulloway may be present here. Do you have any information on that?
While people rarely fish for mulloway in the Aire, legal size specimens are not an infrequent by-catch by anglers fishing for bream, especially within the channel branching east to the lake system where local knowledge suggests that September and October are the most productive months to fish here.
Should you be especially interested in mulloway, the Glenelg River at Nelson offers a better opportunity to catch them, along with several other species considered equally vulnerable to the fly.