Geoff Wilson’s Fishing Knots And Rigs

Mark Sesar with a sample of the silver trevally he and wife Tina caught from the Barwon estuary on Saturday afternoon (Picture; Tina Sesar).

Barwon estuary

Mark and Tina Sesar fished the Barwon Estuary from the beginning of Saturday afternoon’s flood tide despite rough and windy conditions.

Initially there wasn’t much doing apart from a couple of pretty average size whiting that took the chicken they were using for bait, but as the tide came on apace dispersing their berley, they hooked a silver trevally of about a kilogram, the first of nine as it turned out, each providing great sport on light tackle.

The action lasted about 45 minutes until the fish moved upstream with the tide, leaving the pair to contend with undersize pinkie snapper and other small fish taking their baits before calling it quits.

Also fishing the Barwon estuary on Saturday evening’s high tide, from one of the jetties in The Sheepwash, was Tony Ingram who’d found the surf at Jan Juc a little too heavy for his liking.

He was hoping to catch a mulloway, and caught two, both being under the legal size of 60 cm, and – in conversation with a local angler – learned that these smaller fish have become increasingly numerous within the estuary over the past few weeks.

Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula

With a northerly breeze early last week, Harley Griffiths and Stanley Owen headed out off Avalon, anchoring up in one of their favourite spots in front of the aquaculture sites, where initially – apart from a banjo shark or two – there wasn’t much doing.

A wind change shortly before dark had them pulling in their lines as the boat swung around, but the last line did not come easily, in fact quite a few metres were pulled off the reel against the drag by a snapper of about 5 kg that took a strip of squid. This encouraged them to fish on into the night, but it was the only snapper they caught.

Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that squid have been the main chance right along the southern side of the bay, the unsettled weather being the stumbling block, but says that those to make the effort were rewarded with some good specimens.

Whiting were scarce this week by all accounts with even the best hookers in the business getting meagre returns; and they too finished up fishing for squid, both to replenish their bait supplies and to grace the table.

In fact the only positive information I’ve had on the whiting alluded to a good catch being made off The Cottage by the Sea at Queenscliff early last week, but with no names or pack-drill, it’s less than a total affirmation.

Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head, reports that the going had been tough during the week with less than ideal weather conditions, but with boats out on Sunday, he found himself assisting with flathead cleaning duties. These, for the main part, were caught on the drift along edge of the Prince George Bank.

Fishing the beginning of the evening ebb tide in Symonds Channel near Mud Island early last week, Col Simmons and his companion were hoping for a gummy shark, instead they caught just about everything else from rays to gurnard, and a seven-gilled shark.

However, anglers in a boat fishing nearby were seen to hook, and eventually catch what appeared to be gummy shark that would have been well into double figures. The pair stayed on until the outgoing tide began to run too hard to fish comfortably and left.

Jack asks:

Geoff, how long do you boil crayfish ? I bought a small one from the supermarket and completely ruined it.

Jack there are several sites on the web with that information. This one is from the SCUBA doctor https://www.scubadoctor.com.au/article-cooking-crayfish.htm

1. Add a couple of tablespoons of sugar to a pot of salt, or salted water, which is especially important with big crays.

· For every 100 grams over 2 kilograms, add another 45 seconds.

Josh White of Geelong with a 1.2 kg redfin that he caught from Lake Purrumbete over Easter (Picture: John Clements).

Corio Bay

It was a waiting game for whiting aficionados Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien on Sunday, with a strong nor’easter ruling out the waters off Clifton Springs. But with a change in the weather forecast, they were hopeful.

And not in vain either, for when the wind dropped they were on the water by early afternoon, making the first of several moves by1.30 pm, picking up a handful of fish on each occasion before swarms of undersize pinkies moved in on their baits.

Eventually though, they hit pay-dirt in 4.5 metres of water off Leopold, topping off their respective bag limit catches with not another boat in sight.

Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that while whiting and squid have been taken in good numbers, flathead remain the best chance for most. Among those to be successful on the flatties was Darren Hillier who found a good patch in 4.5 metres of water off Portarlington, bagging 20 that ranged in size from 33 to 51 cm.

Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that flathead whiting and squid were all dependable catches over the Easter break, both by his clients and local anglers that included Jeff Richards who also did well on both squid and whiting.

Fishing with Ken Shae on the Prince George Bank near the pile known as Dead Man’s Stick, the pair caught 26 whiting between them using pipis and squid for bait, fifteen of which they caught on the drift before anchoring up on the whiting.

Luke Barby of the Ballarat Fly Fishing Club with one of the five brown trout, averaging 2.7 kg, that he caught from Lake Purrumbete over Easter (Picture: John Clements).

Offshore

Taking a run offshore from Torquay over Easter, Murray and Darcy Scott headed out to their never-fail gummy shark spot in just shy of 50 metres of water.

Well, there’s a first time for everything, for they caught no gummies. Never the less, their mixed bag of fish included a snapper of 4 kg, so it wasn’t a wasted trip.

Freshwater

Kevin Wild of the Maryborough Angling Club reports that members Craig and Rhys Tingay made the journey to Lake Tchum which is just off the Birchip/Wycheproof Road shortly after leaving the Sunraysia Highway at Birchip.

Their journey proved worthwhile with the capture of a dozen golden perch (yellowbelly) to 48 cm, on yabbies and worms. And, although they took a boat, most of their fish were caught from the bank.

Fishing from the bank of the Loddon just downstream from the spillway, club member Paul Droney caught yet another respectable Murray cod measuring 84 cm. And although he doesn’t provide more detail as to the variety, he used cheese for bait.

Kevin, and his long time fishing companion Amber – now his wife – who had just returned from their honeymoon, found it hard to resist a trip to Lake Mulwala near Yarrawonga on their return. Here, they caught, and released 13 Murray cod with “Old Mate” lures a stand-out.

A file photo of Jamie Behrens with a 2 kg estuary perch that he caught some time ago from the Barwon estuary.

Hamza asks:

Geoff, I’ve heard that estuary perch may be caught from the Barwon estuary; can you give me likely locations, and the approach?

Hamza, both tributaries off the north-west side of the Sheepwash – one just west of the golf course and adjacent to the Ocean Grove boat ramp, the other a little further upstream and almost opposite the Sheepwash boat ramp – have both produced estuary perch.

As for the approach, estuary perch may be caught on a variety of lures fished close in to the reeds, particularly on warm evenings, or on a range of live baits from bass yabbies to black crickets, which may be attached to the hook with a wrap or two of bait elastic.

Portland angler Hugh Johnstone and Luke Driscoll with their bluefin tuna. After being gilled and gutted, it weighed 80 kg. (Picture: Bob McPherson)

Ben Bremmer with the tuna he caught off Portland on Wednesday (Picture: Andrew McKenna).

Corio Bay

Fishing from the rocks at St Helens on Friday evening were John Welsh and his 7 year old grandson Declan Fitzsimmons.

Using pilchards for bait, they were hopeful of catching a legal-size pinkie snapper or two, but all they caught initially were those pesky banjo sharks, but – eventually – Declan hooked a decent pinkie.

But its capture involved a tug o’ war with a fish-thieving seal.

Eventually though, the fish was wrestled from its jaws (minus a few scales) enabling young Declan to claim his prize. .

Fishing to the east of Point Henry on Saturday afternoon were Andrew Phillips, Mark and Tina Sesar. Hoping for whiting, they were using pipis for bait and their shells for berley, but the bite was slow to begin with.

With the sun setting though, it was a different story, their catch rate picking up along with the size of the fish – including one that measured 45cm – until the bite shut down on dark, by which time their final tally was 47.

Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien struck a good patch of whiting out in 6 metres of water off Curlewis, but – as has often been the case of late – hoards of undersize pinkie snapper moved in. However, moving into shallower water saved the day, the pair each finishing up with their respective bag limit catches.

Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that visiting anglers have also been catching whiting. Among them, Joe Racioppo and Mitchell Rodda from Shepparton who caught 12 whiting using fresh squid for bait – of which they caught nineteen – just 300 metres out from the boat ramp.

John Welsh and his 7 year old grandson Declan Fitzsimmons with their pinkie snapper (Picture: Brad Andrews).

Mark Sesar with a sample of his and Andrew Phillip’s whiting catch (Picture: Tina Sesar).

Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head also reports that both whiting and squid are present in good numbers around the peninsula and among those to catch them was local angler Jeff Richards who fished with Ken Shae and Brian Cummins on one occasion, and Chris Hateley on another.

As well as taking some impressive catches of squid, they took good catches of whiting to 40 cm and better in one of Jeff’s favourite marks near Dead Man’s Stick, along with several “golden flounder,” a fancy name for leatherjackets now used in the commercial fish trade, or so I’m told.

Chris Stamalos with the 16kg gummy shark he caught offshore from Barwon Heads on Saturday night.

Offshore

Chris Stamalos has catching gummy shark down to a fine art and doesn’t mind fishing after dark.

On Saturday night he caught one of 16kg from 37 metres of water offshore from Barwon Heads; a great fish, but smaller than two of 17 and 19kg he’d caught previously from the same area, also after dark.

Leonie Jones with a 70.6cm Murray Cod she caught from Lake Mulwala on Saturday (Picture: Amber Stone).

Boof Lorenzen with a 97 cm cod that he caught from the Murray River near Lake Mulwala (Picture: Amber Stone).

Freshwater

John Clements of Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that redfin are still the main catch with Terry Shepherd of Bayswater and George Gillies of Winchelsea getting their share of fish to 700 grams or so using live minnow and soft plastics.

Michael Evans of Victorian Inland Charters found brown trout to just on 3 kg for his clients with the usual approach of deep-trolling with lures, while Jeremy Richardson caught a similar size fish while trolling a Daiwa Double Clutch.

Also fishing Lake Purrumbete with their preferred technique of suspending whitebait just above the bottom last week, Garry Ridgeway and Peter Baumgartner caught 9 chinook salmon, each around the kilogram mark.

Dasch Wiebusch 12, with a 42 cm redfin from Sugarloaf Reservoir, and the Jackall lure he caught it on (Pictures: Mick Kollaris).

Twelve year old Dasch Wiebusch of Geelong was fishing with his grand parents at Sugarloaf Reservoir (near Yarra Glen) last week when he caught a 42cm redfin on a Jackall lure cast out from the bank.

Scott Addinsall and Eric Guthrie with the snapper and school shark they caught offshore from Portland over the weekend (Photo: Bob McPherson).

Portland

The tuna fishery off Portland has attracted a good many anglers from all points of the compass, but Portland locals get their share as well with a previous tuna comp winner Hugh Johnstone, and his friend Luke Driscoll, picking up one that dressed out at 80kg (probably 92kg whole), for the current tuna competition.

Andrew McKenna and Ben Bremmer of Connewarre also had big tuna in their sights and a double hook-up on Wednesday in 60 metres of water off Cape Bridgewater yielded an opportunity.

Unfortunately though, one of the fish was cut off by a dolphin, but the other finished up in the cool room they’d hired to preserve their catch; its dressed weight of 86kg suggesting it could possibly have weighed 100kg when caught.

George Pogony with the bream he caught (and released) from Fraser Island in Queensland last week using mullet strips for bait on the rising tide.

Martinus de Lange with the mulloway he caught from the Sheepwash last week.

Barwon estuary

Martinus de Lange, an angler of great determination, lost what was an obviously good fish from the bank of the Sheepwash last week and returned the following night to claim his just reward, a mulloway measuring over a metre long.

After losing that first fish, he stayed on until around 4.00am with no luck and said he was too tired to fish the following night. However, the gift of several freshly caught squid (excellent bait for mulloway), from a friend, changed his mind … and his luck.

John Vass with another tuna from Portland (Picture: Bob McPherson).

Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula

On Thursday evening, Andrew Phillips and Tony Greck anchored north of the channel west of the Wilson Spit for snapper, and using silver whiting and squid for bait, they caught two, each weighing 4.5 kg.

That was around 10pm, but after that all was quiet, but being a pleasant night they stayed out, and at 12.30am, added a third fish of 5 kg to their tally.

On the Tuesday prior, Andrew and Colin Radley fished for whiting east of Point Henry, and – as usual – had to make several moves, first to escape the hoards of bait-thieving pinkie snapper, and then to find the whiting, which they eventually did, taking their respective bag limits using pipis and squid for bait.

And, as has they had previously, caught several snook to 80 cm on pilchards.

Friday’s afternoon northerly created a degree of indecision for whiting specialists Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien, but they finally faced the music to find only two other vehicles and trailers in the usually crowded Clifton Springs boat ramp car park.

If the rough conditions and undersize pinkie snapper taking their baits weren’t enough, they had to contend with a greedy seal that followed their every move.

Eventually free of the beast, just east of the Dell, they finally triumphed with 35 good size whiting.

Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that others to catch whiting included Peter Clark who caught a dozen off Beacon Point, while Barry Ure and Steve Bryant picked up a nice catch of flathead near the channel junction.

Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire reports that clients have returned with squid despite the discoloured water, but flathead are the main catch from the deeper water, along with occasional captures of good size whiting.

Bailey Petch and Duncan Forrest, each with a Portland barrel, caught while fishing with Richard Abela in 120 metres of water (Picture: Richardson Marine).

Offshore

With a favourable forecast on Wednesday, Keith Fry, Gary Maya and John Porter made an early start off Barwon Heads, but the light northerly predicted soon changed to a strong southerly.

Never the less they stuck it out, and anchored in 37 metres of water, they caught a dozen or so pinkie snapper to 42 cm, but the largest two fish they hooked; a good size gummy shark and a seven-giller, escaped beside the boat.

Fishing in 30 metres of water off Jan Juc, Kevin McLoughlin, Brian Nolan and Marcus Carson’s catch included two gummy shark, each around the 10 kilogram mark, along with a mixed bag that included a tailor nudging a kilogram.

Victorian Inland Fishing Charters clients, Stuart, Stephen and Vasco looking pleased with their catches from Lake Purrumbete over the weekend (Pictures: Michael Evans).

Freshwater

John Clements of Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that redfin remain the main catch from the lake and among those to do well on fish to 800 grams was James Keating of Ballarat who had great success using minnow for bait.

Michael Evans of Victorian Inland Charters, found good fishing for his clients on the lake, down-rigging various Tassie Devils to depths of 12 metres or so, an approach yielding

several brown trout to 1.8 kg, chinook salmon to 1.4 kg and several redfin.

Portland tuna

Spectacular fishing for bluefin tuna off Portland augurs well for the current tuna competition being held there over four weekends with three remaining. The biggest tuna presented over the weekend – gilled and gutted, as all fish must be before being presented to the weigh-master – weighed 116 kg and was taken by gun angler, Richard Abela.

These great fish deserve respect, and respect involves their proper handling after capture, something that has not always been the case with several inappropriate disposals evident.

All other considerations aside, these great fish are prime table fare – a reflection of the astronomical prices they fetch in the market place – that’s provided they are handled in the prescribed manner, some guidance in that preparation being provided at http://tunafishingcharters.com.au/processing-bluefin-tuna-caught/

Tony Jones of Hamilton with the 98.5kg tuna he caught off Portland on Thursday (Picture: Bob McPherson).

Big tuna arrive off Portland

Down Portland way, bluefin tuna have been on the go for some time, mainly small fish up to 20 kg or so, and that’s what Tony Jones of Hamilton was expecting after a double hook-up in 117 metres of water south of Lawrence Rock on Thursday morning.

However, it soon became clear that both of the fish he’d hooked were far bigger than that.

And fishing solo, he found himself challenged with manoeuvring his boat with two fish on – each probably around the 100 kg mark and going in different directions – an exercise costing him one of the fish as the rod it was on slipped from his grasp and was also lost.

Never the less, he persisted battling the remaining fish, which eventually weighed 98.5kg, getting it alongside and wresting it aboard.

The news of big tuna off Portland quickly spread with Moe Hamad and Abs Kassem – never ones to miss an opportunity – among those heading offshore the following day to be rewarded with a 113 kg tuna from 120 metres of water off nearby Cape Nelson.

Moe Hamad and Abs Kassem at Portland with their 113kg tuna (Picture: Bob McPherson).

Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula

Like just about everyone fishing Corio Bay lately, Andrew Phillips and his companions have been on the whiting, understandably so given how this fishery has bloomed of late, but last week he and Tony Greck had snapper in mind.

Sitting out the pinkies through Wednesday evening until dark, west of the Wilson Spit, they were rewarded with a snapper of 3.5kg at around 9.45pm. That was followed by another of 4.2kg soon after, but they had to wait until almost midnight for their final fish of 5kg.

Also included in their catch were several good size flathead to 53 cm, and like the snapper, they were taken on silver whiting.

Last week Dennis O’Brien headed off to a usually productive whiting spot toward Point Richards at the east end of the mussel farm, but an onslaught of undersize pinkies persuaded him to move; all the way Rear to Curlewis as it happened.

The pinkies were there too, and with only four whiting for his efforts, he headed Rear to the Clifton Springs ramp; but one last try off The Dell saved his bacon, so to speak, for there were no pinkies there and he finished up with his bag limit of good size whiting.

April 1st celebration of the one year closure to netting in Corio Bay west of 30 degrees: From left: Brian (Geelong & District Angling Club), unknown member of the Western Beach Fishing Club, Graeme Dorey (Blue top), Jim Kirk (President of Western Beach Fishing Club), Peter Kellam (President Bellarine Pirates Fishing Club), Murray McLaren (Leopold Angling Club), Jock Irvine (Friends of Corio Bay), Front, Jaala Pulford (Member for Western Victoria), John Hotchin (VRFish), Front, Bruce Harwood (Mayor of Geelong), Rear Geoff Wilson (Friends of Corio Bay), Front, Michael Burgess (VRFish), Rear, Phillip Travis (Fisheries officer), Brad Smith (Fisheries Officer). (Photo: Craig Ingram (Victorian Fisheries Authority).

Off the Beach

Fishing from the beach at Jan Juc on Thursday evening’s high tide, Tony Ingram was again successful catching several Australian salmon, some better than a kilogram, using cut pilchards for bait.

Sacrificing a fillet or two from one of the salmon he caught earlier – on the ebbing tide toward nightfall – he encountered several unwanted species of the flat variety, but his patience was redeemed with the capture of a respectably gummy shark of around 1.2 metres in length as the strong easterly came up yet again.

Freshwater

John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete holiday park reports that trophy size brown trout are still on offer as demonstrated by Todd Broughton of Bannockburn and his partner Mandy Thomas who caught four beauties from 2.7 to 4.1 kg while trolling 26 gram Tassie Devils on lead-core lines.

Redfin continue to be the main catch though said John with Terry Shepherd of Bayswater and Trevor Brabender of Panmure each picking up their share, along with Les Broughton of Geelong whose catch also included chinook salmon to 1.5 kg.

Martin asks:

Geoff, while fishing the Anglesea River with my boys we could barely keep our baits (prawn pieces) on for what I assume were small fish of some sort. What do you think they would have been?

As for large fish leaping from the water, the chief suspect may have been a sea mullet, possibly one of a number that entered while the river was open to the sea, that being quite some time ago. Of course Australian salmon and tailor are also possibilities.

good catch of sweep taken off Portland by Bob McPherson and Lachie Wombell (Picture: Bob McPherson).

Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula

On the water by first light early last week, Andrew Phillips and Tony Greck were surprised to see several other boats anchored within their happy hunting ground east of Point Henry. And, the whiting were a bit hard to find as well.

Never the less, after making a series of moves they both began catching good size fish – their biggest measuring 43cm – eventually taking their respective bag limits.

Some of their fish were followed to the surface by large snook, two of which – each around the 80cm mark – they caught on pilchards, along with several flathead to 53cm.

Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that whiting remain the most sought after catch at the moment but they can be hard to find as Harley Griffiths and Stanley Owen could relate.

Having found a good patch of whiting off The Dell after making several moves, they were obliged to move yet again as undersize pinkie snapper took over the bite. Eventually though, they finished just shy of their respective bag limit catches of whiting to 39 cm.

Mike also reports that the fishing jetty has been fully occupied of late regardless of the weather, with both squid and flathead being taken, particularly on dusk.

Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that rough weather was the stumbling block last week, along with the footy, but those who availed themselves of his service caught squid, whiting and flathead.

Off the Beach

Tony Ingram knew that last week’s easterly winds would not make for comfortable fishing from the beach at Ocean Grove; he was prepared to put up with that, but the biggest problem he faced was that – unexpectedly – the tide did not fall low enough to expose the beach.

This, combined with the strong onshore breeze, persuaded him to park near the Barwon Heads Bridge, walk to the beach downstream on the Ocean Grove side of the estuary where at least he was sheltered from the wind.

With a few mulloway about, he was hopeful of catching one, but had to settle for one elephant fish, returning another due to the overly-restrictive possession limit of one only in this State; and that was his lot.

Freshwater

John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Angling Club was in a buoyant mood having prevailed in the Lake Purrumbete Angling Club’s competition at the weekend, with a prize-winning catch of redfin.

Others to do well on the redfin included George Gillies of Winchelsea, Terry Shepherd of Bayswater and Drew Young of Yarraville.

Brown trout are still on offer said John, with Michael Evans of Victorian Inland Charters finding them for client Jason Harris whose catch included two brown trout of 1.8 and 2.3kg and a 1.4kg chinook salmon, all being caught drop-shotting 26 gram Tassie Devils down at 12 metres.

Blanche Port, copy from Admiralty chart AUS 121.

Roland asks:

Geoff, on February 5, I was fascinated to read your advice on Streaky Bay in South Australia, particularly so after having read an old magazine article you wrote describing the varieties of fish that you and your companions caught there including big snapper.

However, big snapper – and 9kg would be an average fish – enter Blanche Port from around the third week in October, so you’d have a week or more during which you could legally catch a big snapper or two, the area just off the Oyster Spit, in about 6 metres of water, being a prime spot (refer to Admiralty chart AUS 121 for more detail) or, you could fish from the Streaky Bay Jetty, as others have, with some expectation of success.

Chris Stamalos with the gummy shark he caught off Barwon Heads.

Phillip Wilson with the gummy shark he caught off St Leonards (Picture: Andrew Greed).

Offshore

Chris Stamalos was fishing at anchor in 25 metres of water off Barwon Heads over the weekend, but why his lines were clearly angled the wrong way, and his depth readings on his sounder kept fluctuating, was of concern.

He was obviously on the drift, as indicated as one line then the other would catch on the bottom. But as he was about to retrieve the anchor – which he later found was fouled in the chain – one of his rods, buckled over, not from being caught on the bottom, but with the weight of what turned out to be a gummy shark he estimated to be at least 10kg.

Also fishing out off Barwon Heads over the weekend were Danny Skene, Phil Dickson and Clint Hotchin who’d found a large school of Australian salmon: Eager to take lures, they had no trouble catching plenty of fish around the 2.5 kg mark along with an small kingfish or two from the same shoal.

Bottom fishing on the drift in 35 to 45 metres, they found small pinkie snapper to be a nuisance, but Phil hooked what turned out to be a 16 kg gummy shark, tempted with a bait of slimy mackerel.

Corio Bay/Bellarine Peninsula

On the water by first light as usual, this time with his friend Colin Radley, Andrew Phillips was on the whiting trail just east side of Point Henry. But again as usual, things were a bit slow to begin with, with only an occasional whiting bite on the pipis they were using for bait..

But after a series of moves, they found the motherload in 5 metres of water, and – within two hours of hectic fishing – both had taken their respective bag limit catches, the biggest nudging 43cms.

On Thursday evening, Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien tried their luck on the whiting, but as luck would have it, the wind came up toward dark curtailing what promised to be another productive trip at the east end of the mussel farm, never the less, they still finished up with 21 good size fish.

Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that squid have been offer with Merrick O’Neil among those to take bag limit catches along the Curlewis Bank. And, after launching at Avalon on Saturday, Darcy Scott found the water discoloured, so he too took a run across to Curlewis where he took another bag limit catch.

With fresh squid to spare, Darcy and father Murray put in a marathon session on the Barwon estuary hoping for a mulloway, their prime baits proving irresistible to a couple of large stingrays. Unfortunately, they caught no mulloway.

Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that clients have been returning with respectable bags of whiting and squid, but the more adventurous have taken a gummy shark or two out in the deeper water.

One gummy shark captor was Phillip Wilson of Burrumbeet who hadn’t been fishing for a while, but took advantage of being able to head out into 20 metres of water off St Leonards with his friend Andrew Greed, hopeful of at least catching something decent.

But being a volunteer group officer for the CFA, he was on the phone when his rod buckled over as a gummy shark of about 1.2 metres took his bait. Also included in their catch were a number of squid from Governor Reef near the boat ramp.

Andrew Greed and Phillip Wilson’s catch of squid from Governor Reef at St Leonards (Picture: Andrew Greed).

Freshwater

John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Caravan Park reports that brown trout are still on offer with fish from 1.8 to 2.8 kg being weighed in over the weekend.

Among those to catch them were Michael Evans of Victorian Inland Charters, Melton angler Brian Hrvojevic, and Uri Korvut of Williamstown, all downrigging 26 gram Tassie Devils (preferred colour black) at depths of around 9 metres.

Redfin have been the main catch though said John with Terry Haig and Craig (Mutley) Rosen, both from Geelong using minnow for bait.

Fishing nearby Lake Bullen Merri, Chris Farrugia and wife Renae from Oakland’s Junction, took 20 chinook salmon. These were caught on lures fished at a depth of 9 metres with downriggers, and on pieces of pilchard suspended just above the bottom.

Lachie Wombell with a sample of the blue grenadier he and Bob McPherson caught off Portland last week (Picture: Bob McPherson).

Justin Jankauskas with one of the tuna he’s caught lately withing the Portland shipping anchorage Picture: Bob McPherson).

Portland

Down Portland way, Bob McPherson reports that tuna are still on offer from the ship anchorage which is 10-14 metres east of the harbour with Justin Jankauskas being successful out there.

As for Bob, he and Lachie Wombell have were out in 500 metres of water catching blue-eye trevalla, pink ling, gemfish and quite a few blue grenadier.

Paul Raduka with one of the mulloway he caught from the Sheepwash last week.

Brenton Leith with yet another mulloway from the Sheepwash.

Up the river

With favourable tides on the lead up to last week’s new moon, Paul Raduka and his mate Brenton, headed down to the Sheepwash at Barwon Heads where, fishing from the bank, they were hopeful of catching a mulloway or two.

They caught three as it turned out, all on fresh squid. And, although they had no scales, the biggest – at over a metre long – was a serious catch.

I was forwarded a photo of a similar size mulloway that an un-named angler caught from the Point Lonsdale Pier on a chunk of pilchard last week, so there must be a few about.

Darcy Scott with Sunday’s snapper from Corio Bay.

Andrew Phillips and Mark Sesar with a sample of their catch taken offshore from Point Henry (Picture: Tina Sesar).

Corio Bay Bellarine Peninsula

On Friday evening’s outgoing tide, Darcy Scott fished the Swan Island grass beds off Queenscliff, and – true to his usual form – picked up a bag limit catch of whiting, some over the 40 cm mark.

With the fillets neatly packed away, Darcy made good use of the heads off the Mountain View Quarries on Corio Bay early on Sunday morning as they were perfect baits to thwart the juvenile pinkie snapper so abundant of late.

Nothing happened until the high tide change at 7.00am when his reel growled off to the tune of what turned out to be a 5 kg snapper. That was followed by a gummy shark of about the same size. And, with barely enough time to catch his breath, Darcy had another snapper dead to rights, or so he thought, but with a final flip of its tail, was gone.

Lachie Wombell with a gemfish and blue eye trevalla that he caught offshore from Portland at the weekend (Picture: Bob McPherson).

An angler with the 1.10 metre mulloway he caught from the Point Lonsdale Pier last week.

Making a daybreak start off Point Henry, with Mark and Tina Sesar on this occasion, Andrew Phillips was back on the whiting trail, initially with little promise.

However, after a series of moves the trio hit pay-dirt, and using pipis and squid for bait, they each took their respective bag limit catches of 20 whiting, the biggest measuring 43 cm, along with several flathead to 50cm.

Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that whiting remain the prime catch, Peter Clark picking up a bag limit catch offshore from The Dell while Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien took bag limit catches, both on Saturday and Sunday, east of the mussel farm off Point Richards.

Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head also reports that whiting have been good, along with squid, of which some clients brought in bag limit catches, on Saturday in particular, with the occasional gummy shark being taken out in the deeper water.

Kevin Wild with nice Murray cod from Lake Mulwala (Picture: Amber Stone).

Michael Evans of Victorian Inland Charters with a trophy size brown trout taken from Lake Purrumbete on Monday morning (Picture: Victorian Inland Charters).

Freshwater

Visiting Lake Purrumbete last week, Garry Ridgeway and Lindsay Robinson performed the effective tactic of suspending whitebait a metre or so above the bottom, which produced not only several chinook salmon, but a brown trout of 3.2kg and a rainbow trout of 2.2kg.

Others to do well on Purrumbete included Andrew Kompa of Werribee who caught brown trout from 1.5 to 2 kg downrigging Tassie Devils at 9 metres.

John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that genuine trophy size brown trout are still on offer; Uri Korvut of Williamstown being one of 3 anglers with tales of misadventure after a mega brown straightened out his hook after a lengthy tussle.

However, redfin remain the main chance on the lake said John, with Jason Eastman of Ballarat and Brian Jones of Camperdown picking up their share of fish to 800 grams using minnow for bait.

Anthony Connell with a Bermagui striped marlin that was kept after being gut hooked after taking a live slimy mackerel (Picture: Anthony Connell).

Bermagui

Anthony Connell, Sam Melia, Brendon Borg and Tony Cressy spent last week at Bermagui as part of their annual pilgrimage to either there or Port Stephens in search of marlin, depending on information received.

As it turned out, Bermagui was a good choice for they hooked a number of marlin in a live-baiting exercise, nine of which were brought to the boat, all, save for one gut hooked striped marlin were released.

However, the fish of the trip, a blue marlin that they estimated to be at least 250 kg, escaped after a protracted battle when the circle hook in question, snapped off at the barb with the fish tantalizingly close to the boat.

Anthony Connell with a black marlin prior to release off Bermagui (Picture: Anthony Connell).

Daniel asks:

Geoff, I caught a large snapper from Corio Bay’s outer harbour recently with two toadfish in its stomach: Are snapper are immune to the toadfish’s poison?

Paul Raduka with his bronze whaler from Black Rock.

Paul Raduka with his58 cm flathead from Corio Bay.

On the rocks

With Saturday’s north easterly breeze, Paul Raduka and his mate Brenton ballooned a bait out from the old Black Rock outfall site near Bream Lea, hopeful of catching a shark.

All went well with their bait out in the strike zone by early afternoon, but it was a wait of several hours before the action went down at around 6.00 pm.

As it turned out the shark, a bronze whaler in this case was no giant, but at something approaching 20 kg provided a good supply of fresh flake.

Earlier in the week, Paul had gone floundering after dark, and although flounder were scarce he did manage to spear a 58 cm flathead.

Chris Stamalos with his 20 kg gummy shark (Picture: Daniel Stamalos).

Corio Bay Bellarine Peninsula

Although Andrew Phillips and Tony Greck were on the water at first light, they found the whiting slow on the east side of Point Henry where they’d been previously successful, and – with undersize pinkies moving in on their pipi and squid baits – they moved.

Only about 80 metres as it happened, but that was enough, boating the first of what eventually became bag limit catches of whiting averaging 35cm; their largest nudging 43cm.

Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that, as well as whiting, good size flathead are about and among those to catch them was Peter Sierakowski who caught 12 while fishing offshore from The Dell using squid and pilchards for bait.

Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that whiting and squid are still the main chance, but small pinkie snapper remain troublesome; something Jeff Richards and Bill Pilipasides could confirm after their trip on Friday evening.

They caught a dozen or so squid off Grassy Point before moving to one of their whiting marks, a profitable exercise to begin with taking 22 fish to 43 cm, but the pinkies moved in toward dark and that was that.

Also on Friday evening, Darcy Scott had a better run off the Swan Island grass beds taking his bag limit of 20 whiting averaging 40 cm between 6.30 and 8pm.

Lachie Wombell with yet another pink ling taken offshore from Portland (Picture: Bob McPherson).

Justin Jewkauskaf with some blue eye trevalla taken offshore from Portland (Picture: Bob McPherson).

Offshore

Taking a run out off Barwon Heads on Saturday evening – while most were heading back in – Chris Stamalos and his brother Daniel’s first catch from around 40 metres of water were a couple of legal size pinkies and any amount of aero squid.

After dark their baits were beset by various toothy critters to the cost of several hooks, one being a fair sized seven-gilled shark that escaped beside the boat.

Unfortunately, their first really good sized gummy shark escaped after rolling up in the line, parting it near the boat. They caught the second, which – even though it was obviously smaller than the first – still greeted the scales for a verdict of 20 kg.

Kevin McLoughlin with a mako shark of possibly 40 kg that he caught off Port Fairy (Picture: Marcus Pearson).

Fishing offshore from Barwon Heads in perfect conditions after a 6.00am start on Sunday, Murray and Darcy Scott, and Scott Teesdale, also caught four respectable gummies, not feeling the oppressive heat of the day until they arrived back on shore.

Fishing in 150 metres of water off Port Fairy over the weekend were Kevin McLoughlin and Marcus Pearson. Catching a mako shark or two wasn’t a problem, and they kept one of possibly 40 kg.

One of three mako sharks encountered by Bob McPherson and Lachie Wombell while deep-dropping off Portland over the weekend (Picture: Bob McPherson).

Portland

With good weather over the weekend, Bob McPherson and LachieWombell headed out into 600 metres of water where an exercise in bottom bouncing produced blue eye trevalla, pink ling and gemfish. However, mako sharks proved to be a nuisance with a tally of three caught and released on the trip.

Bob also mentions that there are bluefin tuna as close as 10 km east of the boat harbour near the ship anchorage. Although they seem to be in good numbers said Bob, they are not the easiest to catch with small lures fished on light tackle a suggested option.

Tim Beusmans with a trophy-size brown trout that he caught from Lake Purrumbete last week.

Freshwater

John Clements of Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that among the most successful anglers to fish Lake Purrumbete last week were Tim Beusmans of Geelong and David Woldarczyk of Keilor, both of whom picked up trophy size brown trout while downrigging with lures at depths between 9 to 18 metres.

But, said John, redfin are the main chance and that he and Ronald Miller of Strathmerton took their share, along with Broughton brothers Jeff and Les from Geelong, and Mick Giles from Bannockburn, all of whom had the same plan.

Tobias asks:

Geoff, I believe there is a chart showing the position of various ships that were sunk off the coast from Torquay to Barwon Heads. I have done an internet search for such a chart without success; can you help?

You could also apply for membership the Victorian Shipwreck’s site: http://vicshipwrecks.com/ for detailed information on any number of shipwrecks.

Nicholas and Ivan Jovic with the ill-fated mako shark (Picture: Brad Andrews).

Offshore

Brad Andrews, along with Ivan and Nicholas Jovic, took a run out wide from off Port Fairy at the weekend, hopeful of finding a mako shark.

They encountered two as it turned out, each about 50 or 60kg that showed up after a short berleying session, the more eager of the two being presented with a short-fin pike – or snook as we are now supposed to call them – for bait, on which it pounced.

Despite feeling fish’s weight after a firm strike, Brad’s hook pulled free. The bait was presented once more, and again it was taken with alacrity, but, in an almost comedic twist, the line broke, leaving the mako seemingly unperturbed and still showing interest.

Another outfit was baited, and for the third time, this most eager of the two makos – despite trailing a wire trace and line – attacked the bait again, the result being that both lines became entangled, which resulted in the mako being caught by default.

Kelvin McLean shows the quality of whiting to be caught from Corio Bay with these two 44cm specimens taken off Clifton Springs on Saturday night (Picture: Chris Stamalos

Corio Bay Bellarine Peninsula

Andrew Phillips made yet another early morning start off Point Henry over the weekend, this time with Colin Radley who’d covered some distance for the opportunity to catch the good size whiting on offer from here.

Neither was disappointed, for – while anchored in about 4.5 meters of water on the ebb tide – they were soon into whiting around the 35cm mark, their final tally including some bigger fish to 43cm and three flathead from 50 to 55cm.

The evening also fished well for Chris Stamalos and Kelvin McLean after their session in 5 metres of water off Clifton Springs on Saturday night yielded 24 fish to 44cm on mussel and pipi.

Chris Stamalos and Kelvin McLean’s whiting catch from Clifton Springs on Saturday night (Picture: Chris Stamalos).

Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that gummy shark have proved an attraction, and among those to catch them were Bernadette and Kyi Notting who took four keepers near the channel junction off Curlewis using pilchards for bait.

And as expected, Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien found the whiting off Curlewis once more taking bag limit catches, along with three flathead around the 50 cm mark.

Mike mentions that the Clifton Springs jetty continues to be an attraction with Melbourne anglers Ivan and Mini justifying their journey with a catch of 26 garfish and 3 mullet using sprat (commercially sold as silverfish), for bait.

Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head reports that flathead are the main chance from the deeper water, but whiting have been turning up in client’s bags, along with the ongoing complaint that small pinkie snapper have been stealing their baits.

Justin Latter and the 3.9 kg crayfish he caught using Scuba gear off Collendina on Sunday.

Scuba catch

Justin Latter sent in a picture of he and the 3.9kg southern rock lobster (crayfish) he caught using scuba gear off Collendina on Sunday while on an outing with Steve Keown and Matt Tattersall.

Justin also mentions that his father and mentor, Brian, who taught him love and respect for the ocean – and obviously how to catch large crayfish – turned 80 on Saturday.

Freshwater

John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that good size brown trout are still on offer with Tim Beusmans and his friend Graziano Ligorio, picking up several to 1.7 kg and a rainbow trout of 2.4 kg, on Tassie Devils down-rigged at 7.5 metres.

Also successful on the Lake was George Gillies of Winchelsea who almost certainly broke a record for the number of redfin caught from the lake by an angler, with scrubworms among his most productive baits.

Size limits

Since Victorian regulations only allow Murray cod from 55 to 75cm to be kept, Don Shearer of the Geelong and District Angling Club, who caught a magnificent cod of 1.3 metres during the club’s weekend competition at Lake Mulwala, dipped out on a prize because it had to be returned to the water. The winner of the competition was Ken Hunter who presented a cod of 2.1kg to the weigh-master.

Roger asks:

Geoff, what’s to be done in respect of the present population of pinkie snapper in the bay? Their constant attack on our whiting baits is beyond frustrating.