Nightshift is bite time
Big snapper still taking the bait
ALTHOUGH regular nightshift snapper fishermen Andrew Phillips and George Uranus did not turn a scale on their first trip off Point Wilson early last week, they made up for it on Thursday with four snapper from 5kg to 6.5kg.
Starting their shift on the low tide change soon after dark, it looked like another unproductive trip until about 11pm when they picked up a fish of 5kg. They followed that with another three toward the high tide change in the early hours of Friday, using squid and silver whiting for bait.
Naturally a good many snapper were taken through the day, as Aaron Habgood, of Red’s Fishing Adventures reports. Aaron and his companions have continued 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 took 10 off Curlewis out toward the channel junction.
Mike also says you do not have to go far out to catch respectable flathead, as Sam Dowling demonstrated by catching several to 38cm offshore from the boat ramp.
On Saturday, Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien found a good patch of whiting in 7m of water off the Pelican Shores Caravan Park and, although they were mostly small fish, there were some big ones among them. Using cocktails of squid and pipi for bait, they finished up with 20 fish more than 35cm, the biggest measuring 43cm.
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 St and Calhoun Rd (the old Derby Day market). Historically speaking, these should be about for the rest of the month.
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 4.6kg while trolling a pink Tassie Devil over the weekend.
Numerous brown and rain- bow trout, including one of 2kg that was taken by Aaron Habgood, 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 on offer, with John and George Gillies of Colac taking fish to 1.5kg. John also reports that nearby Lake Bullen Merri is still producing chinook salmon with Daniel Sparks taking one of 3kg on a cut pilchard suspended above the bottom.
PORTLAND
Bob McPherson reports that although he knows of a couple of big tuna — 104kg and 86kg respectively — being taken last week, there are now more anglers than fish, with around 70 boats seeking them over the weekend. That is 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.
WALTER ASKS:
Geoff, see the accompanying photo of a rubbish bin. It was taken at the Ocean Grove boat ramp, and on to 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.”