Whatever the weather
from boats and while fishing land-based. Chinook salmon and rainbow trout to a kilogram have been the main catch, while one angler caught a 2kg brown trout while trolling a bibbed lure.
John also mentions that despite a number of anglers recently attempting to do so, launching boats on Lake Elingamite near Cobden is an exercise fraught with hazard.
Due to the current low water levels, the wheels of boat trailers have all too easily dropped over the end of the ramp and — since the deep and treacherous mud beyond the ramp precludes any leverage from this quarter — outside assistance must be summoned, usually from the local farming community.
Surf fishing enthusiast Tony Ingram took advantage of Saturday evening’s high tide from Jan Juc. Hopeful of catching a gummy shark, he stayed until after dark but his only reward was a large skate.
Down Portland way, Bob McPherson reports that a number of boats were out over the weekend seeking tuna; unfortunately, though, all reports were negative. However, unlike local beak whiting fishing close to home, good-sized whiting have been on offer, with some prime fish coming in from Portland’s north shore and around to Cape Grant.
Geoff, I’ve heard that luderick may be caught from the Barwon River estuary, can you give me any guidance as to the approach, bait, and time of year to fish for them?
Raul, autumn and winter are the best times to fish for luderick in the Barwon estuary.
Those that my companions and I caught during the 1980s and ‘90s were taken from small boats while fishing in around 3m of water between Sheepwash Road and the boat ramp, usually on the last of the incoming tide or beginning of the ebb.
Those that I caught were ei- ther taken on baits of fresh abalone gut — I say fresh because once frozen and thawed out it just becomes a mess — or live sand or beachworm, all fished on a No 4 bait holder hook and small bomb sinker.
Others fished, and possibly still fish here, in the more active and traditional way, casting uptide with a weighed “blackfish float” using green weed for bait on a suitable hook like the Mustad Snek, which was specifically signed for this purpose.
Those who fish with this strategy assure me that berleying with a mixture of green weed and sand increases the efficacy of the approach. de-