Plenty of trout about
Anglers bringing in bag-limit hauls all over
TAKING a run out from Limeburners boat ramp in their newly acquired 4.8m Quintrex, Mark Sears and nine-year-old son Lachlan were soon in catch-and-release mode, with undersized pinkie snapper taking their baits out toward the channel.
Their patience eventually paid off, though, each catching a bigger fish around the 60cm mark within minutes of each other, one of which — Lachlan’s first — caught his bait knife in the struggle to subdue it, flicking it over the side.
Keith Fry had always relied on bait — that is until recently, when a friend convinced him to try with soft plastics, Berkley Gulp turtleback worms in pumpkinseed being specified.
On the plus side, he and his friend John Porter caught two beautiful flathead around 58cm apiece near Point Henry using these. However, a swarm of undersized pinkies moved in, destroying a whole packet of said soft plastics.
Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that the fishing has been good, and among those to reap the benefits were David Howell and his mate ‘Gator’.
The pair were on the job by 5am, returning with near baglimit catches of respectable pinkie snapper, all being caught on pilchards.
Fishing barely 300m offshore from the Clifton Springs boat ramp, Nick Powell caught his bag limit of 20 whiting to 40cm using cocktail baits of cuttlefish and pipi.
Also on the whiting down that way were Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien, who plucked their usual catch. On cleaning them, however, one of 35cm was found to be carrying a tag that turned out to have been placed in the fish by Bellarine Pirates Angling Club president Peter Kellum in much the same area on November 19 last.
Murray and Darcy Scott also found whiting on the Swan Island grass beds at Queenscliff, and what beauties they were — most going 40cm or better. They finished with 25 all up and would have taken their respective bag limits, except for pinkie snapper taking over the bite toward dark, but they kept 15 of these that were of legal size.
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Head also reports that pinkie snapper have been a nuisance, particularly for those seeking whiting and flathead. Of course, squid seekers had no such problem, but they were a bit scarce as well.
Jeff Richards and Chris Hateley, who certainly know their way around these grounds, had a lean time of it before they found a productive patch of squid near the red portside marker off Grassy Point, from which they caught a dozen.
FRESHWATER
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that the lake continues to produce trophy-size brown trout, with a beauty of 5.1kg being the pick of the bunch.
It was caught by Chris Farrugia of Oaklands Junction, while fishing with his son Charlie. Chris, who regularly catches these big fish, uses an approach that involves downrigging a 26g Tassie Devil at a depth of 9m or so.
Other good-sized browns were taken as well, with Bill Zahra of Bannockburn picking up a couple of nice ones, while George Gillies of Winchelsea took another great catch of redfin to 600g.
ROSCO SAYS:
Geoff, may I be so bold as to comment on your column?
Historically speaking, there was no ‘Arthur the Great’ as referred to in your columns of January 29 and February 5.
In fact, the only English monarch on whom ‘the Great’ was ever bestowed was King Alfred, who was victorious over the invading Danes.
Your point is well-taken, Rosco. In fact, the late Geoff Fink — a generational angler from Little River — corrected me on this issue over an ‘Arthur the Great’ reference I made back in the 1980s, saying that feature had historically, been known as ‘Alfred the Great’.
In defence, my reference was/is Admiralty Chart AUS157, which — even now in its updated version — nominates that feature after the legendary, but possibly fictitious, King Arthur — who allegedly fought the Saxons back in the fifth and sixth centuries — as ‘The Great’, and not King Alfred of the ninth century. and to whom that epithet truly belongs.