What a ripper snapper
they kept and another slightly smaller that they released.
Historically, we’ve had a run of snapper in Corio Bay’s inner harbour during late autumn and winter, and those prepared to fish during the cold nights are sometimes well rewarded.
Damir Lukesic braved the pre-dawn chill on Saturday morning, and using fresh squid for bait, caught two, the first of 6kg at 5.20am, followed by another of 9.5kg an hour later.
Damir stayed until after daybreak but there was nothing else on offer.
Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that it’s hard to go past local knowledge as Clifton Springs residents Nicko, Burkey and Mims caught several flathead and squid just off the boat ramp.
Headed in the opposite direction off Curlewis, Andrew Johnson and Steve Leumont, initially couldn’t raise a scale.
Nevertheless they persisted and eventually found the whiting in four metres of water off Leopold, and what beauties they were, their largest halfdozen or so in the 40cm range.
John Clements of the Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that good-sized brown trout are still on offer, with Jason Castles of Sunbury picking one up while trolling a Tassie Devil.
John also mentions that rainbow trout and chinook salmon to a kilogram or so have also been caught from Purrumbete, as they have from nearby Lake Bullen Merri.
Rainbow trout on both lakes have either fallen for mudeyes fished beneath a float or on lures, while suspending a pilchard fillet just above the bottom has been the best approach for chinook. Down Portland way, Bob McPherson reports bluefin tuna are still in offer, but you need to go further out to find them.
Most of the action is coming from around 400 metres of water to the south west. Geoff, what is a paternoster rig? Is it a new thing?
Colin, Pater Noster means ‘Our Father’ in Latin, and no, rigs with the divine connection have been around as for as long as I can remember.
Paternoster rigs are those featuring a sinker on the bottom with one or more hook droppers coming off the main line above the sinker.