Going like the snappers
WITH a high tide during the early hours of Friday morning, Ray Millman was rigged and ready near the BBQ area just south of 64W at Torquay by 1.30am, his first reward being a 3kg gummy shark at 2.45am. That was on the lighter of his two outfits, which was baited with bluebait.
As the night wore on, drifting weed became a problem, but he stuck it out. Then, as the first hint of daylight lit the sky, a good bite on his heavier outfit — which was baited with squid — heralded the capture of a 4kg snapper.
CORIO BAY/
BELLARINE PENINSULA
An early start paid off for Lachlan Oliver and his father Ken last week, who were at anchor off Clifton Springs by 4am in perfect conditions.
Using squid and silver whiting for bait, it wasn’t long before their first rod buried over, reel singing to the tune of a 4.5kg snapper. It was followed by two more with the show finishing on daybreak.
On Friday evening, Andrew Phillips and Darren Baldock anchored up near the pile marking the Nine Foot Bank off Avalon, where their first catch was an eagle ray.
It was all hands on deck after that, though, as they took bag-limit catches of snapper from 3-to-4kg on their silver whiting and squid baits.
Also fishing for snapper, but just north of the channel off Point Richards on Saturday evening, Chris Stamalos and Brendan McKenzie were initially occupied with a run of respectable pinkies. But just before dark, Chris caught a beauty of 6.8kg on a strip of squid.
Mike Windsor of Clifton Springs Boat Hire reports that windy conditions have proved the only obstacle to generally good fishing with anglers, that included Jordan Whitman – who was fishing between the mussel farm and the channel – picking up mixed bags of flathead and pinkie snapper.
Squid have been on the go as well, said Mike, with George Mioch, Jason Haw, and Lee Cleary picking up 15 from ‘The Dell’. They also caught a number of silver whiting down near the channel junction off Curlewis.
Rod Ludlow of Beachlea Boat Hire at Indented Heads reports that during the few days providing safe access to the water, the fishing has been good with whiting turning up regularly in angler’s catches.
In fact whiting numbers have improved around the peninsula as Andrew Johnson and Dennis O’Brien could attest after taking 30 beauties — their biggest fish measuring 42cm — on Friday.
They fished in six metres of water between the Portarlington mussel farm and the shore in possibly the worst conditions imaginable, including strong winds, occasional bouts of heavy rain, and wind against tide.
FRESHWATER
John Clements of Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park reports that redfin are still the main catch from the lake, and of which he caught quite a few himself, being in good company with George Gillies of Winchelsea and Geelong’s Geoff Broughton, who also added a 2.4kg brown trout to his bag.
A 5kg chinook salmon also greeted the scales. It was taken by an Melbourne angler known as Gary, who caught it trolling a lure at some depth with a downrigger.
With current access to Lake Elingamite near Cobden for boats to 4.5 metres or so, Rod Shepherd tried his luck but initially there wasn’t much doing. Come 4pm, though, the sea breeze kicked in creating better prospects but Rod’s presence was soon required elsewhere. Nevertheless, in the remaining time available he caught a 45cm redfin and a pan-size rainbow trout on a Pontoon 21 Crack Jack lure.