CHRIS PITMAN
Anglers seeking trophy trout descended on Wurdee Boluc Reservoir over the past week.
Frank Benvenuto was at it again, casting hard-body lures to catch a well-conditioned brown trout of 43cm. Mick Zsargo was fishing a mudeye under when a 62cm brown trout over 3kg disrupted his Sunday afternoon, sending him running up and down the rock wall.
Other anglers working lures along the wall encountered rainbow trout to 1.5kg and the odd redfin of 35cm. With the water levels rising, the main rock wall is hard to go past in the mornings and evenings.
Anglers in kayaks caught reasonable numbers of redfin from the Barwon River, with some fish reaching 38cm and almost 1kg. Casting deep-diving hard-body lures around snags worked, while covering plenty of water achieved better numbers of fish.
Lake Bullen Merri produced quality Chinook salmon to 2.5kg. Patient anglers who fished pilchard fillets or pink Powerbait caught the best-quality fish.
Justin Rayner made the trip down to Tasmania for a few days fly fishing at the renowned Twin Lakes. Justin’s trip was certainly worthwhile, producing brown trout to 7kg and some trophy-sized brook trout, which is quite an accomplishment at Twin Lakes.
Saltwater anglers began feeling the onset oF snapper fever, although fish were few and far between around Port Phillip and Corio bays. In the meantime, squid kept anglers busy around Clifton Springs, especially down toward Hermsley Rd in clear water.
The Barwon River estuary was again a hot spot for all the usual specieS. Bait fishing produced mulloway to 65cm and whiting to 40cm around the river mouth.
Anglers who cast from Fairhaven Beach or the rock platforms either side of Lorne beached Australian salmon to 1.5kg, with Sea Iron Pelacus lures getting the job done.
Portland continued enjoying one of its greatest runs of large southern bluefin tuna to 110kg, which are referred to as ‘barrels’. Numerous tuna were boated daily as close in as the lighthouse.
Larger skirted lures and Rapala Xrap 30s accounted for most of the big tuna. Anglers unable to boat a barrel at least scored smaller school-sized fish of around 15kg.
Leigh Potter and Dylan Wolter were on the water off Portland early on Sautrday, boating bluefin of 98.8kg. After many trips and numerous hours on the water they were ecstatic to finally land a barrel.
Apollo Bay also gave up tuna over 80kg. From all reports, the large fish were less prolific than at Portland.
Anyone wanting to go fishing over the next week should try Portland for the tuna of a lifetime, while bearing in mind that the barrels can disappear almost overnight. Otherwise, squid at Clifton Springs will be a worthwhile option, along with Chinook salmon at Lake Bullen Merri or redfin in the Barwon River around Queen’s Park.
