Kingfish action to fore

This past weekend produced some of the region’s best kingfish action ever.
The Rip was unquestionably the busiest location in Sunday morning’s calm weather, with anglers boating numerous kings. Knife jigging worked well, along with fresh squid strips fished around 15m down.
Kingfish were also taken by anglers driving and jigging over reefs off Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads.
Simon D’Antino and son Ryder ventured out of Barwon Heads on Monday, with the latter boating a well-conditioned kingfish of 70cm.
Another proven tactic that worked last week was trolling hard-body lures in 15m off the back of Point Lonsdale.
Plenty of flathead were taken out at the 40m, mostly on squid or pilchard baits.
Fantastic numbers of squid were present just out from the mouth of Swan Bay. Anglers drifting with size 3 jigs had no trouble taking their bag-limits.
Swan Bay’s channel produced pinkie snapper and whiting.
Clifton Springs continued luring snapper with fish to 6kg along the Point Richards channel.
The nearby Curlewis Bank fished well for whiting on a light running sinker rigs with pippie baits.
Pike to almost 1m were a by-catch for anglers chasing pinkie snapper on the spoil grounds inside Corio Bay. Small three-inch soft plastics resembling pilchards were ideal for both species.
The Barwon River estuary continued keeping land-based anglers busy with silver trevally and Australian salmon. The platforms along Sheepwash Road were worth fishing for anglers using small amounts of prawn as bait.
Peri and Michael Stravropoulos and myself travelled to Portland In search of bluefin tuna. We found some while trolling Rapala X-Rap 20 lures off Lady Julia Percy Island, then moved to Julia Reef where Peri and I caught tuna to 30kg on lures cast to tuna feeding on the surface.
Alex Surdich was also at it again off Portland, boating numerous tuna also to 30kg while trolling or casting lures.
Freshwater anglers found solid redfin action in the Barwon River. Casting small, hard-body lures among structure worked well.
Carp gave other anglers fishing around Breakwater a run for their money, with fish to 6kg banked.
Lake Purrumbete gave up the odd trout for anglers trolling hard-body lures down deep. Brook trout again made an appearance, with anglers remarking on the trout’s significant growth rate.
Lake Tooliorook was worth visiting for Ross Mcdonald, who caught a rainbow trout of 1kg. Ross also saw other anglers land fish.
Next week’s weather looks ideal at this stage for targeting kingfish off Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads or tuna around Portland. Whiting should also remain a worthwhile option off St Leonards, while freshwater anglers could the Barwon around Queen’s Park or Wurdee Boluc Reservoir for some larger-model redfin.