Mostly calm conditions over Easter allowed anglers to bag an impressive array of fish.
Corio Bay gave up excellent numbers of flathead for anglers who drifted the channel edges and spoil grounds. Pinkie snapper were also taken, some reaching 50cm.
Clifton Springs’ whiting were on the chew, with boats off the Dell bagging fish to 37cm. Pippies were the best bait.
Squid were still holding over the shallow grass beds, although they were down in size anglers. Size 2.5 jigs accounted for some respectable bags.
St Leonards also fished well for whiting in the ever-popular area known as Bourke Street.
Nearby, the entrance to Swan Bay produced some good-size squid.
Daniel Baden and I fished up the Barwon River estuary on Saturday noon to capitalise on the annual Easter influx of elephant fish. Daniel soon caught his first on fresh squid before we both released numerous elephants to 4kg over the next hour.
Other anglers fishing the estuary caught silver trevally and whiting on pippies further down the system.
The Western District lived up to expectations, with everything from trout to tuna on the bite.
Port Fairy and Portland produced bluefin tuna in close around Portland’s North Shore and out wide around the Horseshoe. Casting small lures into surface commotion worked well for the fussy fish in close, while trolling Rapala X-Raps worked well out wide.
Kingfish even ventured into the harbour at Portland at times, allowing anglers to target them from the rocks.
The many estuary systems dotted around the Western District fished well for bream, with anglers catching fish to 40cm on soft plastics fished hard against the edges. Z-man grubs were a standout lure.
Freshwater anglers favoured Lake Bullen Merri, boating Chinook salmon to just over 3kg with the help of down riggers set deep. The odd rainbow trout to 2kg also featured in some bags.
Tackleworld Geelong’s Adam Van Der Luht spent a few days fly fishing the freshwater streams around Bright where he caught and released plenty of small but hard-fighting brown trout.
Ballarat’s Lake Wendouree produced nicely mixed bags of trout and redfin, both taken in the same session by anglers casting and trolling lures. Shallow-running hard-body designs were key to avoiding the weed at Lake Wendouree.
Next week should offer some good fishing for whiting just outside Queenscliff harbour on the last of the incoming tide for anglers with fresh tenderised squid. The Barwon estuary should still have elephant fish hanging around when the tidal flow eases.
Freshwater fishos should keep Wurdee Boluc Reservoir in mind for large redfin and trout, with casting lures from the lake margins a good strategy.
