On the Bite, by Chris Pitman
Clifton Springs seems to cement itself as the snapper capital of the Bellarine Peninsula, with anglers boating fish to 8kg over the past week.
The Point Richards channel was a great place to start, with anglers rounding out schools then anchoring to pitch out bait for good results. Pilchard or silver whiting were effective baits, while anglers who braved rougher weather caught larger fish.
The spoil grounds were good fun on soft plastics for pinkie snapper, flathead and pike to 80cm. Gulps or slow-trolled Daiwa double 75s worked well.
Land-based anglers continued banking pinkies to 2kg from the harbour rocks at Portarlington, with the odd larger fish also taken. Silver trevally and whiting were caught as well.
St Leonards’ Bourke Street area fired up big time for bag-limit captures of King George whiting on sunset. Anglers who ventured further down toward Swan Bay also reported good captures.
The bight off Queenscliff gave up monster squid up to 2kg, but were patchy at times.
Queenscliff Harbour was excellent for pinkie snapper along with pike and salmon over 1kg. Bait or lure both worked, with fishing the slow-running tides or the lead-up to high tide providing the best action.
Surf Coast estuaries fished well for bream to an impressive 45cm. Soft plastics like Z-Man grubs did the job, while bait anglers has success with lightly weighted yabbies.
The surf beaches were worth a walk and cast for salon to 2.5kg. Lures cast from the sand worked well on the lead-up to high tide.
Last Sunday’s Ron Nelson fishing clinic was a great success as about 80 kids landed some feisty rainbow trout along with redfin and even an eel. Elijah Malone won the clinic’s boy’s competition with a well-conditioned rainbow trout of 930g.
I discovered Lake Tooliorook in fine form last Friday. My few hours trolling Tassie Devils produced brown and rainbow trout to almost 2kg.
Lake Purrumbete gave up trophy-size brown trout over 5kg again. Anglers also found smaller model brown, rainbow and brook trout.
Next door Lake Bullen Merri was consistent for Chinook salmon to 2kg both trolling and bait fishing.
The next week’s options should feature Clifton Springs for snapper, while whiting at St Leonard’s could be a safe bet for a feed. Also, kingfish should soon begin appearing in The Rip and offshore.
