Mixed catch spoils anglers

Anglers encountered everything from snapper to pike on Corio Bay over the past week.
Drifting over the spoil grounds while casting soft plastics caught the best mixed bags, including flathead to 50cm and snapper of almost 3kg.
North Shore’s rocks fished well for pike while trolling past or casting hard-body lures, while land-based anglers caught pinkie snapper to 45cm on bluebait at St Helens.
Clifton Springs hosted respectable whiting action, with the area straight out from the Dell in six to eight metres producing fish to 35cm.
Squid remained an option in close on the grass beds when the water clarity was good.
Snapper angling improved at St Leonards, with water around 20m yielding fish to 5kg and the odd gummy shark as a welcome by catch.
Fresh squid baits were key with a steady supply available in close around the mouth of Swan Bay.
Garfish also held in better numbers over the larger grass beds where a strong berley trail helped take numbers of fish.
The kingfish were a little slower off Queenscliff but large schools of salmon were still regularly breaking the surface in feeding frenzies and devouring any soft plastic or small metal lure cast into the commotion.
Offshore from Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads, smaller kingfish to 65cm were boated while jigging or trolling occie skirts baited with squid strips.
Anglers who were keen on drifting baits across the bottom had little trouble finding tiger flathead in 40m.
Casting lures from the rock platforms either side of Lorne produced salmon of 2kg along with the odd kingfish.
Long casts were often unnecessary, with the salmon holding in tight to the rocks.
The best action was still down Victoria’s western district where Portland produce fantastic results.
Kingfish continued patrolling the harbour with live squid catching fish to 10kg.
Trolling small skirted lures has caught kingfish and bluefin tuna to 15kg.
Stan Daglas boated a kingfish of 8.85kg from Portland’s North Shore.
Anglers fishing the front of the Fitzroy River caught better numbers of both species, while Dave Russell also boated an impressive blue shark of 40kg on 6kg line.
Wurdee Boluc Reservoir typically demanded the hard yards of Justin Rayner who landed a well-conditioned brown trout of 3.4kg on fly.
Other anglers fishing with mudeyes caught rainbow trout to 600g while lures accounted for redfin of 40cm.
Cod continued dominating reports from Lake Eildon with the main rock wall fishing well.
Next week should provide good angling for kingfish down the Western District.
Closer to home, snapper should be biting off St Leonards, the recent freshwater flush down the Barwon River could fire up the estuary and Wurdee Boluc might be worthwhile for redfin and trout.