By CHRIS PITMAN
ADRIAN Cole and Mark Sesar ventured out in calm conditions off Barwon Heads last week.
After anchoring in 40m and baiting up with fresh squid and mackerel, they soon boated a 5kg snapper. The pair managed another four fish from 2kg to 4kg over the next few hours.
After lunch they changed tactics, drifting out an unweighted barracouta fillet among the berley trail, adding a 3kg kingfish to their catch. Fishing the late afternoon they ended the day with a 25kg seven gill shark to their impressive bag of fish.
Surf Coast anglers experienced outstanding fishing for Australian salmon from rocks and beaches. Bancoora and 13th beaches produced fish to 2.5kg, with quality rather than quantity the rule.
Clifton Springs held large numbers of squid. Drifting slowly over the grass beds in 3m to 4m resulted in bag-limit captures.
The nearby spoil ground fished well for pinkie snapper, with anglers casting soft plastics boating fish to 45cm.
Wild weather last weekend prompted some anglers to seek shelter at Queenscliff Harbour, where casting soft plastics such as Z-Man grubs caught silver trevally to 40cm. The last two hours of the run-in tide fished best.
Tony Hynds travelled to Lake Tyres where he caught and released a trophy-size 90cm dusky flathead. Tony caught his big frog on a small black and orange vive intended for bream.
Freshwater enthusiasts made the journey to the Eucumbene and Thredbo rivers, where large well-conditioned brown trout are usually migrating to spawn at this time of year. Andrew Orchard fished the Thredbo, banking numerous brown trout and a massive 4.2kg Atlantic salmon on a hard-body lure.
Brian Long and John Mole spent a few days fishing the Eucumbene River and surrounding areas. Casting flies, they caught numerous brown trout to 3kg, with John landing a well-coloured buck. The pair noted that angler numbers were high along the Eucumbene, with most fishing shoulder-to-shoulder.
Tristian Lake cast Fish Arrow soft plastics along the rock wall at Wurdi Boluc Reservoir on the weekend, eventually catching 46cm, 1.9kg redfin. Rainbow and brown trout were also caught at the reservoir, with mudeye suspended under a float the number-one method.
Frankie Pucek fished the banks of Lake Wendouree last weekend, landing buck rainbow trout of 45cm. Frankie’s success came from fishing mudeye under a float and being persistent in rough conditions.
Anglers should make the most of the bluefin tuna down the coast if the weather holds out over the next week. Trolling Rapala X-raps or casting stick bait lures should catch fish to 20kg, with 48m of water off Lady Julia Percy Island a great place to start searching.
Closer to home, St Leonards should offer productive whiting fishing, while trout anglers could try Lake Purrumbete or Wurdi Boluc Reservoir with mudeye under a float.
