Snapper, squid bagged in bays

DARREN Brockaway fished calm conditions on Monday morning for snapper at one of his reliable marks from past seasons off Clifton Springs.
Patience paid off when line screamed off his reel at the start of a frantic session. Brockie went on to boat several snapper to 6.5kg on silver whiting baits.
Nearby, the spoil grounds off Leopold fished well for anglers casting soft plastics for pinkie snapper averaging 40cm and the odd pike of almost 1m.
As a storm eased on Saturday morning I began putting in a few hours casting plastics in the vicinity of Alcoa Pier.
Upon arrival I found large numbers of Australian salmon to 1kg and pinkies to 55cm holding underneath and willing to take five-inch Gulp jerk shads worked slowly along the bottom.
Daniel and Lisa Baden fished Queenscliff for squid last Friday, making a few moves to find their quarry. Eventually they had little trouble boating squid to 2.5kg.
Last week the squid seemed spread right around from the mouth of Swan Bay to the grass beds left of the harbour and further round to the bight, with most anglers reporting the best results from clean, deeper water.
Tackleworld Geelong’a Adam Van Der Lugt fished Queenscliff Harbour again at first light Monday, making use of a kayak to cover more water. Casting soft plastics among the moored boats and other structure, Adam bagged silver trevally to 45cm, with the last of the incoming tide the most productive time.
Anglers reported mixed bags from the Barwon River estuary. The Sheepwash section produced mullet and whiting, although anglers with live bait or working soft plastics banked bream and mulloway.
The entrance to the estuary fished well for whiting on a change of tide, with some nudging 42cm. Pippies did the job.
Offshore from Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads, anglers found the 40m mark worth drifting for snapper and flathead. Some anglers marked kingfish holding deep were unable to tempt them to bite.
Easing wind along the Surf Coast allowed anglers to hit rock platforms for salmon. Brian Long and John Mole fished the rocks around Lorne, landing great numbers of salmon to 2kg on metal slugs.
Freshwater reports were scarce. The Barwon River from Queen’s Park to Buckley’s Falls gave up redfin to 800g on lures worked tight around structure.
Wurdee Boluc Reservoir’s redfin sporadically came on the bite along the main rockwall. However, when they finally came on the chew they measured in at 45cm.
The next week should fire for snapper along the channel and over the spoil grounds off Leopold, especially around tide changes.
If the wind’s up then the Barwon River estuary should be a great place to shelter while banking a fish or two.
Freshwater anglers should look to Wurdee Boluc Reservoir for beasty redfin.