By Brian Long
SETTLED conditions last weekend produced some outstanding captures.
Troy Barns fished the 18-metre line directly out from St Leonards where just on daybreak all three reels started to scream. He landed a pair of 3kg each then five minutes later bagged out with a 6.3kg fish.
Nathan Welsh fished the deep water off Arthur the Great for three big snapper and another six from 35cm to 40cm, all caught on soft plastics.
Guy Fogarty caught two fish over 60cm while drifting the Hermsley spoil grounds with soft plastics. Smaller snapper were also present along with pike and quality flathead.
Many boats worked out in front of Mountain View Quarries but anglers who fished well after dark enjoyed the best results. Stuart and Rex Miller caught six snapper over 4kg on Sunday night
Chris Pitman landed a fish over 3kg on soft plastic just on sunset, while his mate on board went one better with a ripper around 7kg.
Greg Stevens landed a pair of 2kg-plus snapper from North Shore rocks after dark and his mate Graham Holt caught a similar size pair but on soft plastics.
Garfish began to show inside Corio Bay, with the entrance to Limeburner’s Point boat ramp worth trying.
Snotty trevalla also appeared, with Cunningham Pier productive either early morning or late in the evening for anglers using chicken baits soaked in tuna oil fished just off the bottom.
Peter Sharp drifted just outside of the Clifton Springs mussel leases with blue bait for a nice feed of fish including a couple of reasonable flathead.
Martin Bullen fished Swan Bay’s entrance with a liberal berley trail to catch garfish, leatherjacket, mullet and trevally.
Noel Blundell caught and released seven gummy sharks from fishing Coles Channel, with biggest estimated at 15kg.
Corey Harman walked from St Leonards to Edwards Point casting soft plastics for flathead. He caught six fish, the largest weighing 1.7kg.
Salmon were caught on last weekend’s morning high tides on lures are Cinema Point and Wye River.
In freshwater, Ballarat’s Lake Wendouree at Ballarat produced trout to almost 2kg but Corey Hart trolled in is kayak for three redfin over 1.5kg, all taken on shallow-running Lay Down minnow lures.
Paul McGregor fished Moorabool Reservoir with a small brown nymph fly, landing a pair of brown trout around 1.5kg just on dark.
Frank Miller fished West Barwon Reservoir where he caught small rainbow trout while casting Tassie Devils from the main wall. He also saw plenty of snakes.
This weekend’s tides will be idea for snapper in the bays late in the afternoon and after dark off the quarries, at Bird Rock or Wilson Spit.
Send reports and photos to info@raylongtackle.com.au or visit Brian at Ray Long’s Fishing World, 105 Shannon Ave, Manifold Heights.
