By BRIAN LONG
ANGLERS reported consistent captures around the region over the past week.
Troy Armstrong caught nine quality whiting from his kayak near Alcoa Pier on the weekend then changed to soft plastics just before the water exploded with fish a few hundred metres away. He paddled over for 30 minutes of action on salmon around 1.5kg, boating four and losing many others.
Guy Stevens found salmon while trolling close to shore between Point Lillias and the quarries. He caught over a dozen and four big pike, the biggest over one metre.
Corey and Matt Knowles drifted with soft plastics over the Stingaree Bay spoil grounds on Sunday Corey, catching snapper to 48cm, pike, salmon and flathead.
Tanner Martin cast small metal lures from Point Lillias, catching close to a dozen pike late during the evening high tide.
Cunningham Pier produced snotty trevalla early in the morning, with anglers also reporting some big fish, perhaps kingfish, swimming around the pylons. Live baits might be worth trying to tempt these beasts.
The best flathead captures were reported from the shallow water along the Bellarine Peninsula. Water under two metre seemed best for the truly big lizards.
Colin McCallum anchored up in two metres off Portarlington where he set a liberal berley trail, which soon attracted a flathead to one of his baits under a float. He eventually caught nine, all quality fish.
Whiting were spread out, requiring a number of shifts to find a shoal. Bag limit captures were reported from St Leonards to Queenscliff.
Stan Porter anchored close to Swan Bay’s entrance where leatherjackets bit off many hooks. He escaped into shallower water where he soon boated some quality flathead.
Salmon remained present around The Rip, although still staying below the surface and requiring the use of deep-diving lures or downriggers.
A handful of kingfish were taken in various locations. Jigging the deep water of The Rip worked but slow-trolling soft plastics off Portsea worked better.
The deep water off St Leonards all the way to Queenscliff continued producing gummy sharks. Brad Mitchell used fresh squid caught early Sunday to great use, landing a pair of 5kg gummies along with flathead and ever-present Port Jackson sharks.
Dianne Goodfellow landed her first gummy, a fish around 4kg, while five-year-old daughter Tayla caught her maiden flathead for the year, putting pressure on husband and father Steve to pick up his act.
A mix of species was taken offshore. Sharks were taken in 50m to 70m, snapper around 2kg boated off Black Rock and Collendina, salmon were found working the breakers at 13th Beach and kingfish were taken in small numbers off Barwon Heads and The Rip.
Stripy tuna were sighted close to shore all the way from Barwon Heads to Lorne. Hopefully more will turn up working the surface in coming weeks.
Michael Evans continued enjoying success on refin at Wurdi Boluc Reservoir in a just reward for his hard work on this sometimes-difficult water.
Ballarat’s Lake Wendouree produced trout and redfin on mudeye. Fly anglers fishing late in the evening and after dark grassed trout around 1.5kg on mudeye patterns.
The Barwon River returned redfin on lure, with soft plastics out-fishing hard bodies. Anywhere between the Shannon Ave bridge to Ceres, Poloksford or the junction with the Leigh River was worth trying.
This weekend’s morning high tides should suit chasing snapper and salmon on soft plastics on the outer-harbour spoil grounds.
Send reports and photos to info@raylongtackle.com.au or visit Brian at Ray Long’s Fishing World 105, Shannon Ave, Manifold Heights.
