The wind’s up and lines down

Last week’s north winds helped anglers cast lures for salmon on local surf beaches.
Bancoora to 13th Beach and down the Surf Coast produced fish to 2.5kg, with casts of 50m or more the key to beaching reasonable numbers.
Corio Bay continued to providing mixed bags. Garfish remained in close to both St Helens and Limeburner’s Point, while boat anglers caught pinkie snapper to 40cm on soft plastics.
St Leonards’ whiting fishing picked up, with all the normal haunts producing fish to 40cm. Tenderised squid caught the bigger fish.
The entrance to Swan Bay also fished well for whiting on the rising tide.
Queenscliff Harbour produced silver trevally for anglers who could get soft plastics to the bottom of the main cut. Some fish were close to 40cm.
The western district’s estuary systems continued producing bream. Trent Schiller was at it again, landing a solid black bream of 35cm on a soft plastic.
Re-stocking of Highton’s St Augustine’s Water Hole with yearling rainbow trout provided fun for kids on holidays. Powerbait on lightly weighted running sinker rigs worked well.
Michael Evans fished Newlyn Reservoir with Nories Wasaby spoons, taking 48cm, 1.75kg redfin.
The crater lakes were hit and miss. Anglers fishing Powerbait from the edges of Lake Bullen Merri caught rainbow trout to 2kg, while others trolling hard-body lures down deep boated Chinook salmon.
Further north, Lake Eildon produced plenty of brown trout taken up the Big River arm on slowly trolled Tassie Devils and hard-body lures. Some Murray cod were taken as surprising by-catch.
Next week should be worth fishing for salmon along local beaches on incoming tides, while squid should be available from Clifton Springs to Queenscliff. Freshwater fishos should persist with Purrumbete and Bullen Merri.