Anglers contended with rough conditions over the past week for some outstanding captures in fresh and saltwater alike.
Tuna well over 100kg and any number of smaller fish to 30kg were caught off Portland when the weather allowed. Skirted lures such as Rickter and Tornados ever-popular bibbed Rapala X Raps worked well.
Lorne Pier fired with a variety of species including salmon, mullet, trevally and barracouta, although the resident seals stole most of the catches.
Paul Sheriff spun the coast where an offshore breeze helped him cast long into the big surf. On the afternoon high tide he managed to land around a dozen salmon, the best pushing 1.5kg.
I spun the rocks at Cinema Point in difficult conditions for seven salmon over 1kg.
Salmon were also caught off the Point Lonsdale Pier during the last two hours of the rising tide.
Daniel Pratt fished the entrance to Swan Bay where he had no trouble bagging out on squid, with most close to 1kg. He then used his supply of fresh bait to catch 15 quality whiting and four nice flathead.
Grant Mathews found squid on the shallow grass beds at Hermsley. Many were small but helped him catch two snapper and gummy shark each on the edge of Wilson Spit.
Xavier Stephens drifted the Hermsely spoil grounds with soft plastics to catch two 48cm snapper and six flathead over 50cm. His best lure was the Gulp Turtleback Worm in the Pumpkin Green colour.
Guy Leadings fished plastics around the moorings between Royal Geelong Yacht Club and Eastern Beach for a catch of pike, flathead, salmon and snapper.
Troy Cunningham fished just out from the entrance to the grammar school lagoon on Monday morning, boating 17 whiting from 32cm to 34cm on pippies.
Numerous shoals of salmon harassed baitfish in Corio Bay’s inner harbour, particularly around the grammar school, North Shore rocks and Royal Geelong Yacht Club.
In freshwater, Craig Porter trolled Lake Bullen Merri for a bag-limit catch of salmon. He had his downrigger set at 15m with Rapala F5s in the trout pattern.
Bait anglers at the lake caught fish on bluebait and Powerbait but lures cast from the shore at first light also accounted for plenty of quality trout and salmon.
Martin Banks continued putting in plenty of time at West Barwon Reservoir where he’s landed a brown trout on every outing. This week his biggest was 1.9kg and caught on a Daiwa Double Clutch lure in the black-and-gold colouration.
The Barwon River in Geelong was slightly discolour due to recent rain, which seem to bring carp on the bite. Fish 6kg were taken between Queen’s Park Bridge and Fyans Park on unweighted corn or bread baits.
Reasonable numbers of mulloway and some elephant fish were landed in the river’s estuary between the Sheepwash and Lake Connewarre. Bait and lures have taken mulloway, with sizes increasing.
This is my last On the Bite report. After 35 years in the fishing industry it’s time for me to move into retirement and to do more fishing myself.
Fishing World Geelong’s young gun angler, Chris Pitman, will continue bringing readers all the latest report from near and far.
Thanks to everyone who’s read my column over the years and good luck with your fishing endeavours in the future.
Send reports and photos to info@raylongtackle.com.au or visit Chris at Ray Long’s Fishing World, 105 Shannon Ave, Manifold Heights.
