By BRIAN LONG
SUMMER is the perfect time to hit the bays for some of the best saltwater action the region has to offer.
Over the past few weeks whiting numbers and size has increased dramatically. While bag limit captures have not been common, areas such as the Bight at Queenscliff, Swan Bay entrance and St Leonards are all great destinations.
Queenscliff to Swan Bay is consistent but you may need a number of shifts before you locate a shoal of fish. Once found, expect to be kept busy. This same area has been producing some huge pike of late. Trolling or casting small baitfish profile lures will soon have you hooked up to these aggressive fish.
Inside the Swan Bay entrance we have seen some fantastic flathead taken on blue bait suspended below a small float and berley clearly results in better captures. This week the best flathead I saw taken was by Grant Marshall, a quality fish at 3.1kg.
After dark in and around the Swan Bay entrance you can catch some nice gummy shark, with high tides producing better fishing with baits of fresh salmon and squid all that is needed.
Young Joseph Walsh has been nailing a few quality gummy shark at this location lately, showing up his dad on most occasions.
Salmon are always present in and around the Rip over the summer months. Surface action is a giveaway of the fish feeding but trolling with deep diving minnow pattern lures will soon have you hooked up while everyone else is waiting for the fish to push to the surface again. Casting soft plastics into the bust ups is my preference, Berkley minnows in the Casper Clear colour working best.
Offshore reasonable numbers of flathead are being taken on the drift in 30 to 35 metres of water, this same depth has produced snapper along with a few school shark.
Pushing out wider in 50 to 70 metres of water is where you will find both blue and mako shark, the later more prevalent. While at times they are a little fussy, generally they can be tempted with a small bait of just a single pilchard.
Land based you can’t go past Black Rock near 13th Beach. Fishing the last two hours before dark will see you catch both snapper and whiting. Squid is the best bait and a light onshore southerly wind always improves your success.
Don’t discount salmon all along the coast – you do need to fish the rocks and not the beaches but on the high tides the salmon have consistently been herding the bait hard against the rock ledges. Many of the fish are under a kilogram but with numbers always comes the odd better fish.
Snapper are readily available from the outer harbour spoil grounds at present; drifting and using soft plastics is the most productive method, and while most snapper are between 30 and 45cms they are easily caught using a variety of Gulp minnows and worms, with the pumpkinseed colour proving its worth.
The inshore grass beds between Alcoa and Clifton Springs are producing plenty of quality pike to those trolling small bibbed lures. You do need to use shallow running lures otherwise you will constantly be hooking up on sea grass.
After dark seems to be the time to fish if you are looking for a big snapper around the Quarries area, with fresh pilchard the bait, although gummy shark is also a possibility at this time of the year.
Whiting have started to make their presence felt close in at Bird Rock. First light is the time to hit this area and a little berley will bring the garfish on the bite.
The spoil grounds in Stingaree Bay have seen good numbers of small snapper, although undersize fish are a problem. Use of larger size soft plastics and you will return with a nice feed.
Trevalla while inconsistent have been present at Cunningham Pier, with the best captures early in the morning and chicken still the best bait to use.
Finally as the Barwon River starts to clear the redfin are firing. Live minnow will catch you fish, it has been lure accounting for all the best reports. Small bibbed lures are what you will need with the area between Shannon Ave bridge and the Geelong Ring Road offering the best chances.
Lake Tooliorook at Lismore is still your best location if you are looking to catch a trout or two on mudeye while redfin have been more readily caught at Moorabool Reservoir than trout.
Ballarat’s Lake Wendouree has been popular and evening sorties did well for Craig Forbes on a mudeye pattern fly.
With temperatures warming up expect to see kingfish showing up both in the Rip and offshore from Barwon Heads, pushing fish to the surface giving everyone an opportunity to catch this magnificent species.
Send reports and photos to info@raylongtackle.com.au or visit Brian at Ray Long’s Fishing World, 105 Shannon Ave, Manifold Heights.
