ANGLERS had luck fishing sheltered waters to escape the wind last weekend.
Chris Pitman and Daniel Baden fished high up the Barwon River estuary where their fresh squid baits caught four elephant fish.
Grant Forbes also caught elephants in the estuary but from the landing beside Ocean Grove’s boat ramp well-after dark.
Surf anglers battled but still landed salmon. Paul Ellis spun the rocks past Lorne early Monday, landing a dozen over 1.5kg.
Swan Bay rewarded Guy Faithful with whiting, salmon, mullet, trevally and flathead.
Squid remained viable option on the grass beds from Queenscliff to Hermsley. Small jigs in the more-natural colourations were best.
The Harrison boys fished off Portsea for gummy sharks, catching six but keeping only one, a 14.6kg specimen that gook a trevally fillet.
Queenscliff’s cut produced trevally to 1.5kg. Soft plastics worked well an hour either side of low tide.
Charter operators caught kingfish, with the biggest fish taken on live baits and jigging accounting for fish mostly under 4kg.
Ample bait in the bays attracted plenty of salmon, with fish nudging 2kg caught this. The area between Avalon Beach and Point Wilson along with Leopold to Point Henry were the most reliable, with casting or trolling lures working best.
Troy Martin drifted the spoil grounds off Hermsely and Leopold, boating reasonable numbers of flathead and snapper on soft plastics. Two of his snapper were around 1.5kg and pike were stalking the area, too.
Pike were also taken from the rocks at North Shore.
Freshwater captures were widespread.
Mark Phillips and son Michael fished Powerbait from the shore at lake Bullen Merri where they caught and released small trout and salmon. Orange was the best colour Powerbait.
Newlyn Reservoir again rewarded fly anglers with trout over 2kg. Late evening and after dark was best, especially in calm conditions and when using mudeye patterns.
The Barwon River in Geelong continued producing redfin upstream from Buckley Falls. Lure and live minnow accounted for most fish, although Tommy Peters grassed two 900g reddies on shrimp.
Nathan Chapman finally hit the jackpot at Wurdee Boluc Reservoir, landing five big redfin over 1kg each. Nathan caught all his fish on a Bob n Spoon lure in the brown-trout colour.
This weekend’s morning high tides should be ideal for chasing salmon in the surf. Eastern View might be worthwhile if the water is clean, otherwise head to the rocks past Lorne.
Anyone seeking elephant fish should try the Barwon River estuary two hours either side of low or high tide.
Send reports and photos to info@raylongtackle.com.au or visit Brian at Ray Long’s Fishing World, 105 Shannon Ave, Manifold Heights.
