By Chris Pitman
LOCAL anglers have begun chasing elusive winter snapper, with Tim Nalder braving the elements off North Shore rocks at night last week with fresh squid bait.
Tim noticed some tentative bites, picked up his rod and was taken by surprise when a 6.75kg took off with his bait.
Fishing World Geelong’s Michael Moore fished land-based from North Shore rocks before work, banking pinkies to 40cm on soft plastics. He said the change of tide worked best.
Queenscliff held large numbers of King George whiting over the past week, some just over 40cm. The grass beds just outside the harbour were a hot spot, with tenderised squid baits working well.
I took a quick run offshore from Barwon Heads on Saturday afternoon, finding numerous schools of Australian salmon. I boated fish to 2.5kg on Sea Iron lures.
Strong northerly winds were ideal for local beach fishing, with Bancoora and Jan Juc again producing salmon to 2kg.
Paul Foot took son Evan down to St Augustine’s Lake at Highton on Monday, hoping for a trout or two. Their Powerbait on a running sinker rig was soon catching rainbow trout, with several banked by the end of the session.
Wurdee Boluc Reservoir fished well earlier last week for anglers walking the rock wall with lures. Redfin and trout to 2kg were taken, especially on Fish Arrow soft plastics.
Lake Purrumbete was practically unfishable last weekend due to the strong winds but brown and rainbow trout to 2kg were boated beforehand, with first-light the peak bite time.
John and Ben Stephenson headed up to Wangaratta to fish the Ovens River for Murray cod. They caught four to 69cm and a chucky trout cod of 54cm on hard-body lures and spinner baits cast among the snags.
Louis Labouremene travelled to the Thredbo River to make the most of the end of the trout season last week. Fly fishing from the bank, the going was tough until a 4.8kg, 80cm Atlantic salmon took a gold tungsten pheasant tail nymph on Louis’s last cast before entertaining him with a half-hour fight.
Forecast calm weather should spoil local anglers for choice over the next week. Snapper in Corio Bay will be worth a shot, while land-based options include spinning the beaches for salmon.
Freshwater anglers should focus on lakes Purrumbete or Bullen Merri, with both trout and Chinook salmon on the go.
