By CHRIS PITMAN
WITH A break in the weather on Saturday anglers travelled to Port Fairy on mass is search of bluefin tuna.
After arriving at daybreak, Kevin Hunter and I set a spread of lures in 48m southeast of Lady Julia Percy Island. We soon hooked and boated an 11kg tuna that devoured a Samaki Pacemaker.
Soon after Kevin hooked into a tuna that busted him off on a deep run. As the day progressed the fish went deep, holding at 20m to 30m and proving hard to tempt.
Anglers who persisted to late afternoon discovered that the tuna began feeding off the surface where they were willing to take small stick bait lures cast into the surface commotion.
Tuna were also boated down the road at Portland where they were in small numbers but up to an impressive 80kg.
The Hopkins River was also popular down the western district, with anglers boating excellent numbers of bream and estuary perch. Michael Bettanin cast lures along the river edges, landing a well-conditioned 38cm bream with a slowly-worked soft plastic in tight along the cliff faces.
Tony Hinds fished the Hopkins last weekend, finding numbers of estuary perch and chucky bream to 41cm. Tony boated 13 bream in one session with lures such as Atomic Shads and vibes.
Back home, Queenscliff produced large whiting and squid for anglers who sought out productive water. The grassbeds to the left of the harbour were a hot sport for both species.
Symonds Channel out from Queenscliff was a go-to location for gummy sharks, with fish to 10kg caught. Anglers using fresh baits such as squid or salmon fillets achieved the best results.
Clifton Springs held reasonable numbers of squid to 600g in 3m to 4m over the patchy grass beds. Small size 2.5 to 3 jigs in natural colours did the trick.
Hugh Hanson fished the beach at Moggs Creek where his soft plastics caught feisty Australian salmon to 40cm, which gave him a run for his money on light trout gear.
Noah Quail cast ever-reliable Tassie Devil lures around Buckley Falls to land a fat redfin of almost 40cm. Other anglers also fishing the freshwater sections of the Barwon River encountered carp to 6kg, with super-sweet corn kernels the number-one bait.
Wurdee Boluc Reservoir continued producing redfin to 45cm for anglers prepared to put in the time. Hugh Hanson cast lures from the main rock wall to bank a 40cm fish.
Trout were by-catch at Wurdee Boluc but, as some were over 50cm, it was worthwhile targeting them directly with shallow-diving hard-body lures.
Lake Purrumbete remained consistent for brown trout to 2kg. Anglers trolling the east bank at first and last light did well, while during the height of the day mudeyes suspended deep under bubble floats tempted some of the more-active trout.
A forecast of improving weather over the next week should make Port Fairy worth the trip for bluefin tuna. Closer to home, the area from Queenscliff Bight through to the mouth of Swan Bay should be ideal squid, while freshwater anglers could try lakes Purrumbete or Bullen Merri for Chinook salmon, bass and brown trout.
