On the Bite, by Chris Pitman
Anglers who found opportunities to wet a line amid last week’s rough weather found excellent numbers of fish.
Corio Bay fished well for pinkie snapper to 3kg along with the odd flathead from the rock wall at St Helen’s boat ramp.
Casting plastics from boats along the waterfront was a sure bet for pinkies and Australian salmon to 1kg.
Limeburner’s Point boat ramp was a garfish hot spot, with small pieces of pippie or prawn under a float working a treat.
The Curlewis Bank produced King George whiting to almost 40cm. Squid were taken in the area but were hard to tempt with the wild weather.
Notably, some nice garfish were taken from the new jetty at Clifton Springs’ boat ramp.
Land-based anglers caught King George whiting, pinkies and salmon at Portarlington’s harbour. Pippies caught the whiting, while bluebait worked on the salmon and pinkies.
Queenscliff Pier fished well for squid on size 3.5 jigs fished when the water clarity was reasonable.
The weather kept offshore angling quiet, although bluefin tuna to 20kg were still caught off Port Fairy and Portland, along with a few barrels out from the latter.
Freshwater anglers caught big redfin over 40cm and rainbow trout of more than 1kg at Wurdiboluc Reservoir. Long cast with lures like Pegron Tiger minnows worked best.
Stony Creek Reservoir produced brown trout averaging more than 1kg, and in good numbers too. Casting Tassie Devils in pink #55 was effecting, with a few large redfin also caught.
Lake Purrumbete started to stir. Anglers trolling the east bank caught brown and rainbow trout.
Further afield, Peri Stavropoulos took a run up to the Rubicon River where he had no trouble in landing numerous brook trout on hard-body lures.
Hopefully, improved weather next week should allow fishing for bluefin tuna down the coast, while the whiting off St Leonards and the trevally in Queenscliff harbour should kick into gear.
