WARMING weather fired up the fish over the past week, especially the snapper.
Steve Prior, Nick Albutt and Nick Panozzo set out from Clifton Springs early Sunday morning with calm conditions, anchoring up next to the mussel beds on the way to Point Richards. They soon boated a snapper tipping just over 6kg after an incredible fight.
The guys also caught a dozen flathead and managed several nice-sized squid from the shallow grass beds just out from Clifton Springs.
Rahmi Nihat promised son Kain his first snapper, so the pressure was on. Luckily enough Kain’s rod screamed off with a 4.1kg fish before they caught another snapper of 2.2kg for a great day on the water.
Snapper were also caught from Corio Bay’s inner-harbour. The spoil grounds next to Limburner’s Point were productive for pinkies and pike, both of which took soft plastics such as Gulp Turtleback worms in Pumpkin Green.
Brody Craig and Brett Martin tested their light soft plastic set-ups on snapper after locating fish in the bay. Both their reels were soon screaming with rampaging fish over 5kg.
Their epic session featured 15 snapper, four of which were over 5kg and the biggest 8.5kg.
Other anglers caught snapper to 4kg from the rocks at St Helen’s boat ramp, with bluebait getting the best results.
St Leonards continued producing healthy-sized squid over the shallow weed beds. Size-3 jigs accounted for most captures.
Whiting were caught just out from the St Leonards boat ramp in the area known as Bourke St, which can also produce snapper.
Queenscliff’s squid were spread out, with some of the larger specimens caught over the grass beds. Bigger jigs such as size 3.5 and 4 were responsible for most of the captures.
Queenscliff Harbour produced silver trevally and snapper on soft plastics. Some of the snapper pushed 4kg, providing a real fight on light gear.
Mick Knight found snapper to 7kg off Barwon Heads where he also boated some respectable-size Australian salmon on his Snapper Snatchers.
Ron Proud boated a 3.7kg snapper in 40m off Barwon Heads on Sunday.
Brian Long and John Mole fished the rocks just past Lorne for Australian salmon. Casting Sluk lures, they landed big fish to 3.5kg.
On the freshwater front, Lake Purrumbete fished well for an ANSA during the weekend. Competitors caught numerous brown trout averaging 2kg to 2.5kg when fishing deep with downriggers.
Peter Thorpe had his work cut out for him when he hooked a 4.279kg brown.
The Barwon River around Queen’s Park held good numbers of redfin for anglers casting soft plastics and hard-body lures such as Atomic Shad Deeps and Eco Gear SX40s. Redfin to 40cm were landed, with anglers landing good numbers after locating schools.
Anglers using baits such as corn kernels and worms caught carp to 6kg again around the Queen’s Park Bridge.
This weekend is looking good for snapper and Australian salmon off Clifton Springs on soft plastics or bait. Freshwater anglers should try the Barwon River for redfin with lures, covering water until a school of fish is found.
Send reports and photos to info@raylongtackle.com.au. Photos go into a draw for Fishing World Geelong’s monthly photo competition.
