Chris Pitman
ST LEONARDS was productive for snapper, gummy shark, squid and whiting over the past week.
Sadik Cagdas took visiting cousin Can Cagdas out off St Leonards chasing snapper in 20m. Can caught a 4kg fish and they lost another while trying to get it in the net.
Other anglers fishing St Leonards found great numbers of squid on the grass beds just out from the boat ramp. Size 3 jigs in natural colours worked best.
St Leonards Pier also fished well for squid and snapper.
Swan Bay continued producing a variety of species.
Elijah Walsh fished the entrance with his father on Monday morning, catching a well-conditioned gummy shark of around 5kg. Elijah also caught nine legal-size whiting.
Fishing World Geelong’s Michael Moore spent some time in the Swan Bay channel where he boated plenty of pinkie snapper to 45cm on Gulp Turtleback worms in Pumpkin Green. He also caught numerous flathead and the odd Australian salmon.
Jacob Bakker and Xandar Harrison fished the channel Monday morning with whole squid heads. Jacob took a flathead of 2.3kg and 62cm then another of almost identical size.
The pair also boated silver trevally, leatherjackets and whiting during an excellent morning session.
Portarlington Pier produced snapper to 3kg on baits such as pilchard. Whiting were also taken, with anglers targeting the artificial reef only 50 meters out adjacent to the rock wall.
Queenscliff Bight held reasonable numbers of squid. The deeper kelp beds hosted the largest and in good numbers, too.
Anglers casting plastics inside Queenscliff Harbour caught silver trevally and flathead.
Australian salmon to 2kg were taken from Surf Coast beaches with 25g lures such as the Asari Mahi Mahi. The start of the run-in tide produced the most fish.
Lake Toolondo continued fishing well for brown and rainbow trout, some pushing 2kg.
Eric Box, Rudi Holzfeind and Norm Armstrong spent two days fishing Toolondo for a total of 11 fish. Their best brown trout was 2kg and the largest rainbow 2.02kg. All their fish took mudeyes suspended under floats.
The guys noted the water was clear but low and the fish seemed to be feeding mostly on water snails.
The Barwon River remained consistent for redfin around 800g, with Queen’s Park Bridge again the most productive location. Soft plastics such as 2.5-inch Z Man in the Motor Oil colour were the favoured lures.
Ross Virt and Steve Bamforth chased Murray cod and yellowbelly on fly and lure at Bridgewater on the weekend. They caught a well-conditioned cod of 65cm and six yellowbelly to 42cm.
Ross said the water was clear and the temperature was in the mid-20s.
Next week’s options include Swan Bay’s channel as the weather continues warming, while freshwater fishing should be worthwhile at Wurdee Boluc Reservoir for redfin during the warmer evenings.
Anyone prepared to head out of town could try the Hopkins River at Warrnambool, which has been fishing well for bream and juvenile mulloway, while the lower Merri River has produced some trophy redfin.
