By CHIRS PITMAN
GLASSY conditions lured many anglers onto the water last weekend.
St Leonards was a favourite destination, with large numbers of whiting and squid available. The area known as Bourke St, just out from St Leonards Yacht Club, produced whiting to 40cm on pippies and fresh squids.
Whiting anglers also caught the odd flathead to 50cm, a welcome by-catch for most.
The mouth of Swan Bay produced squid to 600g, with size three jigs in natural colours working best.
Anglers fishing into the night caught mulloway in the Barwon River estuary. Fish to 6kg were taken from the bridge right up to the Sheepwash.
Fresh baits are key to banking these elusive fish, with mullet and squid particularly popular choices.
Anglers fishing the mouth of the estuary beached some impressive Australian salmon reaching 2kg on the run-in tide. Casting small metal lures or soft plastics allowed anglers to follow schools up and down the river.
Offshore from Barwon Heads, snapper to 6kg schooled in large numbers. Forty meters of water straight out from Barwon Heads Bluff seemed to be the place to go, with numerous boats taking advantage of the calm conditions.
Salmon action in the same area slowed, with anglers reporting few fish working the surface.
Inside Corio Bay, North Shore’s rocks fished well for pinkie snapper. Casting plastics out to the deeper water caught fish to 45cm, with Gulp turtleback worms working well.
Fishing World Geelong’s Michael Moore and Ben McLean headed out from Port Fairy last Thursday, trolling once they were about 5km south-southeast of Lady Julia Percy.
They soon hooked up their first tuna, which took a Samaki Pacemaker. The pair boated numerous fish, all around 15kg.
Casting lures proved a little challenging in unsettled conditions but Michael managed to boat a 15kg tuna on a Sea Iron Pelacus. At the end of the day he and Ben totalled an impressive 17 fish, keeping only two.
Daniel Baden fished out of Port Fairy on Tuesday, finding good numbers of tuna working in 50m. Daniel casting the same lure as Michael to boat a 25kg tuna, which proved a handful on light tackle.
On the freshwater front, Lake Bullen Merri began producing some nice-sized Chinook salmon. Trolling down deep with downriggers helped anglers boat salmon to 2kg on lures such as Daiwa Double Clutches.
Next door at Lake Purrumbete, anglers fishing mudeyes under floats caught rainbow trout to 1.5kg. This lake should soon begin producing trophy brown trout with the onset of colder weather.
Darryl Luttrell ventured up to Tullaroop Reservoir where he walking the banks casting Fish Arrow soft plastics for trout. He hooked a beastly brown of 65cm, which made the long drive worthwhile.
Over the next week anglers should try St Leonards for quality whiting and squid. Port Fairy should also hold great numbers of bluefin tuna, which are apparently proving a little less finicky than in recent weeks.
Freshwater anglers could try casting Fish Arrow soft plastics for redfin and trout at Wurdee Boluc Reservoir.
