Anglers sought out a wide variety of species to make the most of calm autumn conditions over the past week.
Corio Bay resembled a sheet of glass most mornings last week, allowing anglers keen on flicking a soft plastic to encounter fantastic pinkie snapper.
The Western Beach mornings were a great time and place, with pinkie snapper schooling up densely. There were reports of the odd larger snapper making an appearance around the Western Beach moorings for those fishing lightly weighted pilchards.
Structures such as the old tug boat wharf were also productive locations with pinkies holding in tight against the pilings.
The grammar school lagoon channel was a popular spot for a mixed bag with pinkies, flathead and the odd pike.
Brad Mitchell ventured over to Bird Rock at the entrance to Corio Bay last Friday, where he took 10 nice whiting to 35cm. Brad mentioned he did have to pick through a few small whiting.
Over at Clifton Springs the whiting were in better numbers but of around the same size. Anglers found the section of water seven to eight metres out from the Old Dell to once again produce the best results.
Squid were the focus of anglers fishing the entrance to Swan Bay with the last of the run-in tide working best. Size three jigs were perfect for the task when cast ahead of the drift.
Around the corner Queenscliff proved to be the whiting capital again with 40cm specimens common in bag limit captures.
Gummy sharks were also taken out from Queenscliff during the week. Big baits did the trick on gummy shark to 10kg along the deep channel edges.
Chris from Gone Fishing Charters guided his clients onto some beasty snapper out from Barwon Heads last week, with one of Chris’s clients boating an example of almost 8kg.
Juvenile whiting, salmon and trevally keep anglers busy this week with small baits such as pippie and prawn getting the job done.
Those fishing out from Portland and Port Fairy making the run to the continental shelf experienced world-class Albacore fishing. Trolling skirted lures of around six inches worked well and Bluefin tuna were also in excellent numbers.
Tackleworld Geelong’s Michael Moore headed to Nelson last week to fish the Glenelg River, experiencing plenty of estuary perch averaging 40cm and mulloway to 60cm as well as a few bream. Mick found the most effective lures to be the Atomic Hardz deep in the Ray Long 01 colour and pumpkinseed turtleback worms. The most productive areas were between the top of Taylors Strait through to the caves.
Freshwater anglers flocked to Wurdee Blouc and with good reason. Numerous redfin between 40 and 45cm graced anglers’ bags last week. A wide variety of techniques worked with those casting heavy lures like Nories Metal Wasaby and Fish Arrow soft plastics all accounting for fish.
Tackleworld Geelong’s Adam Van Der Luht was at it again last Wednesday night where he banked a brown trout of around 2.5kg casting a Daiwa TD 95 Minnow. Adam found the larger profile lures to work well at both first and last light on hungry brown trout and redfin.
Danny Sparks made a day break start Tuesday morning at Wurdee Boluc. Persistence paid off with a 3.8kg brown trout in superb condition devouring his Daiwa TD 95 minnow. As a bonus Danny also banked a 1kg redfin a few casts later.
Josh Smith made the trek to Lake Wendouree last Sunday where using hard body lures landed him a well-conditioned redfin of 47cm.
Next week those wanting to wet a line should turn their attention to Corio Bay with such a wide variety of species on offer. The Barwon Estuary is still a great choice for the land based anglers and those seeking a mulloway. Freshwater anglers keep focusing on Wurdee Boluc and make sure you use lures that cast a mile.
