By Brian Long
SNAPPER captures dominated reports over the past week, with plenty of fish taken on bait and lure.
Ben McLean showed his skill with mate Mick Moore by catching 10 snapper off Clifton Springs, finding lure the most productive method. Finding plenty of baitfish on the sounder was the key.
Keith Allan also found bait shoals then tried trolling deep-diving Rapala Taildancer lures, boating six fish and returning two over 3kg.
Eleven-year-old Alicia McLean landed her first snapper of the season with dad Scott close to Wilson Spit. Her 3.2kg fish was one of three the pair landed in a 20-minute session.
Anglers who braved last Saturday’s breezy southerly caught quality snapper from the outer-harbour at Wilson Spit, off the quarries and on the outer edge of Hermsley’s spoil grounds.
Guy McKenzie fished the southern edge of the Stingaree Bay’s spoil where a Gulp minnow accounted for his largest fish, a beauty of 6.3kg.
The evening low tides off North Shore rocks this week produced snapper over 2kg on soft plastics. Pike were also present, biting off many lures.
The snapper began pushing out of the deep water and into many of the shallower haunts such as the quarries, Bird Rock and Stingaree Bay.
The rising temperature also increased the whiting action, with consistent captures reported from Portarlington to Queenscliff on fresh squid or pippies.
Garry Stephens fished the entrance to Swan Bay where mullet, salmon, garfish and flathead soon appeared in his berley trail. However, a 4.8kg gummy shark was the highlight.
Trevally were caught in the cut at Queenscliff on soft plastics. Salmon, Tommy rough and the odd snapper were also landed.
Surf anglers contended with average conditions but Black Rock began producing as the weather settled, with reasonable numbers of snapper to 1.5kg and whiting better than 900g taken.
Salmon were caught on lures from the rocks between Lorne and Apollo Bay. Small lures to 30g were best, with the fish feeding on small bait.
Anglers returned with excellent reports from freshwater destinations further afield, especially Lake Lonsdale where redfin over 2kg were landed using either cast or trolled lures. Nathan Forbes landed two of 2.1kg each on a Vibrax.
Stuart O’Shea tried Lake Toolondo where he managed seven trout over two days, the biggest 2.3kg. Stuart said most fish he saw landed were taken on mudeye.
Moorabool Reservoir fished superbly on Monday afternoon when light winds saw the fish working the surface on a Dun hatch. Using a fly called a shaving brush, Ballarat’s Tom Stirling landed four fish under 2kg.
The Barwon River in Geelong remained discoloured, with eels the major target species for anglers using worm baits. However, Steven Tully landed two trout on a smelt-pattern fly in the running water at Buckley Falls.
Lismore’s Lake Tooliorook was best for anglers in boats, with mudeye or small bibbed lures cast around the heavy weed beds taking fish to more than 3kg.
Ballarat’s Lake Wendouree continued producing great trout fishing as well as some big redfin over 1.5kg. Bait anglers have favoured mudeye, while fly and shallow-running bigged lures also work well.
Snapper should be worth chasing this weekend on the spoil grounds in Stingaree Bay or on the banks off the quarries.
Lake Bullen Merri should be a good freshwater choice, with Powerbait fished on the bottom or trolled Tassie Devils in the gold colourations the best bets.
Send reports and photos to info@raylongtackle.com.au or visit Brian at Ray Long’s Fishing World, 105 Shannon Ave, Manifold Heights.
