On the Bite, by Chris Pitman
Clifton Springs hosted plenty of attention from anglers seeking snapper over the past week, although the fish were particularly selective on their bite times.
Simon D’Antino managed to boat three snappers of 6.5kg at anchor on the mud near Wilson Spit.
Gummy sharks to 6kg were a common but welcome by-catch, while anglers fishing the spoil grounds caught pinkies and pike on soft plastics.
Whiting captures increased at St Leonards where fish to 40cm were taken around tide changes. Tenderised squid seemed to entice the most bites.
The mouth of Swan Bay produced squid to 1kg on size 3 jigs drifted over the grass patches on the incoming tide.
The Barwon River estuary was a hot spot for the kids with small King George whiting, Australian salmon and mullet devouring cut up pieces of prawns and pippies. Bream anglers fared well with fresh baits such as shrimp and Bass yabbies.
The Surf Coast estuaries continued to produce bream. Tackleworld Geelong’s Adam Van Der Lugt spent an afternoon walking the banks to catch numerous bream to 36cm again on Z-Man grubs.
Portland was a standout destination for barrel southern Bluefin tuna to over 100kg, which were taken almost daily. Anglers hooked into tuna in as little as 60m while trolling skirted lures.
On Sunday I fished Lake Elingamite, near Cobden, where the recent rain allowed the use of boats to 4.5m. While trolling a clown-pattern Tassie Devil rigged with twin-assist hooks on sunset I boated a rainbow trout of 57cm.
Other anglers fishing the lake boated some impressive redfin either by trolling or casting lures.
Lake Purrumbete continued firing, with anglers fishing at first and last light along the east shore, boating numerous brown trout to over 5kg. A variety of methods worked, with casting soft plastics to bait schools or fishing minnow under a float successful, along with old reliable approach of trolling Tassie Devils.
Wurdee Boluc Reservoir was a solid option for rainbow trout to 1kg on mudeyes and redfin to 40cm on lure.
Next week’s options should include casting lures from the lake margins at Wurdee Boluc as the larger redfin come on the chew, while Purrumbete will also be worthwhile. Snapper anglers should continue persisting off Clifton Springs and further east toward the start of the Point Richards channel.
