Anglers flocked to Corio Bay and piers across Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula on Wednesday following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
“On an average day you’d have nowhere near that amount,” local fishing expert Peri Stavropolous said.
The midweek fishing pilgrimage followed the easing at midnight on Tuesday of stage 3 restrictions, which had previously prohibited the pastime.
Mr Stavropolous estimated double the amount of fishers dropping a line compared to an average day before bans on recreational fishing came into force in March.
“There’s heaps of land-based fishos today,” he said.
“They were on nearly every structure we could see. I only see it that busy when it’s the weekend and you have really good weather.
“We saw a lot of people pulling fish too.”
Mr Stavropolous saw anglers net salmon, flathead and travelly on the bay and fish numbers were “really good”, he said.
A keen fisherman himself, he was thrilled to cast a line on Wednesday for the first time in more than a month.
“We didn’t care what the weather was going to be, we were going to be fishing,” he said.
“I think that’s the case with most fishos, getting out on the water is all they care about.
“It’s a massive, massive step in [returning] to my normal life again. It leaves a bit of a hole when you’re not fishing, it just doesn’t feel right.”
Mr Stavropolous works at Trelly’s Geelong, which he said was much busier following the easing of restrictions.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the easing of restrictions on Monday.
Under the changes people can now gather in groups of up to ten outside of home while maintaining physical distancing.
National and state parks will open for hiking, fishing, hunting, prospecting, diving, boating and other recreational activities for groups of up to 10.
