On the Bite, by Peri Stavropoulos
Another wet and windy week of fishing has gone by and, although the conditions weren’t the greatest, some great angling was still reported.
Clifton Springs continued to hold great numbers of calamari just out from the boat ramp in 3.5m of water. With bag-limit captures becoming very achievable, the area remains a great option if the weather is like how it has been lately.
Anyone wanting to fish land-based in the area could try the Clifton Springs jetty, which has also fished very well for calamari. Fishing at night seems to be the go, with artificial jigs working best.
Something a little bit different entertained Liam Leith, Owen Westwell and I when we went flounder-spearing in the shallows. We managed a mixed bag of flounder, garfish, calamari and a Balmain bug while slowly walking the shallows at night with a spear and light.
Getting the correct conditions and bottom structure was the biggest key to success to our outing. Also, the wind needs to be coming off the land for the calmest possible conditions and the participating anglers need to be wading in about waist-deep water over sand flats.
Avalon, Werribee, Portarlington, and St Leonards should also be spots worth trying with a spear at night.
Portland is back on the radar, for good reason with the barrel tuna are on fire. Trolling in water between 40m and 70m deep with skirted lures was the most-common tactic. Some boats reported of multiple-way hook-ups, with some of the fish over 100kg.
Last weekend’s opening of the 2019/2020 Victorian trout season was a huge success. The Otways fished reasonably for brown trout in most of its river systems, with anglers doing best while either casting shallow-diving minnows lures, soft plastics or flies, although drifting worms in the deep pools is a well-proven tactic as well.
Victorian Fisheries Authority stocked over 1500 rainbow trout up to 5kg into the Goulburn River and Eildon Pondage ahead of the opening. Anglers from around the state made the trip in hope to get among some incredible fishing action and they weren’t disappointed.
Fishing with Powerbait or casting lures were the techniques of choice in both the river and pondage, where most anglers got onto fish. Josh Bryans made the trip up and was rewarded a nice haul of fish including a ripper of a rainbow weighing around 10lb and taken on lure.
