Bay remains a snapper hot spot

Bryce Nurnaitis with a snapper. (Supplied) 259629_01

Peri Stavropoulos

The inner harbour of Corio Bay is still proving to be the number one snapper location with plenty of anglers landing fish to 80 centimetres.

Fishing off Wagim Walk with baits such as pilchard and squid have been accounting for a lot of snapper captures, soft plastics have been working well also.

Anglers fishing out of small tinnies and kayaks have been having the best success as they can get there lures right into the structure – please be aware that you are not allowed to fish off the yacht club pontoon and piers.

There has also been plenty of quality other species cruising about at the moment including flathead, salmon, trevally and whiting in the same area.

Clifton Springs has been pretty slow at the moment with the cold weather and cold water making the snapper quite tricky to catch – there are still some reports of anglers finding a fish here and there.

The Bellarine Light Game and Sport Fishing Club had its annual Ron Kitchen Memorial Snapper Competition with the winning fish weighing in at 4.5kg.

Most members were fishing the Quarries and the Point Richards spoil grounds.

Queenscliff is still providing some fantastic squid and whiting as of late, the grass beds up to Swan Bay have been holding good numbers of fish and some quite big ones too.

The squid in the bight have also been chewing quite well, as per usual fishing the slack tide has been best as you’re not drifting quicker than your jig can sink.

Offshore Barwon Heads has been a snapper hot spot lately with fish holding in great numbers, straight off the bluff in 50 metres of water has been super productive.

Gone fishing charters has been knee deep in the action lately getting customers stuck into heaps of snapper to four kilograms.

Port Welshpool has been a popular location over the past week or two for big snapper and gummy sharks with lots if reports coming through of fish exceeding eight kilograms in weight.

Peri Stavropoulos and Bryce Nurnaitis from Trellys Geelong ventured down landing snapper to 5.5kg in weight.

Wurdi Buloc Reservoir has been a popular location for trout and redfin with anglers getting stuck into some nice fish.

Both species have been chewing well on shallow hardbody lures and the humble Mudeye has been accounting for its fair share of fish also.