The Pelican's Pick
Friday, 15 August
The best of a bunch! Rhys from St Leonards borrowed a mate’s boat on Saturday morning and ventured out into the fog for a few calamari. It wasn’t long before he found a patch, and the squid, the biggest of which was this fine specimen. A few smaller ones were kept too for bait. He was back at the ramp by 9am with plenty of the day left for other things…like washing the boat down, rinsing rods and planning his next trip!
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Along the Coast
After a weekend of perfect fishing weather, it was fantastic to see Victorians out and about making the most of our beautiful state! While showers are on the forecast for this weekend, we’re hoping they’ll be short and sweet so everyone can get back on the water.
Down in the southwest, the action hasn’t slowed. Gummies and schoolies are firing offshore in Portland, Warrnambool and Port Fairy, with salmon proving a top bait. But the shark bite isn’t just offshore, with land-based anglers landing them off the beach in the evenings, using squid, salmon and slimies. For those after an epic catch, the barrels are still lurking off Portland.
For estuary enthusiasts, Warrnambool is producing bream and perch on soft plastics, while the Glenelg River has been busy with bream, perch and mulloway.
Along the Surf Coast, salmon are still on the chew, whether you’re casting from the beach or the pier. Lorne Pier is continuing to be a hotspot, delivering consistent sashimi dinners.
Over in Gippsland, the salmon run continues, with pilchards doing the trick along the 90 Mile in Loch Sport. Snapper are also making an appearance, with fish over 6kg caught off Golden Beach using bluebait and tailor. There have also been reports of squid activity in Walkerville.
Around the Bays
If you’re a land or boat-based fisher, there’s one magical word across the bays this week – squid. Whether you’re chasing a quality feed, or stocking up on bait, the squid being landed are exceptional, with consistent reports of bag outs and monsters stretching close to 50cm!
Western Port has been hot, especially up in the top end. Flash Boosts and squid jigs have been the go-to for many anglers targeting the weed beds. While fishers are having luck on a variety of coloured jigs, orange seems to be the favourite. In Port Phillip Bay, fishers in Sorrento, Point Cook, Werribee, Mordialloc, and across the Bellarine have also been getting in on the action!
The snapper are on the bite too, with pinkies showing up in the Warmies, and bigger fish coming out of Western Port. These catches are a sure sign we’re edging closer to snapper season – and summer. Smaller gummies are still on the chew inside the bays, with catches reported in Western Port and Corio Bay.
Around Werribee, low water temps have made fishing tough for some, but those still giving it a go are finding squid, flathead, bream and gummies past the marina.
Flathead have fired up in recent weeks, with soft plastics producing good fish in Mornington, Indented Head and Corio Bay’s outer harbour.
Inland
We’re hoping the great luck our coastal anglers are enjoying soon spreads to our inland fishers. While chilly conditions have made catches tougher inland, good fishing is still happening.
Eildon remains one of Victoria’s standout fisheries! If you prefer bank fishing, the pondage is easily accessible and consistently delivers solid trout catches. Meanwhile, Lake Eildon itself is buzzing with anglers chasing the fight of a lifetime from the prized meterys. Though many of the cod caught are well above the size limit, we know these trophy shots are destined for the wall — so please remember our tips to snap that great photo, whilst giving these fish the optimal chance to continue flourishing. If you are after something smaller, solid yellas have also been reported across the lake. While Lake Eildon is the go-to spot for the meterys, Lake Nagambie is also producing solid cod catches right now.
Brown and rainbow trout are still on the bite in permitted waters, with anglers having success at Newlyns Reservoir, Lake Wartook, and the Upper Hopkins using StumpJumpers. Meanwhile, there are solid reports of tiger trout in Lake Bullen Merri. The trout season opening is just around the corner, so make sure you’re up to date with seasonal closure regulations.
Big winter redfin over 40cm are being landed in many of the western lakes, including Lake’s Eppalock, Wartook, Wendouree and Toolondo. Reddies are regarded as one of the best eating freshwater fish in Victoria, with many anglers opting to take them home to feed the family. They can be caught a variety of ways, including jigging soft plastics or vibes, trolling hard-bodied lures or even on the humble worm on a hook.
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Tight lines – Mr. Percy!