The Pelican's Pick
Friday, 30 October
Lake Eppalock is a ripper place to fish with the family and there’s beautiful rewards up for grabs!
Kyle and his dad cast out some fresh yabbies and waited for a bite. It wasn’t long before his rod was bending and his reel was screaming!
It was a quick battle, and Kyle landed this fantastic redfin! A truly delicious prize for his hard work!
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Along the Coast
School is in session at Mallacoota, with plenty of healthy gummy, mako and school sharks on the chew. Launching from Bastion Point is the quickest way to get out amongst the action with extensive reefs holding good specimens. Baits with a strong scent will work well in these areas to ensure you can get some fresh flake for dinner.
Loch Sport has big game lurking with bronzie action heating up! Mullet and mackerel are the perfect baits to get the job done for land-based anglers. Among the smaller catches (but not too small) are gummy shark and flathead. They have been actively feeding on squid strips and pilchards respectively.
Lorne has it all, from the perfect pier to some of the best offshore fishing along the coast when hunting for a feed. Snapper are cruising through the area devouring squid strips, mullet and trevally chunks. There’s been loads of school shark action and anglers are bringing in mammoth catches. Oily baits are working a treat, rig up large chunks to get large catches!
Recent rain has switched on the fish and turned up the surface activity in the Hopkins River. Bream and estuary perch are hammering surface lures when anglers are fishing the twilight session. Cast towards timber snags around low tide times. Let your lure settle and retrieve slowly with the occasional pause to get a big hit!
Around the Bays
The stretch of water from Rhyll to Corinella is productive at producing quality sessions for keen anglers! Big reds are keeping rods busy and PB’s keep getting broken. Aim for the edge of deep channels to hook into a nice snapper. Salmon fillets are getting quality gummy shark to bite while pipis are landing respectable whiting.
It’s all action in Hastings with mixed bags being served up to anglers. Bass yabbies, pilchards and squid strips cast out between 5m to 10m depth is a popular hot spot for a range of species. Small bits of bait are securing catches of whiting, pinkies and flathead, while larger bait chunks are reeling in gummy shark and snapper!
As we start heading into summer, the piers around Port Phillip are an awesome way to have a land-based saltwater session! Common species to be caught off the piers are squid, flathead, pinkies, garfish, whiting and snapper! A friendly reminder when flocking to the piers to be respectful of others, share the space and be sure to celebrate each other’s catch!
Black Rock continues to be the go-to spot for large snapper! The area has extensive underwater structure and deep channels, creating the ideal environment for big fish! It’s best to use a paternoster rig with squid, pilchards or garfish in around the 7m depth mark. Curl tail soft plastics are producing exceptional results especially in peak bite times.
Inland
The yellow belly in Lauriston Reservoir are absolutely thriving! If you’re a kayaker or a land-based fisher who likes to take it easy, then this is the spot for you! Spinnerbaits, crankbaits and yabbies are what’s getting the bites along the bank and near deep edges. If you’re chasing brown trout, swap to worms or Powerbait and your line will start peeling!
The rivers in the northeast are treating anglers with trout-tastic catches! The Mitta Mitta and Ovens are fishing exceptionally well for stonking brown trout. Small hardbodies in natural tones are proving the most effective at securing a catch!
Lake Toolondo is all about reddies and rainbows! With a healthy population of trout, anglers fishing the water are likely to reel in a PB! Trolling orange, green or pink Tassie Devils almost always guarantees success by encouraging an aggressive strike! Target areas near established structure where fish are likely to be feeding.
Be ready for a strike at Waranga Basin with plenty of bowling ball shaped yellas on the bite! Sound up areas where woody habitat has been installed and aim for the mid water column. Yellow belly love to sit suspended near structure and can easily be enticed with jigging lures up and down. Both soft plastics and spinner baits are working effectively to reel in stunning fish!
Tight lines – Mr. Percy!
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