The Pelican's Pick
Friday, 4 September
Squid, squid and more squid! Steve and Lachie were up to their ears in kraken sized squid after what was the textbook definition of a cracking day on the water!
Launching the boat on a stunning sunny day in South Gippsland couldn’t have gone any better! Both Steve and Lachie’s rods kept going off like crazy until they both bagged out on some absolute thumpers!
There’s nothing better than being able to take home a fresh feed of calamari, looks like it’s dinner at Steve and Lachie’s house!
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Along the coast
Get ready for some productive fishing at Lake Tyers as we move into spring. Trevally can be found in fast moving currents, while bream are hiding in slow moving pockets near structure. Dusky flathead will start moving into shallower waters on warm days. Pack your tackle box with plenty of options so you’re ready to target whichever fish is firing on the day. Soft plastics in silvers, golds and browns are a great option to reel in a catch!
Aussie salmon are synonymous with 90 Mile Beach, so you’ll be sure to have a few bites on your line when fishing the surf. Deep gutters are holding big fish and metal slugs are reeling them in. There’s the occasional gummy shark that can be tempted with pilchards or squid strips but be prepared to pack some patience while you wait for a bite!
Hop over to the Hopkins River to hook into some quality black bream! Aim natural-coloured soft plastics around structure and deep pockets. The bridge pylons and installed snags/fish hotels provide the perfect shelter for bream and estuary perch, all you need to do is cast a tasty lure and they’ll be snapping at your line!
No fisher goes hungry in Portland, with fresh seafood baskets being served up daily! Offshore tuna barrels are keeping game anglers busy, while bread and butter species are creating rod bending chaos. Large gummy shark have been getting reeled in on large chunks of squid and pinkies are hammering pilchard pieces on an incoming tide. Land-based anglers are reporting regular catches of pinkies, Aussie salmon and squid.
Around the bays
Keen Western Port anglers are starting to gear up for a ripper snapper season ahead. If you’re planning to try and target the first run of snapper, aim for shallow waters with soft plastics. The top end always heats up first making it a prime spot to get stuck into some big reds. If using bait, the oily the better to encourage the snapper to bite!
The lower end of Western Port is where the action is this week with good catches reported from Hastings to Cowes. Squid are definitely the easiest to catch in current conditions with white and red jigs leading to a bagged-out session. Take some home for a feed and chuck others on your line to reel in something bigger! Gummy sharks are frequenting the area and they are devouring fresh squid – the bigger the bait the bigger the bite!
The Mornington Peninsula has anglers clutching their rods with excitement! The shallow waters are providing class fish! Whiting can easily be found with pipis off the pier or from the kayak. Squid are regularly being caught over weed beds with bright coloured jigs putting in the work on dull days.
St Leonards is where the King George whiting are at! These specimens are large with many catches over the 40cm mark! Mussel baits are working exceptionally well at securing a catch. Squid are a current staple item especially around the pier while trevally are keeping things interesting in deeper waters.
Inland
It’s o-fish-ally the Murray cod closed season, and while we give these iconic native fish a break to plan their romantic dates and to produce the next generation of cod there’s still some waterways open for anglers to get their freshwater fishing fix! Victoria’s year-round Murray cod fisheries are the perfect place to wet some line – whether it’s Lake Eildon, Rocklands Reservoir, Lake Nillahcootie, Lake Eppalock, Cairn Curran Reservoir, Lake Lascelles and Ouyen Lake you’ll be in for a great spring day on the water!
The Wimmera River is producing perch on a range of lures and baits. Yellow belly are the most common catch while redfin are the most delicious! Reports have shown these fish are in good health so expect some bowling balls to roll onto your hook! Small spinners and stumpies are doing the trick and worms are a reliable bait option! You might even score a silver perch!
Blue Rock Lake is full of surprises, or should we say, stacked with fish! Bass and browns are on the chew and anglers are getting stuck into the action! The bass just keeping getting bigger and better with reports of healthy catches from both boat and land-based fishers. The top pick of tackle is small diving minnows or surface lures in glassy conditions. Bait is working just as good with worms reeling in catches of bass and some beautiful brown trout.
The start of spring can only mean one thing… Stonker stocking! Last week, over 1,000 stonker rainbow trout were stocked across 17 urban fishing lakes across Melbourne! Karkarook, Navan Park and Yarrambat Lake are just a few of the many spots anglers are reeling in trophy fish! These large rainbow trout love bait and can be found devouring worms and power bait!
The trout river season opens this Saturday, and another 1,000 stonkers have been released into the Goulburn River and the Eildon Pondage between Eildon and Molesworth. The rivers are high and coloured up after recent rainfall, so look for backwaters and slower pools that will hold feeding fish.
Tight lines – Mr. Percy!