The Pelican's Pick
Friday, 19 June
Zephyr and his dad Alastair made a lifelong memory this week while fishing offshore at Apollo Bay. Determined to land a southern bluefin tuna, they planned a trip with good friend Daniel that certainly knows how to find the big tuna!
Around 11am, Zephyr's rod went crazy and an epic battle began. The tuna's first run nearly spooled the reel, with only metres of line left before it was all gone. Thanks to some expert boat driving from Daniel and plenty of determination from Zephyr, they managed to regain line and settle in for an incredible 1.5-hour fight.
It was a proud dad moment for Alastair as Zephyr landed his very first tuna on the deck, and what a fish it was! This tuna tipped the scales at a whopping 105kg, which has since been cut into steaks, ready to be enjoyed with a simple lemon pepper seasoning. The perfect reward after an unforgettable day on the water!
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Along the coast
There’s been an influx of mammoth gummy shark around Portland and anglers are getting a well-deserved feed! Fresh is always best when targeting gummies so start your trip by collecting yakkas and squid to use as bait. Closer to shore, schools of pinkies are hammering pilchards! Always remember the minimum catch size for a pinkie is 28cm.
Lorne Pier is back open and ready for business! Cooling temperatures are resulting in an aggressive bite from Aussie salmon and trevally. Both species can be found on the chew around the pylons of the pier. Pilchards and squid strips are the best bait option and can almost guarantee rod bending action!
Braving the cold along 90 Mile Beach is proving fruitful for anglers! High tide is the best time to fish at Seaspray as Aussie salmon filter into the gutters along the beach. Spinners or poppers are most productive. Golden Beach has the odd gummy biting around dusk on salmon strips.
The fishing is absolutely excellent across the Gippsland Lakes system. Good sized estuary perch are abundant and are hitting soft plastics. Donkey bream are schooling up around river mouths with quality fish over 40cm being caught regularly. There’s been increasing reports of mulloway over 60cm which is creating a lot of excitement for anglers fishing the area.
Around the bays
Western Port has been producing steady whiting action along the flats, with fish responding best to baits like pipis and mussels during moving tides. There have been a few pinkies caught around channel edges and drop offs too. The best bite window is around late afternoon to mid evening.
Around Flinders, squid activity has improved with winter conditions settling in. Working the edges of weed beds and reef edges is the key to picking up some solid squid on jigs. Fishing at dusk during calm weather windows has been the most productive time, and often producing a good feed!
The Patterson Lakes system has been producing spectacular estuary fishing this week! Bream are holding tight around structures and are inhaling soft plastics, prawns and sandworms. Pinkies having been moving in and out with the tide devouring oily pillies. The occasional flathead has been spotted along deep sandy edges.
Fishing around Mud Island has been consistent for both King George whiting and squid. Sandy patches have been a key target area with heaps of whiting schooling up. Using fresh bait such as chunks of squid, bloodworms and prawns. Kraken squid have been active at first light along weed beds. A size 3.0 jig in fluoro colours is getting squid on the deck.
Inland
Blue Rock Lake should be on every anglers must fish list! There’s some cracking bass being reeled in at the moment, and it’s a hot spot for trout during the stream and river trout fishing closure. Cicadas and surface minnows are a sure-fire way to secure a catch! If you’re chasing trout, worms have been most effective for both browns and rainbows.
Casting swim baits at Barkers Creek Reservoir is the trick to landing a healthy looking cod. There are some deep pockets along the rock wall that are ideal for both lure and bait fishing with good catches on cheese as well. There’s plenty of redfin about that can be easily found with light-coloured soft plastics. Speaking of redfin, if you’re after a feed of these delicious fish, Wurdiboluc Reservoir contains some cracking redfin over 40cm long. 3-inch-long soft plastics hopped slowly on the bottom should do the trick to enticing a few.
Lauriston Reservoir contains an established population of golden perch that are maturing into quality specimens! It’s a great spot to launch the kayak and troll crankbaits or small bibbed lures by structure. Yabbies are the best option for bait as they best replicate the local diet for fish in the reservoir.
Lake Dartmouth is fishing extremely well for both brown and rainbow trout. Fish are holding deeper in the basin. Trolling deep diving lures over drop offs is producing top tier results! Head towards sheltered bays to baitfish with worms or mudeyes. Using a light leader in clear conditions is important to maintain a subtle presentation.
Tight lines – Mr. Percy!