The Pelican's Pick
Friday, 10 July
“Sensational winter fishing” were the words Nikki used to describe her weekend session on Lake Tyers.
Rugging up to brave the cold in her signature purple beanie, Nikki hit the water for what would be a day to remember. Fishing around the 2-5m mark with vibes and soft plastics resulted in mixed catches of bream, estuary perch and dusky flathead!
The highlight was this whopping 65cm lizard! A quick photo and back in the drink to swim another day.
As always an excellent report coming from Nikki (Purple Patch Fishing) in the Gippsland region!
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Along the coast
The Gippsland Lakes system is giving anglers some of the best winter fishing action! On the beach at Lake Bunga there’s salmon devouring poppers! Towards Lakes Entrance there’s a good amount of bream moving within the system and holding up near structure, and flathead can be found near channel edges. Metung is serving up big bream for land-based anglers using soft plastics and keep an eye out for estuary perch when you’re targeting bream!
Port Albert has some nice sized flathead around the inlet. Stay consistent by drifting soft plastics to chase a bite. Out in deeper waters there’s mammoth gummies chomping on large baits such as salmon fillets, squid and yakkas. Or, hunt along the edges of weed beds to land a nice squid.
Port Welshpool is packed with quality winter squid! The long jetty is the place to be to get a feed. Jigging lures near the pylons and around the changing tide is proving effective. White glow jigs remain the most popular option with pink and green jigs also getting their fair share of tasty squid!
Southern bluefin tuna are the main attraction at Warrnambool for big game fishers. Trolling skirted lures is always the best option or live baits such as squid and yakkas. Bread and butter species are frequently being caught closer to shore with gummy shark being a prized catch! The squid bite is steady and improving, and catches of whiting are in the mix. Baits such as squid strips, pilchards and pipis are best for this area.
Around the bays
Safety beach is a safe bet to get stuck into a good session. Schools of Aussie salmon are hammering pilchards, squid cubes and mullet. That’s not the only thing biting, with a good feed of flathead about. If you’re lucky to score some winter flatties, put them to good use by lightly dusting the fillets with flour seasoned your own way and shallow frying them for a great feed.
San Remo is chockers with sensational Aussie salmon! There’s plenty of fish schooling up in the area, keep your eyes peeled for bust ups and “boiling water”. Birds are another key signal that the fishing is red hot! Quickly working a metal slug amongst the feeding frenzy will have you landing a fish on deck with each cast!
Cowes Pier is serving up squid at first and last light. Glow jigs are reeling in monsters and anglers are taking home a feed! There’s the odd catch of Aussie salmon on fresh bait, with respectable fish inhaling pillies and beachworms! Fish will school up near the pylons so drop a line right off the edge and you’ll get a bite!
Western Port fishing remains active through the cold snap. There’s been some big winter reds caught around the mouth of the bay in deep water. Squid are still on the chew around Flinders, with good catches of whiting on pipis and trevally on squid cubes also a hit. Definitely put this spot on your list if you’re chasing a mixed bag.
Inland
The Merri River continues to fire on all cylinders with keen anglers reeling in cracking fish! Brown trout are trophy sized and hungry! Aim for rocky shallow areas where fast moving water riffles move into deep pools. Spinners work really well in these environments and are a great way to secure a catch!
Rocklands Reservoir is full of sticks and if you’ve got the right tricks you’ll reel in a class fish. Murray cod over 60cm+ are the main catch being landed on deck with the help of yabbies, cheese and some realistic swimbaits. Up towards Brodies there’s good sized yellas around woody habitat. Drop some soft vibes or spinnerbaits to score a catch!
From first time fishers to experienced anglers, the school holiday trout stockings have meant many anglers are reeling in a reward and everyone is getting in on the fun! Albert Park Lake, Crusoe Reservoir, Ferntree Gully Quarry and Karkarook Lake are just a few of the waterways that received catchable sized trout and are fishing superbly! PowerBait and worms, or small bright lures are really good options when chasing these fish!
Blue Rock Lake bass just keep getting bigger! There’s been some ripper reports of donkey catches! Fishing the lower end of the lake near the wall is a prime spot to secure a catch. Surface lures are a must when fishing the dusk session. If you prefer the daylight deep diving hardbodies are the way to go!
Tight lines – Mr. Percy!