The Pelican's Pick
Friday, 26 June
It was a ripper day on the Aire River for Nate and his dad Jarred! They found a cracking spot and parked up on a jetty by the river. The goal of the day: Get Nate his first ever bream!
Casting out his line, Nate felt the unmistakeable tug of a fish on! As the reel squealed excitement grew! Before he knew it, Nate landed this beautiful black bream measuring in at a nice 39cm!
It was a highlight of the trip from a fun family fishing adventure! Excellent job Nate, I’m sure this is the first bream of many!
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Along the coast
The Mallacoota Inlet is absolutely pumping out some quality black bream! The top lake is a safe go-to for those chasing constant rod-bending action! If you’re trying to get onto a donkey, the bottom lake has some decent specimens on offer. Crab imitation lures are seeing some good action with 3-inch paddle tails also considered a reliable option.
Port Albert is the place to be to secure a mixed bag feed of fish! There’s been some ripper reports of plate sized trevally caught on peeled prawns when the tide is running. Squid have been another popular species caught throughout the system. Target deeper channels of water with oily pilchards and cubed up mullet for a chance to reel in class snook and flatties.
Port Welshpool has a decent winter fishing session in store! Anglers fishing from the jetty are getting squid, garfish and the occasional flattie. Out in deeper waters there’s some mammoth gummies lurking and they are demolishing salmon chunks. There’re a few schools of Aussie salmon cruising around and can be found with metal lures.
Port Fairy has some big fish on offer for those going offshore. Barrel tuna are rolling onto the deck for anglers who are trolling skirted lures and deep diving hardbodies. There’s jumbo gummy for those rigging up mackerel, salmon and squid. The chunkier the bait the better! It will help to deter small fish and present a nice solid profile for a hungry gummy to bite!
Around the bays
The bottom end of Western Port has some big winter reds for those keen to rug up and hit the water. Due to their larger body size, they can remain in the bay and utilise the year-round food sources found in the bay compared to smaller snapper and pinkies which need to migrate to deeper offshore areas to remain warm. To catch one of these big snapper you need patience. Feeding windows are active but short, so it is best to bait fish and you might just land one!
If you’re after a more consistent catch when fishing the bottom end of Western Port, we’ve got some great news! Giant gummy shark have been getting caught and many anglers are convinced they’ve reeled in Jaws! They’re almost as round as they are long and are big enough to feed the family and the neighbours! If you’re chasing something smaller get running to Stony Point with consistent reports of whiting biting on pipis, mussels and beach worms.
Corio Bay is a whiting hotspot this week with fish being caught left, right and centre! Cunningham Pier is a great land-based spot while Clifton Springs is great for boaters. Aim for water around 5m depth near weed beds. Berley is a must when attracting whiting to your line. Very small squid cubes are proving effective with pipis being a reliable choice.
Mornington to Rosebud is a great place to drop a line in the water. It is a prime spot to target winter squid especially off the piers. It’s a kayaker’s paradise with loads of sandy flats and weed beds to fish. King George whiting are actively feeding in the area around the 3m mark. Flatties are about but further out around the 12m mark with whitebait working best.
Inland
The Victorian school holidays are here and there’s plenty of fishing fun to be had! School holiday trout stockings mean more families can get out and wet a line close to home! Some key locations near Melbourne to cast out a worm to hook into a nice rainbow trout are Spavin Lake, Navan Park Lake, Yarrambat Lake and Lilydale Lake. That’s not all, with waters across the state getting stocked with ready to catch rainbows! Find a lake close to you here.
The Arcadia fish-out pond is another great spot to hit up on the holidays! The fish-out pond is regularly stocked with catchable sized Murray cod and golden perch over the summer months and now has on-grown rainbow trout too! Using bait is great with the cod loving cheese cubes and marinated chicken. The yellas are particularly fond of worms and fresh yabbies, while the trout can be caught on Powerbait or small lures. Make it a fun day out with a shaded playground, picnic and BBQ facilities.
Lake Eppalock fish are on the chew and ready to feast on whatever bait is served up! Stunning 60cm+ cod are becoming more frequent especially for land-based fishers. Yabbies and cheese are the key to their hearts with the Northern end of the lake being most productive. There’s a healthy supply of redfin waiting to be turned into homemade fish and chips!
Chasing a trophy brown trout has never been easier with the Hopkins River producing absolute stonkers! Anglers are putting in the hours and the lures are working overtime! Small minnow hardbodies and Tassie Devils have been incredibly effective in deeper pools. When fishing rapid water natural baitfish colours and trout patterns work best to attract an aggressive bite!
Tight lines – Mr. Percy!