The Pelican's Pick
Friday, 10 April
A long weekend spent on the top end of Gippsland Lakes was more than successful for Neil and his mate! Casting out soft plastics saw Neil reeling in not one, not two, but four mulloway averaging 60cm! While his mate scored another one of the same size!
Neil was happy to report that they are beginning to see more mulloway frequenting the area! Alongside the mulloway action, estuary perch are beginning to fire up and Neil has scored some ripper catches!
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Along the Coast
Portland has tuna, tuna and more tuna! Massive schools are passing through the area causing big bust ups and rods buckling all round! There’s the occasional big snapper about, stay determined with squid strips at the ready! It’s gummy shark galore with the odd mako in the mix keeping things interesting!
Apollo Bay is starting to see 60cm plus tuna come off the boat ramps in the west. As the tuna season is starting to come into full swing, a reminder that the bag limit for southern bluefin tuna is two, and the possession limit is two whole fish or less than 160kg in any other form.
Bream are starting to fire off in the Gellibrand and Aire rivers - fresh worms are working their magic with quality fish snapping at the line! There’s solid Australian salmon on the run from the beaches as well as between Apollo Bay and Peterborough. The area is still seeing some nice table size pinkies from the boats.
Lake Tyers is putting up a session you won’t want to miss! Donkey bream are on the chew and they are scoffing down prawns without hesitation. If you snag a school it’ll be non-stop action! Large dusky flathead are hammering neutral-coloured soft plastics. Between the duskies and bream there are gigantic tailor ready to lunge at your line, especially if it’s equipped with pilchards.
Mallacoota continues to host a visit from royalty with large schools of kingys moving through the area consistently, with mammoth catches on live yakkas and squid. It’s not all trophy fish though, with many staple species proving to be a reliable target. Gummy shark, squid, snapper and flathead have all been caught recently using fresh baits such as pilchards, squid cubes and jigs of course!
Around the Bays
The fishing at Altona is going off! Massive schools of salmon are busting up and those lucky enough to experience it are in for the fishing session of their lives! Look for birds and “boiling water” to get stuck into the action! Small green poppers and metal slugs will have you reeling in your line as soon as you cast it out!
Park up at St Leonards Pier to wet some line and catch a meal. Whiting are actively feeding on fresh baits like pipis and sandworms. Squid are the most reliable catch and are known to be on the hunt after dark. Flatties and pinkies are around but a bit harder to find. Aim to fish 1-2 hours before high tide.
Coronet Bay has shallow flats providing the ideal hunting ground for kraken squid! Red coloured jigs are a favourite in muddy flats as they create a distinct silhouette for the squid to latch on! There are also inconsistent patches of whiting around, keep at it with fresh pillies on your hook and a burley mix of crushed mussels, pillies and pipis to attract them in.
Lang Lang is swarming with gummy shark on a rising tide with fresh squid and trevally strips scoring monster catches! The whiting are a bit hit and miss at the moment, while flathead are a reliable fallback species and can be found sitting around the edge of the channel. Anglers at Tooradin have been reporting good catches of snapper and gummy.
Inland
The tributaries of the Goulburn below Eildon are the ideal location for trout anglers! Not only is it the perfect spot to fly fish, it provides a fun challenge for all anglers. Brown trout have been the catch of the week with small plate sized fish up for grabs! There’s the odd rainbow hiding along pockets of slow-moving water next to the main flow. Crickets have been most effective at reeling in quality catches!
The rivers of northeast Vic hold secret cod spots where river monsters can be found. In the areas where water is flowing look for snags and structure. Dusk is proving most productive with bigger fish biting just after dark. Use dark hard bodied lures such as olive green, purple and red for the best chance to peel some line.
Fishing the Goulburn River is a sure way to guarantee you don’t go home with doughnuts as long as you know where to look! Golden perch and Murray cod are being caught around Seymour on diving lures and spinnerbaits. Keep an eye out for protected trout cod while fishing that stretch, as they must be returned to the water unharmed. The lower Goulburn has seen big fish bite while the smaller fish have gone a bit quiet. Be prepared with a range of baits and lures. The cod are loving cheese and hard body lures at the moment!
It’s wild fishing out west and with plenty of locations to target, everyone can get in on the action! Lake Fyans is a small but mighty fishery, when the fish switch on (and they do) there’s quality brown trout on powerbait and worms. Taylors Lake has got respectable sized cod while the yellas at Rocklands Res are biting on spinnerbaits and yabbies.
Tight lines - Mr Percy!