The Pelican's Pick
Friday, 7 November
Marko jumped on board his good mate Fad’s boat for a cruisy, sunny afternoon session to check out the waters and see where the snapper were sitting.
With reports coming in from all over they covered plenty of ground, from the south end right up to the north of Port Phillip, sounding up schools along the way. The water temp was a bit low, and the bite was slow at first, but patience paid off!
Marko managed to land this solid 6kg snapper in the shallows off Brighton in about 6 metres of water, using a trusty whole pilchard on a size 5 circle hook. They ended up with several more fish around the same size from different schools. Not a bad day out at all! There were no brag mats to measure them, just a photo of a big red snapper and its beautiful colours!
To be our next Pelican’s Pick star, submit your photos to pelicanspick@vfa.vic.gov.au, or share your fishing story here.
Along the Coast
If you’re chasing variety, you can’t get any more diverse than the fishing around Portland! Large snapper are being caught offshore using squid strips and soft plastics. Gummies are getting reeled in off the break wall on small chunks of trevally. The Hopkins River has donkey sized bream and cracking estuary perch! Black grubs, sandworms and yabbies are sure to have these fish peeling off line!
Apollo Bay is fishing well with multiple inshore zones offering protection. Snapper are swimming around reef structures and rock platforms. When fishing from a rock platform be sure to wear a life jacket! The surf-breaks near Marengo have anglers reeling in fresh Aussie salmon early morning.
It’s a bad time to be bait in Yarram as fish are on the bite! The channels are filled with activity as flathead and bream are feeding. Use fresh bait near structure and steep drop offs. Dawn and dusk are the best times to target these areas when the wind is moderate, and the pressure is stable. Further up the coast at Woodside there are heaps of gummy sharks! Fresh, oily baits are the key to their hearts!
Lake Tyers offers a great system for all to enjoy! When you’re not admiring the scenery, you’re usually pulling in a fish or two! Hardbody lures along the deeper channels will see you score quality bream! Casting out a fresh oily bait around the sandy edges to entice some class flathead!
Around the Bays
The artificial reefs around the bay are offering fun for kayakers and boaters alike! Altona Reef is yielding big catches of snapper and Kayaker’s Reef has got flatties! For those looking to fish the artificials, pack a variety of bait such as squid strips, pilchards and fresh prawns to target a diverse range of species that call these reefs home.
Salmon are busting up everywhere and anglers can’t get enough! Keep your eyes open for areas where the water appears to be boiling as that’ll be where the fishing are! As large schools aggressively feed they generate surface activity which is usually accompanied by sea birds trying to get a feed too.
The piers are busy across Western Port and Port Phillip with anglers taking home a seafood platter! Snapper, King George whiting, flathead, gummy shark, trevally and squid are all being caught. A friendly reminder when pier fishing is to be respectful of others and not only share the space, but the passion for fishing too!
Snapper fishing after the rain has gone crazy! Gigantic fish are getting reeled in from boats around Corinella and other areas of Western Port are also delivering.
There are plenty of flathead around Queenscliff. If you’re after something bigger like snapper, cut your bait into larger chunks that are too big for the flatties to chew. Catch some squid on a jig to use as fresh bait or support your local tackle store for greater choice!
Inland
It’s been a much needed wet and rainy week for some parts of the state but don’t let it dampen your spirits as a feeding frenzy is kicking off! As the rain washes worms and critters into waterways the fish are waiting for them in the shallows!
When fishing the rivers such as the Wimmera, Goulburn and Mitta Mitta look for slower moving patches where perch and trout are likely to sit. Choose black and dark lures when the water’s dirty to create a defined silhouette.
The Campaspe is pumping out redfin worthy of a family feed! They don’t ask for much, just a simple worm on a hook and they’ll be on the chew in no time. Lake Eppalock is offering up the trolling trifecta! With Murray cod, yellowbelly and redfin all ready to be caught! When trolling for cod use a size 2 Stumpy to avoid getting snagged too easily and for yellas and redfin opt for a smaller hardbody lure like a Jackall Chubby.
Lake Eildon is the place to be this spring with huge cod being caught daily, noting it’s one of several lakes where the 3-month closed season for cod doesn’t apply. Regardless of whether you’re fishing from the boat or the bank there’s a chance that trophy fish of a lifetime is lurking just below the surface!
When fishing from the bank look for areas with fallen trees and scrub to cast near. If you’re out in a tinny, sound and troll edges of deeper channels and drop offs with big lures. If you prefer to take home a feed, swap to Tassie Devils and minnow profile lures and cast at brown trout swimming around the Jerusalem Creek Arm.
If you’ve never been to northeastern Victoria this time of year you’re missing out on some of the best freshwater fishing going. We’re talking about Lake Hume, which is still a great place to cast in a line for a trophy-size golden perch! Try lipless crankbaits, black soft plastics, small hard body lures or even jigs next to large tree trunks. As water temperatures rise and recent rain sees impoundments across central and northern Victoria filling up, the edge bite for yellas should really turn on, especially at dawn and dusk.
See us this Saturday at our FREE Murray Codference in Shepparton. We’ll be discussing all things Murray cod and more! Book here and we’ll see you there!
Tight lines - Mr Percy!