The Pelican's Pick

Friday, 15 March

Sydenham Inlet is so chockers with bait sized prawns at the moment, it’s a wonder the fish have tummy room for more food! Instead of the fish going into a food coma, they’re in feeding mode and have really fired up. Tony and Hunter who are regulars at Bemm River had a great session catching over 140 bream. All were caught on lures along with some cracking flathead in the mix. Hunter (pictured) was catching them on ZMan GrubZ and D.O.A prawns and caught this beautiful dusky during the session. We’re sure this was a day they will remember for a while!

Along the Coast

A nice run of prawns in a number of the east coast estuaries have fired up the bream and flathead fishing. The prawns are mainly bait sized but are a great option and worth the effort in catching some if you are planning on fishing a number of these systems, but prawn imitation lures are a good alternative.

Offshore at Mallacoota, the catches of sand flathead have been very consistent around Tullaburga and Gabo Island with quality fish upwards of 50cm being landed. Mixed in with the flatties have been gurnard, snapper, and dusky morwong. The kingfish have been a bit slow this week, but those who have persisted have found schools along the airport area. This fishing is set to improve as we head towards the Easter period.

In the Mallacoota Inlet, the bream fishing remains high quality with large fish being caught all throughout the lake, along with decent tarwhine. Large whiting continue to be caught on worms and live nippers in the clear water. Several large flathead are still being observed up to 92cm in the lower lake.

Tamboon Inlet is producing consistent catches of dusky flathead and bream, plus small prawns on the new moon, it’s worth having a look this week!

Bemm River is fishing very well, especially for bream in Sydenham Inlet on fresh worm and live prawns. Bait sized prawns and a few bigger ones are being seen in the thousands at night, and with the entrance closed, it should only be getting better the next few moon cycles. Perch are consistently being caught up the river and on the weed edges.

The 90 Mile Beach is producing snapper and gummy sharks offshore and good numbers of pinkies too, particularly from Corner Inlet down to Wilsons Promontory on the reefs around the islands.

Inside Corner Inlet, the best option is the calamari on both artificial and baited jigs.

Over along the west coast there is fantastic snapper fishing in Portland Bay and along the North Shore, with many boats bagging out. For the land based fishers there are nice gummy shark being caught from the Portland Lee Break Water.

Southern bluefin tuna have started to move into the area, as we noticed good catches over the long weekend around Deen Maar.

The western rivers are a great option this week, with the Glenelg River producing fantastic catches of yellow eye mullet and the Fitzroy River also a good option for a variety of estuarine fish including bream, mullet, and estuary perch.

Around the Bays

King George Whiting are still being caught off Black Rock around the Red Bluff and off the Pillars at Parkdale.

There’s great land based options at the moment, with decent snapper being caught off a number of the piers in Port Phillip bay. We’ve seen snapper up to 35cm and bream being caught off Mordialloc Pier, with the odd snapper over 50cm being landed too. There are also snapper being caught from the St Kilda Pier and around Port Melbourne.

Port Phillip bay has been fishing well, particularly up the top around Altona and Werribee for King George whiting, calamari and flathead, with most species active in the warmer, calm weather and plenty of boats out getting a good feed.

Clifton Springs has been producing calamari in reasonable numbers and they’ve been taking pale coloured squid jigs, with white being the go-to colour.

Impressive King Gorge whiting have been caught recently around the Mornington Peninsula with the weed beds and drop offs between Rye to Mornington worth a try, plus around Mud Island has also been fishing well.

Inland

Rocklands is still producing golden perch on yabbies and scrubbies from the shore. Quality Murray cod are also being picked up on lures, particularly spinnerbaits targeting the inshore timber.

Cooler overcast days in Eildon has provided perfect Autumn weather to be casting a line in the Goulburn River and Eildon Pondage. Popular fishing spots along the Goulburn River include Binns, MCcRaes Road and McMartins Road in Alexandra.

Currently, anglers have been using a variety of different methods to catch pan sized to large brown trout. Pink powerbait as well as fluoro spoon lures have been extremely successful.

The Eildon Pondage has been recently stocked with large brown trout, and we’ve seen them caught around the bridge holding close to the banks in the shallow water and being active on powerbait and soft plastics.

Lake Eildon is currently sitting at approx. 94.60% capacity with the water looking like glass in this current beautiful weather. Golden perch are active in the lake on spinnerbaits among structured shallow banks and on live yabbies around Bonnie Doon, with schools of redfin found around vegetated edges of the Lake. Anglers are reporting the Big River Arm is producing big cod on hard bodied lures and swimbaits.

The Howqua River above Sheepyard Flat Campsite has been fishing well for fly fishers, with an abundance of small rainbow trout and healthy sized brown trout.

Smaller streams in Marysville and Buxton including the Steavenson River has been fishing well for trout, by wading the river fly fishing as well as spin fishing using small celtas.

The Little Steavenson and Acheron River are harbouring a variety of different trout species, including rainbow, brown, brook trout and hybrids. Attempt drifting worms or fly fishing.

Wimmera River is fishing well producing Golden perch on spinnerbaits and good catfish on scrubbies early morning and evening.

The Rubicon River is popular for flicking hard body Rapala lures, but a reminder of specific size and bag limits for the Rubicon River: 3 fish, no more than 2 over 35cm, and a minimum size limit of 25cm.

Tight lines – Mr Percy!