The Pelican's Pick
Friday, 11 July
With school holidays officially kicking off, Taylor, Vivi and Logan wasted no time hitting the water on Sunday afternoon. Under perfectly still, glassy conditions Taylor and the kids set off on a winter boat adventure finding a promising weed bed at St Leonards.
They wasted no time, working their size 3 and 4 jigs and scanning the water for any sign of squid. It wasn’t long before something was spotted that gave them hope, and just like that, calamari began to emerge around their jigs.
The trio got to work, and soon enough, dad and the kids were reeling in some solid squid. The fun didn’t stop there. Between bursts of laughter and squeals from Vivi and Logan, the trio managed to snag another 6 calamari! The squid didn’t seem too picky with a variety of jig colours proving successful, though a white jig proved most effective.
After a successful family fishing trip, the first weekend of school holidays wrapped up with hot chips and hard-earned calamari, shallow fried. Absolutely delicious!
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Along the Coast
Squid fishing is productive over weedy patches in Corner Inlet. The ever-reliable flathead are also around. Whether your bait of choice is squid, pilchards or prawns, you’re in with a shot at a good feed. For anglers using larger baits, you might even land a nice size gummy as by-catch.
Portland and Port Fairy are the places to be if you’re after an adrenaline rush! Anglers are reporting gummies and snapper in the deep, with local squid and wrasse the bait of choice. Makos are out there too! Local mackerel is the ideal bait for chasing these.
Gummy sharks continue to provide fun off Manns Beach and Mcloughlins Beach, whilst Lakes Entrance is providing abundant salmon. Metal lures are the go!
In the Gippsland Lakes, bream and perch have been active. Anglers are finding good numbers of both species in the higher parts of the system. Soft plastics and prawns have been working well.
Around the Bays
Winter whiting are about, in both bays. In Port Phillip they’ve been on the chew off Sorrento and across to the Bellarine and Corio Bay.
St Leonards is the ultimate location if you’re looking for a feed, with plenty of impressive whiting and calamari around. If it’s squid you’re after, any time after 4pm as the sun sets is optimal, and larger whiting are on the chew after dark.
Anglers are heading to Rosebud Pier just before high tide with squid and raw chicken as bait to target Aussie salmon. Although not typically seen as a first choice eating fish, more Victorians are coming around to this species. What is the secret to making salmon work on the plate? Just bleed them immediately once caught.
The Patterson River is another great spot for bream. Anglers are finding them in abundance near the boat ramp. Scrub worms on a paternoster rig have been effective, especially after a bit of rain.
The western entrance of Western Port has provided a few surprises lately by way of big cuttlefish, taken as by-catch while targeting gummies with larger baits such as wrasse. For those who prefer land-based fishing, squid and gummies are still on offer. Anglers have been reporting nice sized catches off Balnarring Beach. For those heading offshore, keep an eye out for whales as their breeding season kicks off! Slow down and keep your distance to ensure these impressive animals stay safe. You can find more information about boating around whales here.
Inland
With school holidays in full swing, now is a great time to grab the kids (and a warm jacket!) and head down to our recently stocked Family Fishing Lakes that are teeming with ready to catch rainbow trout. The beauty of these fish is that you can try different techniques and learn quickly from success. The usual tactics of casting a Tassie Devil or bait-fishing with PowerBait are a great way to start! Find your closest stocked Family Fishing Lake here.
Bass are staying strong in the dropping water level of Blue Rock Lake. Large bass over 50cm are getting caught by determined anglers on the deeper rock edges. Some people are also finding success using worms as bait in the deeper parts of the dam. Although it’s slower fishing now, those with patience will be rewarded with sizeable fish.
Massive Murray cod are still being landed at Eildon. Those who like a challenge and are willing to brave the cold nights are in with a shot at that fish of a lifetime! Try casting swimbaits, surface paddlers or spinnerbaits and don’t forget a beanie and gloves – just dress like you’re going skiing, then add one more layer!
Lake Wendouree continues to provide good trout fishing for browns and rainbows. Bait, lure or fly are all options. Shore-based fishing is good and there are plenty of boat ramps around its urban banks.
There’s been a few brown trout coming out of Lake Hume up on the border. There are some bruiser browns in Hume courtesy of our stocking program, along with the odd cod and yella that take a diving hard-body lure intended for a trout. Hume’s trout fishing will only get better as spring approaches.
Tight lines – Mr. Percy!