Friday, 24 April

A successful fishing trip is all you can ask for over the school holidays, and that’s just what Bailey and his dad got at Turkey Bottom Lake in Yaapeet!

The fishing was superb, with Bailey catching plenty of reddies all on his own using an orange plastic! Dad didn’t want to miss out on all the fun and landed this cracking yella on the same lure!

Another highlight of the trip was running into one of our VFA stocking trucks! Bailey was keen to learn about stocking and asked many questions while the next generation of yellow belly fingerlings were released into the lake.

To be our next Pelican’s Pick star, submit your photos to pelicanspick@vfa.vic.gov.au, and share your fishing story here.

Along the coast

Mallacoota kingies are ruling the fishing scene and making lifelong memories for the anglers hooking into trophy catches! Trolling live yakkas and squid will almost guarantee a quality fish! Flathead and bream are active throughout the inlet chasing fresh prawns and soft plastics. There are solid numbers of bream holding up near structure, keep casting and the big ones will bite.

The fishery at Lake Tyers is healthier than ever and anglers are experiencing the positive impacts! Tailor are aggregating in fast flowing sections and are locking onto fresh pilchards. Dusky flathead are patrolling shallow flats and pursing shallow diving minnows and paddle tail plastics. Huge bream are smashing prawns and devouring small sinking vibes.

There’s plenty of salmon to be found along the gutters at 90 Mile Beach - look out for the surf windows and bird activity. Fish the moving water and keep trying different locations as salmon schools move quick! In calmer waters there’s good catches of flatties and the occasional gummy on fresh oily bait.

It wouldn’t be barrel season without mentioning Portland. There’s mammoth bluefin tuna on the chew! Whole squid, slimies and pilchards are triggering a strong feeding response! The tuna fishing around Warrnambool can be trying with less offshore structure, but the reward is just as good with proper tanks hitting the deck!

Around the bay

Port Phillip Bay is cooking up a 5-star meal, have your rod at the ready to get a serving! The Mt Martha channel is delivering snapper to those equipped with pillies and soft paddle tails. The usual catches of flathead can be found alongside small whiting schools.

Beaumaris has colossal squid and giant whiting up for grabs. Flathead catches remain stable, drifting bait or working soft plastics along the bottom is producing steady results. Fishing shallow areas on calm days is the key to scoring solid fish!

Pinkies are swarming around Williamstown creating a fish feeding frenzy! The pier is the perfect spot to target land-based action. Boaters can head out further to aim for deep channels to get in amongst the fun! Soft plastics and bait have been effective in securing a bag. Werribee is experiencing the same flood of pinkies with the addition of class whiting! Mussels and pipis are seeing 30-40cm catches!

Western Port is producing big catches for determined anglers. Corinella has behemoth gummies on slimies, squid and fresh salmon fillets. There’s been good amounts of squid while drifting jigs across the flats. There’s plenty of mackerel and mullet about, making it the best way to kick off a good session by collecting fresh bait!

Inland

The cold snap has slowed the bite for smaller cod, but it’s heating up monster bites! Due to a high metabolic requirement, large 70cm+ cod continue to feed throughout late autumn and winter to maintain body mass. When fishing impoundments and rivers, swap to swim baits mimicking small fish such as reddies and carp for the best chance to hook up.

The cooler weather is working for some as the action is improving for trout fishing. Lake Dartmouth trout are switching on and hammering both bait and lures. The quality of fish being reeled in is phenomenal! Trolling lures has been successful for both browns and rainbows. If bait fishing the go to this week is Powerbait and worms.

The Mitta Mitta River below Lake Dartmouth has been producing magnificent brown trout up to 50cm in recent weeks. Shallow diving hardbody lures retrieved down the river with the flow have done the damage, with patterns that mimic small brown trout being the most effective.

We received a ripper submission this week that deserves a special mention! Prash and his three kids went on their annual school holiday fishing trip and decided to hit up Lake Taylor. Casting out a reliable cheese cube resulted in his 9-year-old son Peter reeling in a 1.03m cod! It’s safe to say Lake Taylor is on the must fish list this week!

The Loddon River is fishing well for cod and yellas. Find the clear patches of water and target the banks. Spinners are very effective in this waterway especially dark purple and blue colours. Bait fishing is still the go with good sized fish devouring yabbies, worms and cheese. Whilst there are murky stretches push through to get to fishing paradise!

Share your catch from this week below!

Tight Lines – Mr. Percy