The Pelican's Pick

Friday, 18 July

An “insane salmon sesh” is exactly what Chrissy had this week! Braving the cold for an evening fish off the shore out from the Inverloch Angling Club, she managed to snag a bunch of these beauties. Her largest fish came in at a whopping 54cm, caught on a trusty 21g twisty metal lure. Chrissy had such a fun night reeling in the Aussie salmon and left them biting. Well done, Chrissy!

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Along the Coast

For those leaving the warmth of their homes and facing the chilly Victorian winter to head out for a fish, we commend you! After some rain and wind providing rough conditions, we are hoping it’s on the up for the weekend to come.

Chrissy’s Australian salmon success has not been restricted to Inverloch, with these fish on the chew all along the Surf Coast. Gunnamatta and Venus Bay are also providing their fair share of salmon, with anglers having success using pilchards, soft plastics, and lures.

If you’re after some land-based fishing, salmon and silver trevally have been biting on the Lorne Pier.

The barrel tuna are still giving keen anglers the fight they won’t forget. If you have a big enough boat, and seeking bragging rights, fishers are finding substantial catches off the rip, offshore from Sorrento.

Around the Bays

Despite being a time of year where the fishing action can be a little hit and miss, our keen anglers around the bays have still been reaping the rewards. King George whiting have been on the bite across the bays, and the squid have also been nice and busy. Bags are being filled both off the boat and on land, specifically around the weed beds. If you’re after some bait, or a good feed, fishers have reported success in Port Phillip at Morningtonand Newport,at the top end of Western Port, as well as Tyabb and San Remo.

Anglers have also been landing gummies off Hastings and Corinella; fresh bait is the key!

Snapper have still been biting in deeper waters off Mornington and around the Mount Martha cliffs, with anglers targeting depths between 7-10m. Fishers are also reporting decent catches off Williamstown and Port Melbourne, with pilchards doing the trick for bait. If you’re after that Aussie salmon thrill, check out the back beaches of Portsea.

Inland

We are mid-way through the freshwater crayfish season and keen fishers are continuing to share good reports of catches throughout the Goulburn. We all love to see a net of these beauties, and hope it continues this way for many years to come, so please ensure you are up to date on the regulations, how to measure your cray.

Solid reports of the prized metre Murray cod continue in Lake Eildon. With patience, dedication, and a head torch, anglers have been successful this winter.

Despite usually being more active in the warmer weather, redfin have been on the chew over in Lake Eppalock. Try targeting structured areas, as they tend to prefer spots that provide cover. Soft plastics and ice jigs have been doing the trick. Reddies are commonly caught from the shore as well as by boat in Eppalock, so you don't need a whole heap of gear to target them!

With school holidays coming to an end, don’t forget to check out our Family Fishing Lakes that have been stocked with ready-to-catch rainbow trout. There's more than 70 of them around the state, and most feature great access, fishing platforms, playgrounds, barbecues, and more! If you’re keen to finish the last two weeks on a high, find a spot near you.

If you’re after brown trout, there have been reports of decent catches in both the Hopkins and Merri River.

Tight lines – Mr. Percy!