FLAT OUT: Nathan Wright with a flathead from Corio Bay's grammar school lagoon.
Corio Bay’s inner-harbour produced impressive snapper after dark over the past week.
Anglers caught fish to 7kg while fishing at anchor around the Western Beach moorings. Some anglers reported seeing large schoolS of big snapper on their sounders, which is always a good sign even though it never guarantees a bite.
Flathead over 40cm were caught inside the grammar school lagoon, along with the odd pinkie.
Garfish were caught land-based at St Helen’s and Limeburner’s Point boat ramps. Fishing lightly weighted bits of squid, pippie or silverfish under a small float with a light burley trail worked well and also took bream over 35cm as a surprising bycatch.
Squid were present in good numbers and size from Clifton Springs right around to St Leonards. Using size three to 3.5 jigs while drifting over weed beds was productive method, with colours resembling baitfish or whiting doing well.
Queenscliff Harbour was an exciting location for big silver trevally and salmon. Anglers casting soft plastics caught numerous fish an hour either side of tide changes.
Point Lonsdale Pier again produced salmon pushing 3kg for anglers casting metal lures.
Local surf beaches also fished well for salmon during the day, with gummy sharks and mulloway beached after dark. Baits such as fresh salmon, trevally and squid worked well.
Small Surf Coast estuaries fished fantastically for bream whether using lure, fly or bait. Big tides and heavy rains opened a number of the creeks to the ocean, with the fish responding well to small suspending minnow lures, grub-style soft plastics and baits such as small yabbies and scrub worms.
Freshwater fishing was also terrific as a number of lakes across the region produced quality trout.
Trolling the edges of Lake Purrumbete produced trophy fish, while dropping scrub worms or soft plastics into schools of redfin also worked. Next door, Lake Bullen Merri fished well for rainbow trout and chinook salmon from boats or the bank.