Hi for another week. Well not much has changed over the past week. A good amount of hot weather and a steady high-pressure system bought on a big rise in barometric pressure. This was good for the guys out chasing jews. Also the lower tides that we had experienced were a sight for all eyes. I had a look at Barwon Heads where I saw a 0.08 low tide and the creek that I normally fish in had no entrance of water but just mud 1 ft above the low tide level. The full moon phase also sent snapper fishos wild on Corio Bay. We don't know of any big catches as yet but I am sure this week coming will reveal that good snapper are still present in the bay. Let's go fishing!

Corio Bay
There were a few big snapper taken in the Bay last week all about 6kg in size but they were hard to find. The better reports are from the Grammar School Lagoon where a few lucky fishos picked up some nice pinky snapper of about 1.5kg, also the odd trevally and silver bream are being caught. I went down for a look during the week and the few anglers that were braving the 20 knot south wind had been rewarded with a couple of lovely whiting about 35cm in length. The best bait is a pilchard fillet but fresh chicken also works well and berley is a must when fishing for the trevally. For the bream live sandworms, Bass yabbies or shrimp is best.

St Helens has been another common spot for fishos this past week and for a good reason. Early last week a few lucky blokes caught snapper up to 2.5kg and in very good numbers and this has continued over the past week although not all anglers are being rewarded, also the odd flathead and some good garfish are about. At Cunningham Pier there are a few silver trevally about, fresh chicken is the best bait and at night if you can get there on the rising tide there are some nice bait size barracouta being caught on pilchards suspended about 1 to 2 feet under a float.

The back of the tennis courts next to Cunningham Pier is another good spot to target some of the just legal size pinkies in the bay. Fishos targeting fish at Point Henry early morning will find that the snotty trevalla are on the chomp, best baits are fresh chicken or peeled yabby tails, berley is a must.

Bellarine Peninsula
At Portarlington Pier Joe Falcone reported that fishing just on dark a few of his friends caught 14 whiting up to 40 cm in length. He also reported that there are a few silver trevelly being caught on fresh mussels, and I have been told that there are plenty of garfish about.

Gavin Davies reported catching 20 snapper with a friend up to 2.5kg in size near Grassy Point, also A.J. from Drysdale reported catching snapper up to 6kg and a 4kg gummy shark, he also said there were a lot of snook about.

Steve Paterson this week caught another bag of pinky snapper up to 1.5kg in size on pilchard baits he also reported catching a few good whiting 40cm long and that the squid fishing was quite good he also said that the garfish are in good numbers. Yozuri style jigs fished deep is the best method for picking up good quality squid along the Bellarine Peninsula. Geoff and Shirley Green from Bellarine Bait and Tackle in Drysdale reported that a few whiting are about but the small undersize pinkies are making it very hard to catch a decent fish.

A new fishing club is about to be formed at St Leonards. A meeting will be held at the Motor Yacht Club Rooms of Friday 3rd January, also if you haven't got your boat license yet a test will be held at the St Leonards Hotel on the 12th January. Bookings are essential. For details on both of these events call Bellarine Boat and Tackle on 03 5253 2166 or 0417 621 570.

Surf Coast
With the weather improving, so is the boat traffic on the Barwon Estuary, try to find a quiet spot, lightly berley and fish with a light outfit probably 2 or 3 kg line is the best way to target fish in the Barwon Estuary at the moment. Good bags of trevally and bream are being caught right through the Estuary and near the mouth around Fisherman's Jetty good whiting up to 38cm in size are being caught. Fishing the rising tide is better when targeting bream and trevally and the bottom of the tide is best for whiting. If you are fishing upstream the outgoing tide and low tide will only produce toadfish and large silver belly eels.

Marty from Marty's Bait and Tackle in Barwon Heads reported that the super low tides and the full moon phase has bought the mulloway back into the Estuary in good numbers. Unfortunately there have been no reported catches but Marty witnessed 3 mulloway being lost near the Sheepwash on Saturday night. Off shore Barwon Heads at the moment sees the barracouta in very good numbers, also in around 40 meters of water good mako sharks are being reported. Troy Hodgson and Jason Branagh fished off Barwon Heads on Thursday in their boat 'Rainmaker' where they caught a 59 1/2 kg mako shark on a tuna fillet.


My wife and I would like to wish all the FishVictoria Radio Show listeners and the FishVictoria.com readers a very Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year. Remember whatever activities you take on over this Christmas holiday period, please make sure they are safe ones.