Hi and welcome to another week of fishing around Geelong. A few weeks back I spoke of the snapper runs that are on the build, well at last things are on fire and it's about time. I would have to say that this is one of the slowest winters I have seen in a long time.

To other parts of the coast... Along the Bellarine Peninsula at Queenscliff the new works have started on the slip way and the mariner area near the abalone sheds so the slip way is now closed to public access. One because of the work being done, and the section near the abalone shed is due to the in part collapse of the jetty. It's a good idea if fishos don't climb around the fence because if this happens to often they will shut the entire area. On another note Parks and Fisheries are at all popular boat ramps checking for safety gear and licenses.

Let's go Fishing!...

Corio Bay
On the bay at the moment things are great apart from the small flathead being caught all over, there has been some huge snapper caught. Aldo Tat told me of a friend Darmia who caught a thumping 28lb snapper on the bay over the weekend; also Gavin Bettie reported seeing a fisho catch 4 snapper up to 10lb a few hundred metres off St Helen Boat ramp.


Other reports of snapper are from Point Wilson and the Quarries, also Point Henry and Clifton Springs have been very popular. Some of the best target areas in the bay has been around Griffins Gully and I have to say that off the end of Yarra Street where the pier once was has been the biggest amount of boats I have seen in a long time. The average red being caught is about 2.5kg but there has been a lot of fish in the 3.5kg size range.

Grammar School Lagoon
Fishing the rising tide in the entrance to the lagoon is worth a look - using a good amount of berley there is a fair chance you will come home with a good mixed bag of fish. Bream, trevally, mullet and flathead are all on the menu, although I do suggest that you use live shrimp or Bass yabbies if you wish to target bream. For the other fish, pippi or pilchards will do fine. Also a surprise catch for me in the lagoon was a 3.6kg elephant fish on the falling tide. Other fishos have also been catching good numbers of small snapper.

By Land
Good news for the fishos without a boat because fishing is good. At the phosphate pump house small pinkies, trevally and mullet are on the chew and at Cunningham Pier small trevally are being caught on fresh chicken pieces.

Bellarine Peninsula
Things are still on the go at St Leonards. Most fishos are reporting that the squid and the snapper have slowed a little but that could be due to the moon phase, but some great news is that the whiting are fishing well. Most reports are of 40cm plus whiting and although you are not likely to catch your bag of 20, a dozen or so is on the cards.

Talking to Geoff and Shirley Green from Bellarine Bait and Tackle in Drysdale, Swan Bay is also fishing well. The most popular catch seems to be garfish and mullet but there are still some great gummy shark and the big flathead - that Swanie is renowned for - starting to move in the shallows. At Lakers Cutting there are plenty of good bream being caught on fresh shrimp and Bass yabbies.

The biggest news in the area is of the huge trevally that in massive numbers moved into the Causeway at Queenscliff last week. All who were there on the day the fish arrived were blown away by their power and their size. At an average of 1.7kg and the fact that all they would eat were soft plastics had most spellbound. Now if you can get a spot they are also being caught on pilchard baits fished in a berley trail. The change from low to high tide is best.

At Bell Reef they are still catching squid and the odd snapper, around at the Cottage by The Sea whiting up to 41cm are about and in the heads salmon schools are thin but there. At Point Lonsdale trevally averaging 1.2kg and up to 3.5kg are being caught.

Surf Coast
Bream are in the Barwon Estuary as the water begins to clear after recent rains. And at Angelsea River there are heaps of bream being caught on Bass yabbies and soft plastics. The Squidgy 65cm BloodWorm Wriggler is best.

Till Next time,
Good fishing,
John Didge.

See John's previous report here.