Hi people, there wont be any foreplay this week just straight in to the reports. There is only one thing to say and that is ban commercial fishing after the big fish kill of thousands of salmon at Clifton Springs this week where a netter had discarded the unwanted fish out in the bay and they washed ashore.

Let's go fishing!

Corio Bay
On the Bay at the moment things are great apart from the small flathead being caught all over, however there has been some huge snapper caught. As we still come down to earth from that big red from 2 weeks back here is another one. Keith Fry rang to inform me of a fish that was said to have been caught near Shell and wait for it, it weighed in at 15.2kg - this mind you is only a rumour and I have yet to have it confirmed. But if it is true what other giants of the deep does Corio Bay hold in store for us?

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 but compared to this report from last week the amount of 7kg fish is becoming more common.

But for the fisho that is intent on just going out at 10am for a fish you are not in the hunt, it is important as the reports have shown that fishing between 5am and 8am has been more productive. Good berley and a nice fresh squid or pilchard is best for bait.

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. Other fishos have also been catching good numbers of small snapper.

Over the past week or so some nice trevally have moved in to the area. But a great report for the land base fisho and that is that there has been a large amount of fishos fishing the beach at night for the snapper and although there are no reports as yet I think it's time to start fishing the channel from the beach or boat.

By Land
Good news for the fishos without a boat because the 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. A good berley trail is needed to keep the fish in your area.

Bellarine Peninsula
Things are still on the go at St Leonards although most fishos are reporting that the squid and the snapper have slowed a little, possibly due to the moon. The Cup week saw some of the biggest numbers of fishos on the water and just as you would expect a lot of fish were taken. Mark Gussman told me of one fisho Con who said he took 92 flathead and a handfull of snapper in one day. Most of the frogs were released. But this week also saw some great reports of whiting up to 41cm being caught.

Gruvo and I fished the entrance to Swan Bay on Sunday and had no trouble caching plenty of flathead and squid and all fish were taken on some of the new soft plastics I bought at Bellarine Bait and Tackle in Drysdale. Talking to Geoff and Shirley Green from Bellarine Bait and Tackle, Swan Bay is also fishing well. The most popular catch seems to be garfish and mullet but there are still some great gummy sharks and the big flathead that Swanie is renowned for are starting to move in the shallows. When I was there on Sunday there must have been at least 50 fishos on the jetty. Just a quick reminder that the Swan Bay Ramp is not suitable for craft over 14 feet and then you still need to push the boat for a bit.

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 in to the Causeway at Queenscliff last week and if you did manage to fish it this week has been even better. It's obvious that the moon has a big impact on the fishing in the Causeway. Yellow and green is the best color soft plastic to use but silver is also working well. 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.

Till Next time,
Good fishing,
John Didge.

See John's previous report here.