Port Phillip East

There’s plenty to look forward to

PORT PHILLIP NE Wayne Friebe

wfriebe@bigpond.net.au Once again, the inevitable cold, wet and dull days of winter that seemed to stay away for so long have arrived on the bay with a bang. It always feels like somebody has flicked extended period of lockdown. Fortunately, this time fishing has been allowed within local areas, so Victorian anglers are making the most of every opportunity get to wet a line. The winter weather has made this fairly challenging at times, but the good news is there have been a few glamour days on the bay as well.

The squid fishing has been excellent in recent weeks.

a switch at this time of year when the cold sets in, and the start of this winter has been no different. At the time of writing, the Greater Melbourne area, and a large part of Eastern Victoria is receiving a big dose of rainfall, which will have some immediate impact, but it’s always better for the fishery in the long run.

Sadly, once again for us Victorians, the effects of COVID-19 and the mismanagement of hotel quarantine once again has forced us to endure another

Many of the bay’s anglers are traditionally more focused on football and other local sporting and family activities at this time of year. At the time of writing, these are still not allowed for metro Melbournians, so fishing has once again become the major recreational focus for many people, and families who live close to the bay.

The bay can seem to be a little barren in the middle of winter, but there’s always plenty of bread-and-butter fishing on offer. And even better, there are still plenty of good snapper to be had out wide, and from the shore in the right conditions, so there are lots of reasons for local anglers to get a bit excited! It might be cold in the mornings, and sometimes wet and windy, but on the flipside, we do get some ripper conditions for fishing and boating at this time of year, so rug up and get out on the bay and have a crack.

While the winter months are not the peak time for snapper anglers in the bay, the reality is that PPB snapper are an available and reliable target for 12 months of the year.

I have also had a few encouraging reports come in from local anglers landing some quality snapper off the local rocks and piers, particularly during and after periods of strong onshore winds. This weather brings the snapper that are holding around most of the onshore reefs for the past couple of months, and these fish will continue to be an inshore option right through the winter months as well. While many of these fish are small and many also undersized, there are still plenty of larger models to keep anglers keen. Lure fishers seem to be the most productive at locating the larger fish, probably due to spending more time prospecting and looking on their sounders. If you are fishing these areas with bait on anchor, it is always worth throwing a few plastics around at the same time. Lure fishing for pinkies is also a great way to get the kids and less experienced anglers into this style of fishing.

Big schools of smaller salmon have been hanging around the Mornington area, no doubt for the past Melbourne metro suffered through another lockdown for the first two weeks of June. Although anglers were still able to fish, travel and time restrictions meant that short, land-based missions were the only option.

There have been lots of small salmon around the local areas to keep things interesting.

out wide onto and around the inshore reefs to feed, and during this period the landbased anglers can cash in. The dirtier water in close after rain also seems to be a big trigger for the fish to bite. Big numbers of smaller pinkies have also been few months, and have been regularly popping up on the surface smashing up hapless schools of baitfish. They have often been holding right along the shore as well, especially on the southern side of Snapper Point, Mornington. Traditionally, Frankston, Mornington and

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Seaford piers, as well as the mouth of Patterson River and Martha Cove, are all great land-based spots, especially during rougher weather. During the calmer days the salmon can be effectively targeted from a drifting boat and are the best light tackle sport you will get in our waters. They also make great bait and are an underrated eating fish if treated correctly after capture. They are normally very willing and respond well to baits, lures and flies.

The squid fishing has been very good recently, especially with fewer boats on the water. Expect the squid to move a little deeper as the water discolours, and probably respond to brighter coloured jigs. Plenty of gars and some winter whiting schools have showed up in recent weeks, so there is plenty for anglers to look forward to in the coming months.