VIC
It’s been great weather for chasing bluefin tuna APOLLO BAY
Craig Rippon
Tuna season is in full swing, with fish right along the coast. Recently we went out for a look, after hearing reports of a lot of bait in the water being smashed by bluefin tuna. We travelled southwest from Apollo Bay about 30km, where we saw dolphins, seals and birds feeding on a large bait ball in about 50m of water. We put the lures in and hooked up straight away. The fish went down but kept coming up. We went on to hook fish between 12-23kg on 5” skirts, and purple was the best colour on the day. We also got fish casting Nomad stickbaits. Since then there have been good catches of fish around the 60kg mark, with some bigger ones in the mix weighing over 100kg. This is the time of the year
The author with an Apollo Bay bluefin tuna caught casting a Nomad stickbait.
we typically start getting fish, and they should run for a few months. In the absence of any bird action, some anglers have been using berley to attract the fish, while others have been blind trolling around the reefs. The wind has been kind, which has allowed the boats to travel a good distance from home, and boat some really good fish. All the reefs have been producing pinkie snapper, with some larger species thrown in. A nice mako of about 120kg was weighed in recently, and a few blue shark as well. There’s so much bait in the water at the moment, and also couta and aero squid, which attracts the odd shark. Flathead of good size have also been around, and they have been going well for a while now. Flathead are a great table fish, and taste great in fish tacos. Give them a try! Whiting have been on, but many people give up
too easily. The high tide change has been the best. If you have no luck, keep moving until you find them. Stick it out until the tide runs hard, and use berley to bring the fish to you. Berley really is a must to get the whiting chewing. There have been very small snapper in amongst the whiting, which can be frustrating. You just have to put up with these pickers to get a good feed. The fish have been up to 43cm. The squid fishing has been good in the harbour, with darker colours working well. Just before dark has been the best time to target them. There have been a few schools of salmon around. They make great fresh bait for the gummies, and if bled when caught they are good in a fish curry. There are also some garfish being caught off the rocks. Small maggots have been the go on the outgoing tide with a northerly wind.
Remember to keep your cool if you hook a beast COBDEN
Rod Shepherd
The Hopkins River is the estuary of choice at present, with solid bream to 48cm being taken on fresh bait. Those in the know are targeting bream and estuary perch in excess of a kilo all over the mud water conditions due to the continuation of good tidal pushes through the open mouth. U n f o r t u n a t e l y, mulloway encounters have been few and far between. Most bream have been taken on lures fished hard to, or paralleling, bankside structure. Come late May as the waters start to cool, these fish will become more prevalent in the middle sections of the river as they begin to school up prior to spawning. The unfortunate news of carp in the system has continued, with sightings now appearing in the estuary section around Torram Stones. On the beaches at this time of year it is all about Australian salmon. Logans, Levis and East beach all produce, and you can catch them on the traditional long 12ft rod in the surf. Alternatively, if you want to target these exciting sportfish on lighter gear, Killarney Beach is the place for you.
flats that are accessible for most motorised craft. The flats opposite Lyndoch, below the ‘Toorak’ housing that sits above, are firing at times. So too is the vast shallows between Mahoneys Road ramp downstream on the northern side (underneath all those houses with great views), almost to the pumping station. This
stretch is now firing, with plenty of fish searching the muddied sandy bottom for worms and shellfish. Shallow diving, bibless or surface popper lures can be either cast or slow trolled here, and I have had great success doing this over the years. Both bream and perch have eaten my lures, along with the odd mulloway (there is
This solid bream took a small Lucky Craft lure stripped like you would a popper, across the flats opposite the bay below Mahoneys Road ramp.
Dan Grixti and Dan Ierodiaconou with a 120kg southern bluefin tuna caught off Port Fairy recently.
presently a school of sorts in the estuary). Don’t forget Rowans Flats further upstream, as this is also a great place to fish shallow. Gathering and using bait is also working. If you are keen on setting hoop nets in the shallows, try along the main jetty just upstream of the seafood shop on the Moyne at Port Fairy on a rising tide in the evening. Here you should net heaps of shrimp, plus the odd crab. Bream will take quality frozen packet prawn baits at times in the Hopkins. If
you catch a legal salmon or mullet, please fillet the fish with the skin on, and cut it into strips that may imitate a worm. This is a gun bait, even at the worst of times. Some solid mulloway have been caught lately. If you do hook a beast that strips many metres of line off your reel, don’t freak out and tighten the drag. This is how many fish are lost. If you are targeting all three species and are prepared to fish low light hours (the best times) including night time, I recommend using a quality
rod with a rating of 3-5kg. A 1000 to 1500 size reel and 8lb braided main line with a minimum 12lb fluorocarbon leader will make a huge difference. Spend the extra bucks and get a rod and reel combo (or two) set up for this scenario, which will follow you to destinations such as the Glenelg. It’s perfect there. During strong daylight hours your leader will have to reduce back to 8lb, especially if the fish are finicky. But who said fishing is simply catching? MAY 2023 75
