Best baits at the best times

PORT PHILLIP Gerry Morsman

There is still plenty of good fishing on offer across the whole state. We truly do have a great fishery down here in Victoria, and it only seems to be getting better and better. Unless you have been living under a rock, you will have noticed how good the tuna fishery is here now, and with the

European carp, that’s a good option this month.

SNAPPER

While there isn’t a huge amount of options around this time of year, it doesn’t mean that snapper fishing is off the cards entirely. There are still some nice fish being caught down south around Corio Bay. Peri has been getting some good catches, and he says that pilchard and fresh calamari were the best baits, fished just before the great spot to target snapper if you don’t have a boat. The better time to target them is when there is a big westerly blow. This isn’t the most comfortable time to fish, but the snapper love to come in close to feed, and the deep water off Mornington Pier makes this place ideal. Using a nice, tough bait like silver whiting, salmon chunks or squid is the better option in the rough water as it will tend to stay on your hook much longer, giving you a better chance at getting a hook-up.

SOUTHERN CALAMARI

We have one of the best squid fishing locations in the world, and we’re super lucky that we can successfully target this species in good numbers as the reefs near the boat ramp, so there is no need to travel far if you are launching your boat at the Rye boat ramp.

Size 3.5 jigs have been the go, and purple, greens or reds have been the standout colours. Moving a little further down Port Phillip Bay around Sorrento you will also find great numbers of squid. Even the pier has been producing, which is great for those people who don’t have a boat. Moving over to Western Port, there has been some very good fishing around Tyabb and Quail Bank. All squid are being caught in around 3-6m of water over the reef. I understand this is a lot of area, but you just have to keep drifting and find

Adam and Peri sure do know how to catch carp. amount of bait that is sticking around Bass Strait, I don’t see the tuna going anywhere anytime soon.

In this report I’ll cover the main target species, but there are still plenty of others on offer like perch and redfin at Devils Bend, Australian bass at Blue Rock, and trout through all the streams around Eildon. Even if you just want to have fun on the lure and leapt out of the air at the same time. True, they were not our target species, but it was so much fun nonetheless. tide change late at night.

We will have some awesome footage to share about this trip on the FishingMad YouTube channel and TV show in the coming weeks so stay tuned for that.

Until next time, good fishing everyone. Feel free to contact me directly to share your fishing experiences, photos and catches around Melbourne, Port Phillip Bay and beyond which we can feature in next month’s article. You can contact me by email at alan@fishingmad.com.au. Please consider becoming a FishingMad member at www.fishingmad.com. au/member for fishing reports, workshops, podcasts, and exciting monthly giveaways.

The fishing out wide off Mt Eliza in 20-22m of water is still producing some nice fish. Fishing at first light or the tide change is vital, especially at this time of year when the fishing isn’t quite as hot as the rest of the year. Silver whiting and squid strips are the go around this area.

Mornington Pier is a and sizes all year long. There have been some quality squid being caught out off Rye, even as close com/fishingmad.com. au, Instagram page www. instagram.com/fishingmad. com.au and on Channel 31 Tuesday evenings at 9.00 pm and Saturday afternoons. the squid. They won’t just generally hold in one spot unless they are spawning and sitting over their eggs, so persistence is the key to a successful calamari session.

Also, don’t forget to follow my fishing adventures on the FishingMad YouTube channel www.youtube. com/c/fishingmad and social media on Facebook page www.facebook.

GARFISH

Garfish would have to be one of the most underrated fish that Melbourne has to offer. Most people think that garfish are just bait, but please believe that garfish are one of the best table fish you can eat around this area! They are also quite easy to catch whether you have a boat or are land-based.

Winter is a great time to target garfish, and places like Altona, Frankston, Mt Eliza, Mornington, and Mount Martha will hold them in great numbers.

Silverfish and maggots are the go-to baits under a float, and your local tackle store is your best option if you want to learn the rig. Constant berley is the key to getting these fish in, and once you have them sucked into your berley they will generally stay until you catch your bag limit of 40 per person, or your desired amount.

GUMMY SHARKS

You will hear reports of gummy sharks all year round, as they aren’t a species that moves in and out of the area with their breeding cycles. This is a great thing if you love flake as much as I do. Reports are still coming in from the south channel around Rye. You can fish all the way through tides for gummy sharks, but your better option is to fish night time when you are in the bay. Fresh baits (e.g. salmon, trevally, yakka, squid, or slimy mackerel) are key to catching the big ones. Gummy sharks have an exceptional sense of smell and can detect a fresh bait from a long way away in the current line, and this is why using a fresh bait will give you the upper hand.

Pyramid Rock in around 35m of water always fishes very well this time of year. The best baits lately have been freshly-caught reef fish such as parrotfish and Barbers perch. These are a natural source for gummy sharks offshore, and will stay untouched as a chunk bait on your hook for long periods because these fish don’t tend to eat their own kind. This gives you a better shot at keeping your baits in the strike zone.