Port Phillip West

Back to basics: bread and butter species

PPB WEST Alan Bonnici

alan@fishingmad.com.au

The water temperature has plummeted over the last month and many of the fish species that we generally catch in good numbers have gone quiet. But don’t fret, as there is still some great fishing to be had if you can brave the cold conditions. So get out the beanie and some thermals and set your sights on some fun winter’s fishing.

Winter is a great time of year to target some back to basic bread and butter species. Garfish, or as we call them the humble mini marlin, will have piers packed far and wide around Melbourne. Some great spots to target them span across the Mornington Peninsula including Frankston Pier, Mordialloc Pier and Michael Smith caught this garfish off a local jetty.

Winter is a good time to target bream. Beaumaris Pier. Closer in Melbourne near Princess Pier and Kerferd Pier and heading out towards the Bellarine Peninsula in Geelong and St Leonards. These fish are so much fun to target on light spinning gear. They also taste great and make a great source of bait for gummy sharks and other local species. Garfish are easily accessible from many piers, jetties, and rock walls, whilst being a great species for kids and beginners to target.

To catch garfish, grab an ultralight spin rod with a sensitive tip. Ideally one with a slow action so you don’t pool hooks as gars have very small mouths. Pair the rod with a 1000 or 2000 spin reel and 4-6lb line. Float rigs are the best way to catch garfish and to get your baits in the optimal strike zone. A typical float rig for Gars will consists of 2-rod lengths worth of 6lb fluorocarbon leader joined to your main line using a simple double uni knot. Attach a pencil float to the leader about 50cm up followed by several split shots spread evenly and finished with either a size 12 long shank hook or a size 12 fly hook depending on the bait that you’re using. Good baits include silverfish or live maggots, you can use small pieces of flesh baits like small pieces of pilchard and squid.

Berley is the key to catching garfish. This is very important regardless of whether your fishing landbased on a pier or jetty or out in the sea on your boat or kayak. Continually add berley into an isolated area every 5-10 minutes to keep them coming in and active. You can buy premade berley or you can make your own buy using ingredients such as aniseed oil, breadcrumbs and a splash of saltwater. The key here is getting the berley to a soft sandy mixture that can be thrown a few metres from where you are standing. That sandy consistency will ensure that you are bringing the garfish in from far and wide and not just feeding them.

I have used the setup above and had many successful gar outings this past month around port

Berley is the key to catching garfish.

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