Reel Life

Bags of redfin have been reported in Lake Hume and also Waranga Basin and Lake Nillahcootie.

Both lures, including hard-body diving lures and soft plastics, as well as bait, have been successful in getting results.

Most redfin have been small fish, but an occasional larger fish is among those being caught.

Among the catch has been some yellowbelly, as well as an out-of-season cod.

By the way, cod caught in Lake Eildon can still be kept, as long as they are of legal size. Bag limits and size limits are still in force in Eildon where cod can still be kept, as they are not considered to be breeding stock.

Fishing the trees in Eildon is proving productive.

The river arms as well as in front of the wall are the best spots.

The Delatite, big river arm, as well as Jamieson, are some spots worth a try.

The other problem facing us in our region is the plague of mosquitos, which seem to be able to fly through sprays and repellents and can bite through clothes with ease.

There are tongue-in-cheek reports that they can take on sparrows.

So if you have to, use the spray can as a weapon with which to hit them.

This weekend a group of anglers and I have decided to head south to Queenscliff where we plan to go fishing with Rod Lawn from Adamas Fishing Charters. Rod said he has been catching some quality snapper, as well as good hauls of calamari.

Rod said he had an eventful week on the coast, with large schools of couta, both big and small fish.

They provide a meal for sharks, including blue shark, as well as mako. Rod said there was a more unwelcome visitor: a large great white. It made its presence known by biting a boat’s sea anchor in half.

He said there were also schools of salmon. They were feeding on vast schools of krill to be found in the heads during the run-out tide. He said trolling a small skirted lure called an ‘occy’ was dynamite at getting bites.

All in all, Rod has reported some good fishing; this is a good thing because we will be down there at the start of next week.

Reports from Western Port Bay have also been good, with snapper being caught on the tide change along the rubble beds off Hastings and along the shipping lanes.

And, of course, gummy shark were biting on the run-out tide on fresh fish fillets and calamari squid in the deeper water near Cowes and San Remo.

And King George whiting were biting in the shallow grass beds.

One species of fish caught in Western Port Bay that I don’t hear of being caught anywhere else is elephant fish.

They are ugly-looking, rare and generally not good eating, but they do put up a good fight.

They are due to begin coming on the bite in the next couple of weeks, and do supply anglers with a great deal of sport.

North of the border at Eden, John Liddell reported good bags of snapper taken along the inshore reefs from Boyd’s Lookout to Green Cape on the Victorian border.

Off the cape in deep water, nannygai, a red snapper-like fish, can be found — they grow to several kilograms.

Off the shelf, anglers are bagging southern bluefin tuna, as well as yellowfin varieties and kingfish. Trolling skirted lures is the best method.

And at Narooma, further north, Graham Cowley said he too was hearing reports of both tuna and kingfish off the shelf, which is close to Montague Island, and bags of flathead are being caught along the sandy bottom, and snapper and morwong on the inshore reefs.

I see we are again having an outbreak of COVID-19, so stick to the distancing and other restrictions, including masks, to keep yourself safe.

Next week I hope to give you all a first-hand report on snapper fishing with Rod Lawn from Adamas Fishing Charters.

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