What a weekend we have just experienced — like a hamburger with the lot.
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First Collingwood took out the AFL grand final, which made George the angler happy.
The Australian women’s cricket team played an international against the West Indies and this was followed by the NRL grand finals for both men and women. But before those games got under way, we saw the introduction of daylight saving.
Finally, we can turn our minds to fishing.
The word around the region is that the fishing has had its moments, with plenty of cod being caught.
However, it is still a closed season until the start of December. No cod may be taken until then, with the exception of Lake Eildon. Cod caught there may be kept, but size limits and bag limits still apply.
Redfin are on the bite and are being caught in the Hume Weir and Waranga Basin; most are small, but some larger fish are among the catch. Worms, shrimp and yabbies are the best bait, but hard-body lures and soft plastics are also good for attracting redfin.
The trout fishing at Eildon and Dartmouth has slowed as the weather warms up, although fishing in the rivers and streams in the north-east is worth a go.
If wading them, always work your way upstream; the fish face upstream, looking for their food to come to them.
Now, I did mention snakes last week, but there is another danger to be wary of: bushfires.
When camping out or just being in the bush, be aware of any fires already burning and don’t head towards danger. And make sure any campfire you light is well and truly out before you leave it.
Now, back to fishing. Redfin are biting among the tree lines at Eildon. Small yabbies, shrimp or worms are the best bait, but lures such as hard-body diving lures or soft plastics and even jigs are worth a try. Just find a likely tree and drop your line down four or five metres. If there are no bites in 15 minutes, move to another tree.
At Waranga Basin, a slightly different method is used. Troll a hard body lure along the bottom, mainly red or purple in colour or even a redfin pattern; when you get a bite, anchor up and fish in that area. The same goes for the Hume near Wodonga.
Fishing at Lake Dartmouth is going through a seasonal change. While trout can still be caught, the warmth during the day sends fish into the deep. However, from early until mid-morning, the fish will be feeding near the surface; after that, they will move into the cool of the deep.
The best method is to troll a fender trailing a bait; it can be lowered into the deeper water as the fish go down. At night and dusk, you can angle a bait below a float off the bank.
James Luddington at Flinders Island said he was getting his boat ready to take out charters.
He said he would start fishing in a month or so when the snapper started to come on the bite. He added that salmon were starting to move around the beaches of the islands.
He said he would also be fishing off the inshore where the albacore were schooling as well as the bottom-dwelling Tassie trumpeter, reputed to be one of the best tablefish in the region.
At Queenscliff, Rod Lawn from Adamas Fishing Charters said when it wasn’t too windy, the fishing was good. He said there were early signs of a good snapper season.
He said the inshore reefs off the bluff at Barwon Heads, as well as Ocean Grove and Point Lonsdale, were producing pinky-size snapper, usually about three or four fish per drop, then he would have to go over his drift line a second time, then move to another spot. Among the snapper would be an occasional gurnard, pearl perch or rock cod.
Rod said it was similar inside the heads; although in the shallows between the ferry terminal and the Point Lonsdale pier, he was catching calamari squid.
Rod said there were also schools of silver trevally, which provided plenty of action. He said it was still too early for the kingfish, but the salmon were starting to school up in the rip.
During the change of tide offshore, he was also seeing schools of couta start to appear. Gummy sharks were to be found around the dive markers, where old naval ships have been sunk for skin divers to practise on. Be aware that you are not allowed to fish in those spots when they have their dive marker in the water — this is a flag anchored over the wreck indicating divers are in the water.
It is a similar story in Western Port Bay, according to Rod.
He said most fishing was along the rubble on the side of the shipping channel. The gummy sharks were in the deep water off Phillip Island and San Remo, and there were leatherjackets, flathead and whiting being caught.
North of the border at Eden, John Liddell, an ardent Hawthorn supporter, said the Freedom Charters team was bagging plenty of snapper and morwong along the inshore reefs from Boyd’s Lookout to Green Cape just off the lighthouse. He said the skipper of the boat, Mark, was also chasing kingfish, with mixed results.
Further up the coast at Narooma, Graham Cowley said it was a similar story. He said most of the action was around Montague Island. Graham noted that when the currents were favourable, they were expecting yellowfin tuna.
Well, stay safe from fires, snakes, the flu and COVID-19 — it’s almost enough to make you want to stay home.
But if you do go fishing, good luck and tight lines.