VIC
Soft plastics are picking up plenty of pinkies GEELONG
Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com
Less rain in the region has meant clearer water for lure casters. The Barwon in Geelong has seen the 2018 release of estuary perch exceed 25cm, with a few over 28cm in length. This
retrieved slowly near the bottom. Bait fishos know these fish love a big scrub worm too, so we should see a few nudging 30cm as the year progresses. My neighbour Hugh Hanson has been harassing the reddies at Wurdee Buloc near Moriac and Stoney Creek Reservoir near Ballan. Hugh has caught enough for
Point Wilson to Cunningham Pier to Rippleside and North Shore, and have no itinerary so can show up anywhere, anytime. Some days they’ll be smashing baitfish on the surface, while at other times they are holding deep. It pays to check the bait balls on the bottom when you spot them in deep water. Australian salmon will
David with a beautiful coloured trout caught in the Barwon River in Geelong.
There are plenty of pinkies around for land-based anglers. Image courtesy of M. Lane. scoff just about any lure, from soft plastics to jigs to divers to metal slices. If you really want fun, tie on a surface lure. Most fish have been around the 40-50cm mark but a pile of fun on spin gear. Leopold Angling and Aquatic Club held an intra club ‘Flathead Challenge’ with Western Beach Angling Club, Bellarine Pirates and St Leonards Angling Club recently. Ben Scullin from
Bellarine Pirates took out the comp with a 1160g blue-spot flattie he caught using soft plastics in the shallows near St Leonards. The lads at Trelly’s Tackle have reported some good schools of snapper to 5kg in the 8m mark out off Clifton Springs. Those anglers getting stuck into them have sounded around first to find the schools, and sent down plastics or fresh baits such as squid and pilchards. Chris from Drysdale Bait and Tackle reports the garfish have been in plague proportions off Clifton Springs, with clouds of them showing up in berley trails. If you want to catch some gars, your best bet is to fish
Mick has been catching plenty of pinkie snapper land-based.
Bill and his son Henry managed a couple of pinkies from Corio Bay. is a great growth rate for a prized native sportfish, and a credit to those in VFA and others involved for seizing the opportunity and organising the stocking. Kelvin Baldwin has caught plenty of estuary perch out of the Barwon in Geelong, and swears by a lime green single-tailed grub 76 MAY 2023
a feed a few times, but no real solid fish yet. However, May does bring better fish as we head towards winter, so get amongst it. Australian salmon schools have been cruising Corio Bay harassing baitfish like a pack of delinquents, picking fights with anyone. They have been spotted from
David took his little sister Amy out for a crack at the pinkies.
with a float with a pin-sharp size 12 long shank hook. The prime baits are pilchard bits, squid or other tasty morsels. Toss some berley about and you’ll be in with a shot. Gars are epic on the plate and are even better as snapper bait, so pack the berley and floats, and get amongst them! Mick Lane has been catching a few pinkie snapper to 35cm fishing from Mackey St and Limeburners rock walls. Mick has been using fresh squid as bait for his latest captures. Bill Hartshorne took his 4-year-old son Henry out in the bay for his first ever fishing trip. They fished the run-out tide on
the spoil grounds in front of Leopold with Berkley 4” Turtleback worms in camo. It didn’t take long for the boys to land some quality flathead and pinkies, with one pinkie nudging 50cm, resulting in much excitement from Henry! Davie Le recently took his little sister Amy out, and they managed a decent pinkie using soft plastic lures. David says the local fishing really heats up starting from now to late June, with species like Australian salmon in abundance due to baitfish moving into our bays. Fishing any type of lure will do the trick when they are on top of the water.