Change tactics in the cold

incredibly well. I think the next few months ahead will provide some very exciting sport.

The big talk around lure fishing is the incredible size and numbers of bream being caught on hardbody lures in about a metre of water, or even less. This should last for at least the month ahead before they move up the rivers towards late winter.

Some of the best fishing has occurred between Loch Sport and Hollands out in Lake Victoria, with some of us releasing up to 50 bream a session. My best outing with good buddy Havo saw us throwing hardbodies all day, and we stacked 91 bream between us. My best were around 40cm, and Havo got two nice ones at 42cm and 43cm. Most of the bream were smaller, averaging around 30-34cm, but it was so much fun hooking so many fish in clean, shallow water with hardly a ripple on the surface out in the middle

The Gippsland is an everchanging fishery, and as autumn blends into winter, we get cool, crisp evenings and a drop in water temperature. Let’s look at what’s happening this month.

LAKES ENTRANCE

Lakes Entrance is a truly diverse fishery, and anglers have a wide selection of species to target within the lake and offshore. King George whiting are a staple of our fishery, and many anglers come to our costal town just to target them these days. From Lakes Entrance to Paynesville, the many weed beds produce great whiting fishing. Fresh baits such as pipi and mussel are always the best for success.

Australian salmon are a common catch throughout the lakes and on our surf beaches. These great fighting fish are brilliant targets on lures, with small metal slices being ideal offerings for them. Besides being great fun to catch, especially on light tackle, salmon make fantastic bait for the likes of gummy sharks and snapper.

The offshore fishing has really fired up lately, with anglers getting great results on gummy sharks and solid snapper. Angler have mostly fished the outer reefs such as the 6-mile and 8-mile reef for snapper. The traditional bottom bashing methods are highly productive, with baits such as pilchard and squid being very effective.

Closer to shore in

18-20m of water, anglers have good success fishing for gummy sharks, with the odd flathead mixed in. Baits such as squid, whiting and salmon have all been great options, and it’s just matter of mixing it up and finding what’s working best on the day.

With winter looming, the lake’s temperature