Looking forward to clear skies PHILLIP ISLAND
Craig Edmonds
This time of year is generally unsettled and often when we have plenty of rain. The fishing days can be limited but it is also when we see the first signs of things to come for the snapper season. The wet won’t last long and we will be seeing plenty of hot weather soon. There have been plenty
snapper grounds. The squid grounds have been hectic, with limited opportunities over the last month or so making bait collection difficult. Because of this, many have been collecting their fresh bait on the way to snapper spots. Collecting bait on the way out can be the difference between coming home with fish and coming home empty-handed. The fortunate thing about fishing in our corner of Western Port is that
have a squid jig down. I am starting to see it more now, but it has taken several years to convince customers that it works. We regularly get reports of calamari from all areas of the bay. It can take a bit of getting used to but once set up it is very easy and you can get the bonus of fresh calamari. You need an old rod or hand line and a large sinker but the reel and line specifics don’t matter. I use a paternoster rig with either one or two droppers and a couple of very bright large jigs. Drop it down to the bottom and wind it up every now and again. With this rig, I have found calamari in the bay anywhere from 1.5-15m of water. Snapper reports have started to come in slowly for early spring, but the weather had a lot to do with that. A handful of reports came into the shop back in August,
which was a long way off last year’s bumper early season but with probably as many people fishing as there were fish caught, it wasn’t too bad. The fish we have seen seem to be all from the same school, with the reports being between 4.5-5kg. There’s been no sign yet of any bigger fish. The usual spots towards Corinella and the channel along French Island have been the most successful. With some anglers trying to get away from the crowds, a handful of reports have come from some of the not-so-regularly fished corners of the bay, both deep and shallow, so don’t assume because somewhere doesn’t get mentioned in the reports that it isn’t worth trying. Every year, strong winter winds and rough seas move the bottom around and uncover new grounds for spring, but you have to
Weekends are best spent with the family, so it’s great when they also enjoy fishing!
the bait grounds are either a very short detour to other fishing areas or are actually in the same area. If you are a smart angler, no matter where you fish in Western Port you will always
A typical bag of snapper for this time of year.
PROVEN WORLD LEADING
• Centre console • 5 metres • Large front casting deck • Folding rear casting deck • Huge storage lockers • Livewell under seat
ANCHOR DESIGNS
The SARCA EXCEL and SUPER SARCA are certified type approved Super High Holding Power
O ONLINE DE
bassco boats
Check out the holding power figures on www.anchorright.com.au www.anchorright.com.au | 03 5968 5014
LOGO DESIGN
AT TEST VI BO
Stick with convex design and leave the mud behind
Designed and manufactured in Australia
TO VIEW DE
CAN QR CO –S
Super Sarca
Sarca Excel
aggressively I am sure they will fill out. The length is reasonable, averaging around the mid-30cm range, which is promising for the season ahead. It won’t be long before the weather clears up for offshore boating and we will start to see the bags of flathead come in. We will start to see species like kingfish and mako sharks, both of which seem to be here earlier and earlier each year, especially kingfish since people worked out how to catch them. We should also see the odd bluefin tuna, which have been regular visitors over the last few years as people have been actively chasing them.
bassco boats
A quick fish after work produced a few calamari for the table and some leftover for bait. out when possible and while it has looked extra busy, it was more to do with the Corinella boat ramp not being available and the island ramps being the next closest to the early season
be prepared to look for them. Whiting are living up to their reputation as a frustrating species and reports are all over the place with no consistency. That’s not to say the reports have been bad – they have been plentiful, just without any sort of pattern. The reports are coming from exactly where you would expect to see them, Cleeland Bight and Dickies Bay, and that is probably the only constant, with other areas not producing any yet. Be prepared to give both areas a try. The fish available don’t seem to be in quite the same condition as last year. However, once they start feeding a bit more
Built tough for serious anglers bassco boats
ALSO AVAILABLE:
LOGO DESIGN
• Twin console • Front & rear casting decks
Contact Michael Boag
0417 545 593
• Centre console • Small front casting deck
Full pricing & specifications Bassco Boats OCTOBER 2019
37