With Christmas approaching, plenty of anglers have been stocking up on fresh table fish despite challenging weather conditions. When the weather did play ball, there were some excellent catches across the region.
Saltwater
Local beaches have been a popular option for those chasing a feed while enjoying a more relaxed style of fishing. Late last week, Aidan Gordon, Bernard Whelan and Janda Chatfield headed to Yambuk in search of snapper and gummies. The boys were rewarded with quality fish, highlighted by Aidan’s cracking 83cm snapper which is a rare size off the beach locally and a fantastic achievement. Using the Rig Mate 80lb pre-made paternoster rigs (now in stock!), they also picked up pinkies and four nice table-sized gummies.
Another duo chasing a feed were Richardson Marine’s own Joey Bourke and Tim Vincent, who hit Killarney for calamari and landed nine solid squid. Darker-coloured jigs worked aggressively through the deeper channels proved the key. Unlike arrow squid, calamari can go straight into the pan without tenderising, but no matter which species you catch, dispatching them immediately gives the best eating quality. A quick karate-chop between the head and hood will instantly turn the squid white and humanely kill it. Remember to do the same to the head; squid have three brains, with two controlling the optic lobes and one managing the body.
Cleaning squid is often messy, but a few simple techniques make the job much easier. Gently separate the hood from the head with a finger, then slowly work the head free without bursting the ink sac which is the long dark-blue sac inside the mantle. Remove the wings by rocking your fingers underneath until they lift away, then peel off the membrane using paper towel for quicker results. Once the hood is clean, you can turn it inside out to tidy the cavity or slice it into strips. With a final wipe-down to remove any slime, your calamari is ready for the table.
The Warrnambool Offshore & Light Game Club ran their final all-species competition for the year over the weekend. Offshore anglers found snapper, gummies, nannygai and flathead, while the Neale boys put together a great bag of bream to 36cm fork length. Attention now shifts to the Annual Shipwreck Coast Fishing Classic from January 3–5, with entries available at the Tackle Shack or via the club’s website which is a fantastic event for families and keen young anglers.
Estuaries
There’s been plenty of excitement in the estuaries with mulloway appearing in several systems. The Glenelg River produced some lovely fish this week for bait anglers, with mulloway in the 10–15lb range caught from Donovan’s right through to the mouth. These iconic fish continue to attract visitors to the area, giving the local towns a welcome boost. Live mullet trolled behind traditional diesel “putter” boats remain the standout method, despite mulloway being known as easily spooked, these noisy old engines somehow continue to work their magic.
Meanwhile, the Hopkins River has been showing good activity, with a few quality mulloway sighted in the lower reaches. It’s been several years since the Hopkins had a strong run, so local anglers are hoping this is the start of something. With plenty of mullet about, there’s no shortage of food, so fingers crossed the mulloway decide to stay a little longer.
Freshwater
Further up the Hopkins, Tim Vincent has been finding excellent perch on surface lures at dusk. Cicada-style lures worked slowly across the top have been producing great strikes, but the hardest habit for newcomers is resisting the urge to strike too early. Waiting until the rod loads up, instead of reacting to every splash, is the key to hooking up consistently.
On the trout front, local gun Kyle Taylor has been landing impressive numbers of 50cm-plus fish from the lower Merri River, with the Nomad Live Ops Spectre Minnow doing plenty of damage during quick smoko or after-work sessions.
Further afield, Joey and Tim trialled our demo Quintrex 550 Territory Legend at Lake Bullen Merri chasing the elusive Australian bass. While they found fish on LiveScope, and generated some interest with metal jigs, none were hooked, though they did pick up Chinook salmon, proving just how capable LiveScope can be for species not traditionally targeted with the technology.
With the warm weather pushing water temperatures higher by the day, it won’t be long before kingfish and school tuna begin firing in close. All we need now is a break in the wind.
Until next week - tight lines and good luck!