This week has delivered a mixed bag of reports, with some quality fish still being caught across the region. Estuaries continue to fish well, while offshore opportunities have been productive when conditions allow.
Estuaries
The Hopkins River, despite elevated water levels, has fished exceptionally well over the past week. The Warrnambool and District Angling Club recently held their monthly all-rivers competition, with most anglers choosing to stay local on the Hopkins.
Lachlan Peters secured the two largest fish of the event, landing bream weighing 1.194kg and just over 1kg. Fishing with scrub worms from the Tackle Shack, “Richo” (as he’s known) found success behind Deakin University around the man-made fish hotel installed by the Glenelg Hopkins CMA.
Mason Hunt recorded the heaviest bag, with a combined five-fish total of bream and estuary perch weighing 4.389kg. In the junior section, Flynn Collins put in a strong effort around Jubilee Park to secure his result.
The river is full of activity, with large schools of mullet on the surface and an abundance of smaller bream proving challenging for lure anglers. While bites were frequent, getting fish to fully commit proved difficult at times. The most productive area was a bottom mud flat, working Hurricane Sprat 65s (Gun colour) slowly along the substrate. The key was resisting the urge to strike at every small tap—better fish tended to hit with authority.
Scent played a critical role in generating bites. A useful tip is to apply scent only to the hook section of the plastic rather than the tail. This prevents fish from simply nibbling the scented tail without hooking up—an effective adjustment that has proven reliable over time.
The Glenelg River continues to produce consistent results, with mulloway, bream, estuary perch and the occasional surprise capture reported since Christmas. Key areas such as Taylor’s Straight, Donovan’s Landing and Sapling Creek are all worth targeting.
Mulloway and larger bream are still being caught around the poles and downstream sections. Cut or whole crab remains the standout bait, particularly around Nelson. When fishing live crab, using minimal or no weight is essential to maintain a natural presentation. Longer rods (8–9ft), often fibreglass, allow fish to load up without feeling resistance—something that can make a significant difference. Most anglers favour mono lines in the 6–10lb range for this style of fishing.
Offshore
When weather windows have allowed, offshore fishing has been rewarding. A crew from Silvers Circus headed out from Port Fairy after stopping in for bait supplies and found excellent flathead fishing around the Craigs. While not heavily targeted locally, this fishery continues to produce quality fish.
Drifting sandy patches remains the most effective approach, with pilchards, blue bait, squid strips and fresh salmon strips all producing. Black Magic Snapper Snatchers in lumo green and pink have been particularly effective, along with Squidly rigs, which feature three hooks with artificial squid. These rigs often eliminate the need for bait and can even result in multiple hook-ups.
Further offshore, Xavier Ellul, Luke Gercovich and Bilal Khanyari ventured to the shelf and were rewarded with a mixed bag including blue-eye trevalla, blue grenadier, gemfish, pink ling and nannygai, along with a small mako shark. This time of year continues to offer great variety offshore.
Tuna fishing out of Portland has also been productive, with Matt Hunt putting clients onto solid school fish. Spreader bars rigged with a mix of skirts have been highly effective in raising fish to the surface, particularly when working bait balls. This approach is equally effective on both school fish and larger barrels.
Freshwater
Rocklands Reservoir remains the standout destination for freshwater anglers. Strong Murray cod captures continue, particularly in the lower sections of the lake. Anglers using LiveScope technology have been achieving excellent results by targeting individual fish and cycling through lure presentations until triggering a strike.
Spinnerbaits remain a go-to option, with Spinwright models in 3/8oz and 1/2oz proving particularly effective. Their versatility is a major advantage, accounting for cod, yellowbelly, redfin and even bass, all while being easily fished on standard 3–6kg spin gear.
Rohan Mufett landed his first yellowbelly on a live yabby using a new rod and reel combo from the Tackle Shack—a great result.
Lake Purrumbete continues to produce schools of smaller redfin, providing easy action for those chasing a feed, although numbers are required to make it worthwhile. Water levels remain a concern, and hopefully a strong winter sees the lake return to its former levels and improved ramp access.
Outlook
Strong winds are forecast for the weekend, which will likely limit offshore opportunities. However, estuary and freshwater systems should continue to provide solid options.
Don’t forget—if you land a quality fish, send in a photo to enter the Daiwa Golden Fish promotion, with over $500 in prizes up for grabs.