The Christmas buzz has come and gone, and along with it the more settled weather—at least for now. Don’t be too disheartened though, as there are still plenty of fishing opportunities to be had both offshore and inland when conditions allow.
Offshore
The local tuna gods have been kind over the past 12 months, particularly when it comes to big fish. It’s been the longest and most consistent “barrel” season many anglers can remember, with reports stretching back to around April and big fish still being landed through late December and early January. It’s a clear sign that seasons continue to run a little out of sync.
One of the latest success stories came from Jordan Sicely, who headed off Portland chasing bottom fish, but wisely ran a couple of heavier outfits in case tuna showed. It didn’t take long before he found a bait ball and within minutes the rod buckled over. After a solid battle, Jordan landed an impressive 115kg barrel on a Halco Laser Pro in the ever-reliable King Brown colour. When tuna are feeding on squid, there are few better colour patterns in hard bodies. While 190mm lures have long been popular, the 210DD “big daddy” profile is quickly becoming a favourite for targeting barrels.
More anglers are also switching to single inline hooks on hard bodies, which provide far better holding power under heavy drag than trebles, which can often pin fish in the cheek or side. This is the same reason skirted lures are almost always rigged with singles - there simply isn’t a better option when it comes to staying connected to powerful fish.
There has also been an increase in thresher shark captures over the past month, particularly off Portland and around Julia Reef near the Fitzroy River. These incredible sharks are among the most powerful fighters in the ocean and use their long, whip-like tails to stun bait, which often results in them being hooked in the tail or along the body. Pat O’Meara found this out firsthand when he landed a solo thresher between Warrnambool and Port Fairy on an Atomic Dragster bibbed lure, hooked squarely in the tail, an unforgettable battle. Threshers often move into shallower water at this time of year to spawn and are regularly encountered by anglers targeting school bluefin and kingfish.
Grant, Kobi and Riley Bellman also enjoyed a cracking offshore session recently, heading out with Sam Powell in fantastic conditions. Their day produced a solid mako shark on the deep-drop gear, along with tasty ling and blue-eye, before they moved inshore and encountered an unbelievable run of school sharks, getting “taxed” more than 20 times.
Estuaries
The Glenelg River is once again full of activity, with fish spread throughout the system. Some quality mulloway were landed in the lower sections over the Christmas and New Year period, helped along by favourable overnight tides. Anglers who could source live mullet were almost guaranteed a genuine chance at a mulloway. Without live bait, consistent bites became much harder, which is typical when these fish lock onto a specific food source. Pilchards and Californian squid have also been effective, although bream are often quick to intercept them. Soft baits such as clickers and spew worms continue to produce steady action, although constant pickers can test the patience.
Closer to home, the Hopkins River has been fishing well. The Allansford Angling Club held its annual Harry Taylor Memorial, awarded to the heaviest single bream of the day. Isaac Primmer took out the honours with a superb 1.293kg fish, in an event that saw nine bream weighed in over the kilo mark. Most of the better fish were caught in the Deakin area on live crab and river shell. The middle reaches of the river, from Rowans Lane through to the ski run, have seen the bulk of the action, with both bream and plenty of perch being caught. Anglers working darker-coloured soft plastics along the edges have been especially successful. The Warrnambool and District Angling Club also held their twilight fishing comp last week, with heaviest bag going to Lewis Holland at 4.190 kg, and heaviest fish went to Mick Hunt with a cracker bream going 1.220 kg. Flynn Collins took out the junior section, and scored some nice bream as well as some estuary perch off the surface during the evening.
Freshwater
Lake Purrumbete has been fishing well for small redfin and the odd salmon. Mick from Victorian Inland Charters recently had Anthony, Felix and Xavier Wright onboard chasing a feed, and the boys managed to put together a nice little haul for the table. With the new access ramp now open for a couple of months, we expect to see more anglers returning to this once-popular waterway in search of the trophy trout and salmon it’s known for. If you’re planning a trip, be sure to contact John and Marina at Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park to book your stay.
Rocklands has been tougher lately, mainly due to unsettled weather and cooler water temperatures. The cod have been laying low, and heavy boat traffic over the holiday period hasn’t helped. As conditions stabilise and things quieten down, we expect the fishery to fire back up again.
We’ve also just expanded our native lure range, with new swimbaits from Biiwaa and fresh colours in the Balista Dyno 90s. These unique lures feature a deep bib, making them ideal for trolling over the many submerged trees in the reservoir, along with an inbuilt rechargeable flashing light that really stands out in dirty or murky water. We also stock a wide range of baitcast rods and reels to suit all budgets and experience levels.
If you head out and land a fish you’re proud of, send it in to us and we’ll share it on our social media pages. You could even go into the draw to win a Daiwa prize pack valued at $500 at the end of the year—not bad for sharing a photo of your catch.
Until next week, tight lines and best of luck. 🎣