Mother Nature has finally blessed us with some much-needed rain, though we’ll need much more to make a real impact on the parched conditions we’ve endured for some time. As expected, fishing reports have been a bit thin due to the weather, but there’s still plenty to cover.
The tuna are still around, though not in the same numbers as earlier in the season. The quality, however, remains excellent. Port Fairy and Portland continue to be the top spots for most anglers chasing these fish.
The recent strong winds could have gone either way—either pushing the big tuna out and bringing in school fish, or sparking a hot bite that continues the stellar season we’ve had. When the seas are rough, it’s a great opportunity to run heavier lures that hold better in the water. The Bonze D-Shackles, Weapons, and DLB skirts have been particularly effective.
D-Shackles: A large cup-faced skirt that tracks well, ideal for short corner or prop wash positions.
Weapon and DLB: Heavier bullet-style skirts. The Weapon’s keel-weighted design keeps it tracking true, while both perform well with or without a spreader bar in long corner positions.
Rigging: A single hook on 150–250lb leader is ideal—no need for tow rope setups.
Tuna off Port Fairy are holding best in 70m+ depths, but don’t ignore the 50–70m range, as there’s still plenty of life there. Watch for signs like whales and dolphins, which share the same bait as the tuna. The fish are currently feeding heavily on redbait and pilchards, so matching your lure colours to these prey species will improve your chances. As always, remember to ice down your catch on board and bleed, gill, and gut your tuna to ensure the best eating quality and to honour these fantastic fish.
Gummy and mako shark fishing has been productive as well. Salty Dog Charters has been putting clients onto some excellent gummy sharks. While they may not be monsters, they’re exceptional table fish—firm, white flesh that’s perfect for the table. Popular cooking methods include beer batter or panko crumb coating, though a mate of mine swears by crushing salt and vinegar chips for a unique flavour. The vinegar soaks in, creating a delicious result! Mako action has been hot too, with plenty following the tuna schools in search of an easy meal. Some of these sharks are on the larger side, so as always, be prepared and know your plan before you sink a hook into one. A big mako can do serious damage to your boat—and you—if you’re not careful. We’ve also had reports of large great whites around, with one sighting of a shark estimated at close to 5m long. These apex predators are the true kings of the ocean—majestic, powerful, and not to be taken lightly.
A new highlight this week was the capture of a broadbill swordfish off our local waters. James Rogers of Unreel Fishing Charters and his crew were deep dropping for blue-eye and hapuka when they landed an incredible 111kg swordfish!
The excitement was palpable at the Warrnambool Offshore and Light Game Club, where the fish was weighed. To my knowledge, this is the first rod-and-reel-caught swordfish from our local waters—though happy to stand corrected! Swordfishing is a real challenge, and the effort required to get a bite, let alone land one, is immense. Many anglers experience a string of lost fish before finally landing a sword, so this catch is a true testament to skill and persistence. Congratulations to James, his crew, and the club for promoting such an outstanding achievement!
The rivers are finally seeing some much-needed rainfall, which will help, though more is still required. Signs of algae have reappeared in the Curdies lake, but hopefully the rain will help break it up before it becomes a serious problem, as it has in the past. Michael Moore had another successful session casting topwater lures tight against the banks upstream of the boat ramp, landing some solid estuary perch over 40cm. It’s a reminder that topwater fishing isn’t just for summer—done right, it’s a year-round technique. Smaller perch are schooling in the lower reaches. Hard-bodied lures like Daiwa Spikes, Jackall Squirrels, and Berkley Stunnas fished parallel to the banks are working well for both bream and perch.The Hopkins is high after big seas pushed saltwater over the blocked mouth. While this brings some good saltwater into the system, a solid flush of freshwater is still needed. Fish numbers are good, though larger fish remain scarce for now. Expect this to change over the next couple of months as fish fatten up ahead of spawning. Also full to the brim, the Merri desperately needs a good flush to clear out sandbars, particularly near the skate park. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as "just open it up"—there’s too much sand, and only Mother Nature can truly shift it. The Glenelg has been reopened after months of blockage, much to the relief of locals whose shacks, boat ramps, and car parks were affected by high water levels. The fishing has been excellent, with big estuary perch and quality bream being caught along the edges. Soft plastics are the go-to technique right now—adjust jighead weights to match depth:
For depths over 2m: 1/12oz
For shallower areas: 1/16–1/20oz
Gulp-style plastics sink naturally, so lighter heads can be used compared to buoyant TPE-style lures like ZMan or Bait Junkie. A tip—painting your jigheads with products like Tempt powder paints can improve your bite rate, as plain lead can sometimes spook fish. Just remember to ask your partner before using the family oven to bake them! No recent reports of mulloway from the Glenelg, but fingers crossed they’ll show up once the river’s fully opened.
Lake Bullen Merri continues to be the go-to for trout and salmon. Flatlining hardbodies along the edges is a great way to find schools of aggressive tiger trout. Minnow-profile lures between 50–95mm with a touch of flash are the top pick. For targeting suspended fish, downrigging with Tassie Devils in pink, white, and green is a proven method. Many anglers swap out trebles for assist hooks or single hooks (like Gamakatsu Singles) to improve hook-ups and reduce the chance of fish throwing the hook mid-fight. Max Fry has been getting into some great trout action locally both on his fly rod and casting hardbodies. With the still water at the moment it’s a great time to be able to target fish on fly. Max loves using minnow profiles such as bms and wooly buggers to entice a strike from a trout hunting. In the hardbodies the choice lately has been the Zipbait Rigges in either 56mm or 70mm. Bright colours have been the pick and have been getting the attention of the trout pretty easily. Once we get more rain and the water begins to really flow we will see some great action as it’s been a pretty quiet couple of years.
Looking ahead, next week’s wind forecast looks promising for offshore fishing—here’s hoping we get some good weather to take advantage of the opportunities!
Tight lines and best of luck out there!