This past week has seen some fantastic catches along the coast and inshore, though the window for heading offshore is slowly closing. Let’s take a look at what’s been keeping rods bent and reels screaming.
Saltwater Fishing
Last weekend, several anglers ventured offshore, targeting a variety of species available this time of year. The Rhook crew—Stephen and his son Shannon—headed out off Warrnambool on Sunday and encountered some solid school tuna in the 15-20kg range. With favorable conditions, they successfully spotted tuna on the surface and trolled over to them, landing some great fish. If you’ve never targeted tuna in these waters, this size is a great starting point, as they fight hard and can be caught on most lures and skirts.
Robert Caw, who recently acquired a Stabicraft 1450, wasted no time getting into the action. He found success trolling hard-bodied lures across the schools—a preferred method since driving boats directly over the fish tends to spook them. If you allow them to settle by idling nearby, they often resurface.
Another father-and-son duo, Marty and Xavier Ellul, had a fantastic session after work off Warrnambool, landing eight tuna and releasing seven for others to catch. The theme of family fishing continued with Mick Mahney and his young son Fergus, who got into some impressive kingfish at Portland aboard Robbo’s boat. Fergus, just eight years old, managed to land his personal best kingfish—a remarkable feat given how tough these fish are even for adults. Although some anglers claim this kingfish season is tougher than past years, many are just happy to get the chance to tick them off their bucket lists. These fish have primarily been caught on live bait such as yakkas and slimy mackerel or by slow trolling sluggo lures and squid strips. Trolling live bait comes with the risk of losing rigs in the reef, but it’s a trade-off for hooking these powerful fish.
For a slightly less intense battle, Killarney Beach has been producing some big salmon for anglers targeting whiting from the shore. Anthony Smith landed a whopper while trying to secure some fresh whiting for dinner. These salmon vary in size, reaching up to 3kg, and can be caught using both lures and traditional bait rigs. According to Smithers, those able to cast farther from shore were the ones landing higher-quality whiting. We offer an excellent range of 8ft6 to 10ft rods that are perfect for this type of fishing without breaking the bank. The new Daiwa Over There range of lures has been flying off the shelves, thanks to their affordable price and high-quality finish—starting at just $8.99 for the 20g model, making them an excellent option for targeting salmon off the beach or rocks.
Estuary Fishing
The Curdies River has been fishing well for those targeting perch with surface and sub-surface lures. Dedicated angler Michael Moore put in long hours on the water last weekend and was rewarded with some great perch up to 42cm, caught on a range of surface lures and Berkley glide baits. Meanwhile, Michael Hunt fished the lower river section on Saturday afternoon, landing some beautiful bream on Hurricane Twitch 50s and Jackall Squirrels. While he had an outstanding session that night, the following evening yielded no fish—a common occurrence in the Curdies, where bream and perch move unpredictably throughout the system.
Closer to home, the Hopkins River has been producing good fish numbers, though the lack of large specimens remains a concern. On Sunday, the Allansford and District Angling Club held their eighth competition of the season, with 13 anglers braving the heat. Paul Lamb and Brendan Howard secured the best bag at 3.746kg for their top five bream, while Paul also landed the heaviest fish at 1.295kg. Wendy Pemberton won the ladies’ section with a 654g bream, caught while fishing with her husband, Tom.
Fishing alongside Michael and Adam Linke, I had a productive day on the Hopkins, finding solid fish on the mud flats, particularly in the middle sections of the river. We used Z-Man Slim Swimz on Daiwa 1/16oz jig heads, catching around 25 bream up to 38cm, though we lost one larger fish after it crushed the jig head. Lately, anything in “motor oil” color has been especially effective, but the fish have been moving unpredictably. My Garmin fish finder has shown a noticeable decrease in numbers in my usual spots. A promising sign, however, is the large number of juvenile bream holding near the Jubilee Park jetties, indicating a successful spawn and possibly explaining the recent feeding uptick.
Another system that has been firing this past week is the Glenelg River. Recent big tides have pushed clean water into the system, bringing an influx of Mulloway. Some anglers have been landing up to eight fish per night, though the presence of kelp weed has made landing them challenging. A similar issue arose a couple of years ago, with excessive weed making it difficult to fish effectively. These Mulloway will eventually move further upstream, but for now, anglers will need to persist through the weedy conditions. Further up the river, large bream have been frustrating perch anglers using live minnows under floats—great if you’re just looking to catch fish, but a nuisance when specifically targeting perch!
Looking Ahead
With some swell expected over the weekend, offshore fishing opportunities may be limited. However, the rivers should remain fishable for those looking to wet a line. Alternatively, consider heading over to Nelson for a shot at a Mulloway. Until next week—tight lines and best of luck!