Fishing Report – Febuary 15, 2018

ANGLESEA

» Fishing reports continue to be slow out of Anglesea
» The odd few pinkies have been caught
» A few whiting have been caught
» A few flathead out deep.

BARWON HEADS

» Salmon, trevally and a few King George whiting still being caught in the river
» Reports of flathead, snapper and pinkies offshore
» Occasional gummy shark being reported
» Reports of shark catches offshore.

TORQUAY

» Snapper continue to be caught both off the beach as well as offshore
» Flathead and King George whiting are still being caught in close and off the beaches
» Plenty of salmon in numbers being caught off most local beaches
» Gummy shark have been reported but not in numbers
» Spring Creek producing some nice bream.

Remember Torquay Tackle and Sports. For all the best available advice in Torquay on tackle and bait, drop in at the store and see Ross or Josh to ensure you get the most up-to-date information available. Phone 5264 8207.

QUEENSCLIFF

» St Leonards, reports of snapper, pinkies out wide. Flathead also being caught. With improvement in whiting catch reports
» Still some gummy shark catches, plus squid still in numbers being caught
» Pt Lonsdale is seeing reports of salmon, trevally, and some nice size whiting as well as calamari being caught
» Queenscliff Harbour: still reports of a few trevally and salmon being caught
» White Lady: whiting on the improve, with calamari and flathead also being caught
» Indented Head, reports of flathead and squid continue with reports of whiting along with the odd snapper being caught. Gummy shark on the 20-metre mark are still being caught
» Clifton Springs, flathead and some nice-size pinkies reported
» Swan Bay, still reports of some nice garfish.

VERY high numbers of baby King George whiting have been recorded in fisheries surveys of Port Phillip for the second consecutive year, which is great news for whiting stocks and recreational anglers who hold the species in high regard on the table and as a sportfish.

Victorian Fisheries Authority chief executive officer Travis Dowling said anglers could expect sensational fishing from 2019 to 2021 when juvenile whiting detected in 2016 and 2017 will have grown to catchable size.

“Scientists have conducted annual surveys of small juvenile whiting in the bay’s seagrass beds since 1998 to help forecast the abundance of stocks and manage the fishery sustainably,” Mr Dowling said.

“Two very strong years in a row is wonderful news and will get more people fishing, more often, which is at the core of the state government’s Target One Million plan, which is investing a record $46 million into a suite of projects to grow participation in recreational fishing, including bringing an end to all commercial net fishing in Port Phillip by 2022.

“The survey results from Port Phillip also provide an indication of what can be expected in the years ahead in other Victorian bays, including Western Port and Corner Inlet.”

Mr Dowling said that adult whiting reside in coastal waters and the tiny whiting larvae drift eastward from spawning grounds, most likely off far western Victoria and eastern South Australia, for approximately three months before entering our bays and estuaries during spring when scientists conduct the surveys.

“Westerly winds help drive the currents that bring the whiting larvae into our bays, where they take about two years to reach the legal minimum size of 27 centimetres.

“At about four years of age, most whiting have left the bays to complete their adult life in coastal waters.

“Because whiting only reside in the bays for a few years of their life, these fisheries naturally fluctuate depending on the number of tiny larvae that entered the bays several years prior.

“People fishing outside the bays along the coast can expect increased catches of larger whiting during the early 2020s, as maturing fish move out to coastal waters.”

Victorian anglers are reminded that there is a daily bag limit of 20 King George whiting applies per person and they must be landed whole or in carcass form.

Getting hooked on free fishing events

Seafood lovers and keen recreational anglers will soon converge at Lakes Entrance for the Labour Day long weekend in March to join the festivities at our free “Hooked on Lakes Entrance” event and first ever symposium on dusky flathead.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said last year’s inaugural “Hooked on Lakes Entrance” event attracted more than 1,000 people, many of whom were expected to return again this year on Sunday March 11 between 10am and 4pm.

Lakes Entrance is a fishing mecca and home to one of Australia’s largest commercial fishing fleets.

Photos

I would also like to remind everyone to keep those photos coming in of your big catch! Please forward them to [email protected], with type of fish, weight, length, location and your name. I am more than happy to place your photos in My Big Catch.