Fishing Report – March 15, 2018

ANGLESEA

» Report of pinkies but spasmodic at best
» Still the occasional flathead being caught
» Whiting are still scarce and few in numbers.

BARWON HEADS

» The river reports have been of salmon, trevally and the odd King George whiting
» Offshore catches of flathead, snapper and pinkies continue
» Reports of some gummy shark.

LORNE

» The fishing off Lorne over the last couple of weeks has been excellent. The flathead still on the chew with quite a few big tigers and yanks being caught
» The Whiting are thick with some anglers getting their bag limit regularly
» Pinkie snapper are also in good numbers with the odd 40-centimetre plus fish being landed
» Lots of calamari are being caught off the pier along with salmon, mullet and the odd whiting
» There have been a few big bronze whalers caught off the pier by anglers who fish all night and are targeting them. They paddle a kayak out with a whole salmon or tuna injected with tuna oil. It’s attached to a bag of sand using light fishing line and the bait is floated under a balloon. When the shark is hooked the line to the sand bag breaks off. They use heavy big game rods and reels and the fight can last for up to an hour.
» A very big white pointer has been spotted again swimming in close to the pier a couple of times.

Thanks to the Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club once again for this report.

TORQUAY

» Still reports of snapper offshore
» Flathead, King George whiting are still on the go both in close and with a few being caught off the beaches
» Reports of the occasional taylor, but nice size
» Reports of good schools of salmon moving through and being caught off most local beaches
» Still the occasional report of gummy shark being caught
» Reports of mako shark offshore
» Spring Creek producing some 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 has reports of snapper and pinkies
» Whiting catches continue to improve Some Flathead are also being caught
» Reports of gummy shark and squid being caught
» Point Lonsdale has big salmon, trevally garfish as well as some whiting, along with calamari catches being reported
» Queenscliff harbour has some trevally, the odd whiting and pinkies as well as a few calamari
» White Lady is seeing some good reports of whiting, as well as some calamari and flathead being caught
» Indented Head has reports of flathead, squid a few whiting as well as the odd snapper being caught, with reports of a few gummy shark being caught out wide
» Clifton Springs has reports of some nice flathead being caught as well as pinkies, plus some whiting as well.

AN INNOVATIVE new “Women in Recreational Fishing Network” was launched on International Women’s Day to encourage more females into fishing and promote the popular pastime as a healthy and active outdoor activity for the entire family.

Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) chief executive officer Travis Dowling said a dedicated social media group on the VFA Facebook page will be central to the new network.

“The new Facebook group is here to provide a place for females to discuss, share and engage with other women interested in recreational fishing,” Mr Dowling said.

“Females of all ages, fishing skill levels and experience can join the group, post pictures and stories, and learn from one another in a supportive digital environment.”

“The new group will be a wonderful place for women from all walks of life to talk fishing, whether that’s simply sharing a video on how to tie a knot or asking for tips on rigging and baits.”

The Facebook group is part of the State Government’s Target One Million plan, which is investing a record $46 million to get more people fishing, more often, and grow participation to one million by 2020.

The formation of the group is a direct result of the VFA’s “Women in Fishing Survey” last year, which was completed by nearly 1,400 women.

Among the survey feedback, women indicated they wanted a comfortable place to discuss fishing and get advice from other females who were already wetting a line or diving.

Check out the new group at facebook.com/groups/womeninrecfishing or learn more at vfa.vic.gov.au/womenfishingnetwork.

Great whites on the Surf Coast

Over the past few weeks I had been hearing anecdotal reports of a great white sharks that had been frequenting the area around the Lorne Pier.

Then last week there was the report of a close encounter with a large shark by a swimmer off Lorne. The person concerned sounds extremely lucky indeed to be here to talk about it.

There was also the report we made earlier in the summer regarding the sighting of what was thought to be a great white as well in the bay at Anglesea, which according to all witnesses was another lucky escape.

These great whites are one of the apex predators of the deep and the not-so-deep it seems.

We are receiving reports of sharks growing in numbers and coming closer to shore.

Fisheries recently issued a warning regarding the increase of shark sightings closer to shore.

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.