Winter has arrived, but we have still been managing some great results in and around Queenscliff. Take advantage of some of the still mornings we get this time of year, rug up and head out for a fish.

Snapper have been a standout once again for us and we have had some large numbers of good fish of up to 3kg coming on board which is common for us this time of year. A mix of fresh squid and couta fillets has been working best for us. Start your search for the snapper in 45m of water off Barwon Heads.

While fishing for the snapper we have been consistently picking up gummy sharks so it’s a good idea to have a couple of rods with some larger bait bouncing the bottom as well. Further a field on the deep reefs offshore we have also had some good catches of nannygai. Target these fish the same as you would snapper; they are a great table fish!

Australian salmon have been working schools of whitebait at the back of the rip in the middle of the ebb tide. White Occys are the way to go, or if you are feeling more adventurous cast some plastics at these fish; 2” minnow patterns in translucent colours seem to work the best. Hang off the school and cast into the centre of it, give it a few seconds to sink, then a twitch or two and hang on. Some of the salmon have been around 2kg that are an absolute blast on the light gear.

Silver trevally have been caught in good numbers around Queenscliff. Berley is essential and they love whitebait, but the standout method in catching these scrappers is by using soft plastic lures. Twitch the plastic back up your berley trail; these guys are a great sport fish and loads of fun.

The Pilot Jetty seems to be a magnet for calamari! The flood tide is the best time to target these fish, make sure that the water is nice and clear. We have found that just about any colour jig has been working well but on occasion we have had to swap around until we have found the jig that seems to work the best.

Everyone’s favourite seems to be whiting of late, these guys have been easy to find – just look for all the boats and join the party! Soft baits and berley is a must. We have seen boats literally 5m apart with one getting fish and the other not. The whiting seem to tune right in on specific spots, often you may only need to move a few metres and you are on the fish.

Flathead have been plentiful both offshore and in the bay and 35m of water down to the east has been fishing really well for them. Keep the boat on the drift while fishing strips of squid on the bottom until you come across a patch of fish. Once you have found them, getting a feed of flatty tails is as easy as taking candy from a baby.

Stay safe and warm and I’ll see you on the water. If you have any reports or cool pictures you can contact me at --e-mail address hidden--