The snapper season is now with us and the reds have not been disappointing even though the water temperature has been a bit on the low side.

The good news is that now it is approaching 18C and reds are really making their presence felt.

As I was compiling this report I received a call from Chris at the Inverloch 3MFM radio station saying how his brother-in-law Mike Walsh had a great day outside Anderson Inlet near Cape Paterson and bagged some ripper reds to 4kg and taken on pilchards.

Other anglers have been having similar success and Garry Hardingham decided to venture out in to around 15m of water where he managed three very nice reds to the 3.5kg mark that also fell to pilchards.

Just inside the entrance there are still good numbers of Australian salmon being caught on a variety of presentations, where just about any sort of lures including the soft plastics have been doing the job. The salmon have been to the 2.5kg mark and should stay around for a while yet.

There is further good news with quite good numbers of whiting making an appearance in the vicinity of Pensioner’s Corner where Bass yabbies, pipis and squid have been the best of the baits.

Tony James was very happy with himself when he and a mate decided to try their luck on the spur of the moment near Stevies Gutter. They bagged seven very nice whiting along with a couple of silver trevally and salmon on the run out tide and the first of the run in flow.

Mahers Landing is very popular with boaters and land-based anglers with silvers, salmon and mullet being taken along with whiting to the 36cm mark. Further up the inlet near the Double Islands there have been quite reasonable numbers of estuary perch being taken on soft plastic lures.

This area can be something of a trap as the water runs off, so care must be taken to avoid a long wait until the incoming tide re-floats your boat.

There have been quite a few estuary perch being taken in the Tarwin River with best results being on the run-off tide and the first bit of the incoming water. The fishing platforms which have been constructed for land-based anglers have been getting a very good work out and on a fine day there is standing room only.

The rock wall near the entrance is always worth a visit with perch, mullet and silvers in fairly good numbers as well as plenty of eels which many fishers feel that they make great shark bait due to their high oil content, but that’s about all.

These nice snapper were taken off Cape Patterson.