This is what fishing is all about! We have had some awesome fishing trips out in Bass Strait so far.

With the weather warming up and the days getting longer there’s nothing quite like being out on the water all day with nonstop action on board.

The reds are firing, providing anglers with the great season they have been patiently waiting for. No longer tantalising us with just the odd one or two, they are now coming through in their numbers.

Berley and anchor up in 40m of water and you are sure to experience the thrill of catching this season’s snapper. They are still ranging approx 3-6kg, however by December we will see them drop in size to 1-3kg.

With a solid month of hardcore snapper fishing, anglers will no doubt want to scratch the itch they have for something bigger and better and traditionally December and January are the months that produce the goods.

Checking through last year’s diary we had caught our first mako in early November. Mako shark do prefer the warmer waters, so a few 30C days should see some mako activity in Bass Strait.

Maybe no mako in sight as yet, but plenty of other shark activity happening to help sharpen up your skills before the big boys make their way back to our waters.

Seven-gill sharks have been making a few exciting appearances. These feisty fighters make for some exciting adrenalin pumping action, and are sure to please any angler.

They have been ranging from 16-22kg in size and can be found whilst setting a berley trail and waiting for the snapper to take bait.

The salmon have made a few appearances in front of Torquay. They have been busting up but not for long, taking some bait and then they are off again. Make the most of it when you find them as you don’t know how long they will stick around for.

December should see them come in again and we can only hope that their presence is as prevalent as it was in the summer of 2006.

The good old flathead should start to fire up in December. They can be found on the drift in the east in approximately 30-50m of water and squid are the preferred bait.

Swan bay is a hype of activity, boats as far as the eye can see. It has been an amazing squid season this year, they have been great in size and there certainly hasn’t been a shortage of supply either.

In December we can expect to see them dropping off in numbers but with so many other species heating up in Bass Strait we have bigger fish to fry.

This is it, this is what fishing is about, getting up on the balmy summer mornings heading out to sea, berlying up and waiting whilst enjoying the scenery. Then bang its on, rods are peeling and its all action from here in!

A seven-gill shark comes into the boat. These brawling fighters are a key feature of the December action off Port Phillip.