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Makos make an appearance
  |  First Published: February 2011



The fun filled summer holidays have been creating a buzz down in Queenscliff. The boat ramps and piers all full with keen anglers, it’s an awesome time of year.

The only down side to summer time has been the unpredictable weather and therefore the unpredictable fishing. One day its action packed with a smorgasbord of fish being caught from snapper to salmon, flatties and whiting and then going out the next day still pumped from the day before expecting the same level of activity only having to work twice as hard to find the fish.

But that’s the nature of fishing, it’s a challenge and that’s what keeps us in the game.

Shark

As we had caught our first mako in late Nov, and with adrenalin still pumping through our veins and eager to get out there and experience it again and again, only to be held back by Mother Nature herself. The moderate southerly winds have limited our opportunities to even get out through the heads and test the waters. So needless to say early January has seen a slow start to shark fishing out in Bass Strait.

However, the first opportunity Mother Nature presented to us we headed off shore with high expectations, and we delivered. We were able to raise up our third mako for the season weighing in at 60kg. So if the weather is in favour, get out there and check out the action off shore, you don’t want to miss out on reeling in a mighty mako.

Snapper

The snapper are still making their presence known, though they are reducing in size you can find them in the east in 50m of water.

Australian Salmon

Be on the lookout for birds working and water bubbling as it will most likely be a school of salmon busting up, and at the moment they can be found in and around the rip. So whilst trolling be armed with some white Ockies and 2-4kg light outfits as this is the best way to go about targeting this species.

Yellowtail Kingfish

Using last year as a guide we should start to see the kingfish popping up in February. We have found success catching the kingfish by using white ockies with a strip of squid, whilst trolling around Barwon Heads.

Flathead

The good old flathead, is always a favourite on the dinner table and a great entertainer on the water. The bigger flatties and tiger flathead are in, and can be found on the drift in the east in about 50-60m of water, with squid being their preferred bait.

As always, the patient angler must wait and see what nature has in store for them. It had been a late start to the snapper season this year with the cold temperatures, but they finally delivered with a great season, so patiently we wait and see whether the same will hold true with the shark.

So when the weather is right, head on the hunt for some sharks to get the heart racing and if lucky enough the mighty mako may provide you with a display like no other.

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