The mighty kingfish have fired right up, over one recent weekend there were over 70 boats anchored up and on the troll along Minerva Reef with nearly every boat having success.

The boys from the Greenvale Club were down on their annual kingfish fishing comp and what a ball they had catching and releasing, with one boat landing 38 kingfish for an afternoons outing.

Ricky and John Xerri had two kingfish at 10kg and 10.5kg amongst their bag, Dave and Daniel Daily had a nice kingfish of 10kg and Joe from the Greenvale Club had the winning fish at 15kg.

Along with the club boys other tourists and locals also had their far share of kingfish, Mojo Abdullatif caught a nice 10.9kg kingfish, Bradley Benson had a kingfish of 9.2kg which was caught on his 18th birthday, Neil O’Connor bagged out with the heaviest weighing 4.1kg while trolling over the town reef.

The kingfish were widespread with heavier fish (3-15kg) coming from Minerva Reef and the lighter fish (1-9kg) being caught off the Lee Breakwater, town reef and from inside the harbour which kept many an angler entertained with line peeling off at a great rate of knots.

This year’s kingfish season has turned out to be one of the best for quite a few years with most boats bagging out on these mighty fine fighting fish. The winner of this years Portland Bait & Tackle fishing competition was one by a kingfish of 8.25kg (gilled and gutted weight) being caught off the Lee Breakwater by Craig Moscrop.

Kingfish should continue to be caught throughout March but in saying that the arrival of the southern bluefin tuna will see many an angler heading out to the deeper waters of the continental shelf.

There have been sightings of bluefin tuna by the professional fishers out on the shelf at various times throughout February so get your gear ready as past catches indicate March is looking good for the onset of the 2011 tuna season.

There has also been a variety of fish on offer along with yellowtail kingfish coming off the Lee Breakwater with Craig and Chloe Taylor of Melbourne catching three nice whiting and two trevally. Rob and Age also of Melbourne had a good night landing 13 calamari squid up to 2.5kg along with good catches of snapper and the odd gummy and schoolie shark.

Fishing in and around the harbour there has been trevally, bream, squid, whiting, salmon and snapper.

For those boating and land-based fishing the north shore and not targeting the kingfish, catches of pike, whiting, snapper, garfish, trevally, salmon, gummy shark and school sharks have all been making an appearance at the cleaning tables.

Boating parties heading out between Lawrence rock and Cape Bridgewater have also been having their fair share of some good catches, good sized flathead, gummy and school sharks have been caught between 60-100m of water.

For those fishing in front of the Cape Nelson lighthouse and Lawrence rock in depths between 40-80m, snapper, blue morwong, coral perch, nannygai, flying gurnard, school/gummy and mako sharks have all been caught in this area.

Heading back towards Portland between Point Danger, Blacknose and Pivot Beach there has been some good catches of whiting averaging between 35-50cm fishing in depths between 3-9m of water and for those targeting flathead the old traditional flathead grounds have been fishing well.

For the freshwater angler the Surrey and the Fitzroy rivers have been producing some good-sized bream and for those chasing redfin, Hotspur and Rocklands Reservoir have been keeping anglers busy.

For all your latest fishing and weather reports give the guys at Portland Bait & Tackle a call on 03 5523 5213, we are open 7 days a week from 7 till 7.