As per usual for this time of year, the big crowds departed as the school year commenced, leaving quieter ramps and relieved anglers who were happy to find a bit peace and quiet out on the water.

And while the weather has not been kind to us this year (it doesn’t really feel like we’ve had a summer yet!) we have seen a great variety of fish taken this year and some absolutely awesome captures.

Most notably, the gummy sharks have put on a real display this year and there have been many punters getting amongst some great fish. Both the South Channel and Symmonds Channel have fished very well, while those out fishing for snapper on ‘the mud’ have also been reporting regular gummy shark by-catch.

The fish have probably averaged about 10kg but there have been some absolute beasts taken including a fish caught by Jay Furniss and John Cahill which weighed in at a staggering 36kg.

This was a true behemoth – I am not sure many bigger have been taken in the south of Port Phillip.

The salmon have made a welcome showing at the Heads this summer as well as appearing off Point Lonsdale and the recently scuttled HMAS Canberra which sits at the bottom of the sea a little further down toward Barwon Heads.

These fish have been a bit thin over the last two seasons but hopefully the schools seen in late January and early February are a good sign of things to come through late summer and autumn.

Better yet is the fact that the size of some of the fish coming out of the schools has included impressive models between 3-4kg, which is nothing to sneeze at when you’re trolling with light graphite rods!

Along with the salmon there have been plenty of reports of rat yellowtail kingfish being taken on larger deep divers and down riggers set under the salmon schools.

There is no doubt that the mere mention of the word kingie gets Melbourne fishos excited.

The next two or three months will still provide for plenty of opportunities to target these fish if you have been struck with the Melbourne kingie fever which seems to go around at this time of year!

Since our last report the whiting fishing has definitely improved with larger and more sustained periods of good fishing spread right across the peninsula.

Common summer grounds like the Pinnace Channel have been fishing well on the ebb tide, as has Point Nepean and Tootgarook. We saw a great fish weighed in by Ben Hitchener which was 49cm and weighed 890g.

Over the next two months the whiting should now continue, providing for one of the best local meals you can harvest from our beautiful bay!

For more information contact the boys at Peninsula Total Tackle at 11 Boneo Rd in Rosebud or phone 05 5981 1994.