Fishing Monthly Magazines : Salmon Still Going Strong

All of the surf beaches are fishing well.

The stand out beach has been Woolamai with salmon to 2.5kg being taken. The best baits have been whitebait, bluebait, squid strips and surf poppers.

Fishing the last couple of hours of the run-in tide has been getting the best results. Also the local boys have been landing a few gummies off this beach after dark. Freshly caught salmon or mullet strips are hot bait for gummies.

San Remo Area

Below the bridge, Cleeland’s Bight is still producing good catches of squid.

Above the bridge, calamari are the main species being caught on the San Remo Pier at the moment with reasonable numbers being caught on artificial jigs. The Newhaven jetty has been quiet, with a few trevally, salmon and the odd flathead being caught.

The Corals have seen gummies 4-6kg being taken and there have been a few snapper about in the 1-1.5kg range. Squid have been showing up in better numbers at the Tyabb Bank, the Stoney Point Tug Channel and off Tankerton.

Flinders/Somers Area

The big squid have started at Flinders with some being caught in excess of 3kg. The best way to catch these big mothers is with a baited jig, with silver whiting probably the best bait to use. I tie a sinker under the jig prongs of about 1.5oz then attach a slipping adjustable float that is big enough to float with the weight of the weighted jig. Then adjust the depth of the jig so that it is drifting 50cm off the bottom.

Drift over the weedy areas and the weight on the base of the jig keeps the bait down close to the bottom in the strike zone. Without the weight the jig tends to rise too close to the surface as you drift along. Only the hungriest of squid will leave the safety of the bottom to come up and have a go at the bait.

I fished off Somers with my brother a couple of times during the month and on both occasions we managed our 20 squid which were all about medium size on the first trip. The weather was showery and overcast but we had our bag in one hour. On the second trip it was mild and sunny and we had to work hard and cover a lot of ground to get our bag.