What a great start to spring! The weather and fishing combined has made it an angler’s paradise.

Patient anglers have been rewarded with plenty of sun filled days to take advantage of and hit the water in search of squid and snapper.

Let’s hope this early start to the warmer weather will see a bumper fishing season ahead!

The squid can be found in Swan Bay and they have been varying in size from 500g to 2kg. With the months to come we can expect to see the squid get bigger and we will also see more consistency in their size.

By October we can also expect to see the bigger squid being caught out in the Bite. As the squid like to congregate around the weeded areas we have found that drifting over the kelp beds has been the place to find them in the past.

Cookie from Queenscliff Bait and Tackle has informed us that they have a new range of squid jigs on the market from Yo Zuri that have been working well, as have the Yamashita new live range. The Shimano Keimura range are also effective; the white ones have been reportedly working well in Queenscliff and the surrounds.

Take care when boating and be mindful of other punters on the water. Particularly when on the drift for squid, as we are all there for a good time and to enjoy the fishing, there is no need to speed when there is a congestion of boats in a small area of water.

Small snapper and nannygai can be found at the front of Barwon Heads, using fresh flesh bait such as squid or pilchard. While they are stills small at this stage, they are large enough to give anglers a sample of bigger and better things yet to come.

As October approaches and the larger snapper are set to come in, the smaller models are managing to quench the longing that many anglers have experienced after a long cold winter. The pinkies are giving the anglers just enough to keep them coming back and waiting in anticipation to hear the sound of their reel peeling with their first snapper of the season.

As the months roll on we can expect to see the bigger snapper coming through the heads and making their way into the bay.

This month we will see the bigger flatties showing up providing you with plenty of opportunities to supply the family with a great feed. The flatties can be found on the drift in the east in about 20-30m of water, with fresh squid their preferred bait.

The weather sure has been impressive thus far, providing us with plenty of opportunities to take the boat out and explore what the new season is offering.