As we head into March all game fishing addicts will be getting ready for another southern bluefin tuna season.
Reports coming in give every indication the SBTs are on their way in good numbers and sizes, so make sure all your big game gear is up to scratch and ready to go.
Yellowtail kingfish are still being caught over along the north shore with the heaviest to date weighing 16.2kg caught by local Matt Kerr while fishing with Mark Gercovich.
Other kingfish caught have been ranging from 1-5kg with the odd fish weighing up to 10kg. There seems to be a lot smaller sized kingfish around this year, which has been making it harder to get the bigger sized fish to the surface.
With the water temperature warm and clear enough to encourage the fish to bite, most hook-ups have been coming from anglers anchored up and using baits out in a light berley trail as well as casting lures amongst the schools when they are coming to the surface.
Good-sized calamari are coming from the same area with a mixture of snapper, whiting, trevally, the odd mulloway and school sharks. Further down towards Julia Reef there has been some good-sized school sharks with one boating party catching 18 schoolies and keeping two with the heaviest weighing 22kg.
For those surf fishing along the north shore between Tyrendarra and Snapper Point there has been good catches of gummy and school sharks along with snapper, salmon, trevally, whiting and mulloway.
Land-based anglers fishing around the harbour in places such as the Trawler Wharf, marina and canal have been kept busy with pinkies, whiting, trevally, slimy mackerel, salmon, mullet, calamari squid and kingfish to 3kg.
The Lee Breakwater has seen a variety of catches including gummy and school sharks, snapper, whiting, flathead and calamari squid.
Boating parties heading out between Pivot, Blacknose and Point Danger have been returning with good catches of whiting up to 59cm. Melbourne youngsters Mitchell and James Cauchi had a good day out with mum and dad bringing home 18 whiting amongst their bag of 6 nice snapper and 4 good sized calamari.
Fishing the flathead grounds off Alcoa there has been some good catches of whiting and flathead. In 60m of water off Cape Nelson lighthouse there have blue morwong, coral perch, gurnard, snapper, school shark and makos up to 70kg.
For those travelling down a bit further to Cape Bridgewater there has been good numbers of good-sized flathead along with school and gummy sharks.
The Surrey and Fitzroy rivers are still producing good numbers and sizes of bream with the use of blade lures and soft plastics. Good-sized redfin have also been caught at Hotspur and Bridgewater lakes,
We would like to thank everybody who entered our 8th annual fishing competition, it was a gain a great weekend apart from the sou’ easterly winds with all trophies and prizes being won in every category with even a tie in one section.
All money raised goes to the very worthy Make A Wish foundation and we hope to you all again next year.
If your heading down Portland way give Chris or Paul a call on 0355235213 for all your latest fishing and weather reports, we are open 7 days a week from 7 till 7.
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