Cold and wet would be about the only way to describe recent weather but despite all the doom and gloom the fishing has remained steady according to the brave few still putting in the time.

Snapper fishing has been a real highlight with large numbers of fish around the 2kg mark being caught from the deepwater reefs. Anglers targeting gummy sharks in 40m plus around Cape Otway are not only hooking a few decent gummies but bringing home a feed of snapper most outings as well.

Squid and fish fillets have been the successful baits and berley deployed down deep will help improve your catch rate. The gummies bite best when the tide stops running but the snapper will continue to bite right through the tide cycle if you can keep bait down in the strong current.

In late June southern bluefin tuna were still out there in numbers but are not always playing the game. Numerous reports of leaping fish not taking any lures have been all too common this season but some days the tuna will feed freely so it is still worth the trip just in case they are on the chew.

Close to shore around Marengo and Wild Dog Beach large schools of Australian salmon are being taken by trolling metal lures. The salmon have ranged in size from 500g to over 3kg and even the beach fishers have taken some big specimens while casting lures from the shore. Early morning and late afternoons that coincide with a high tide should produce the hottest bites but keep an eye open for leaping fish and birds working to help locate the feeding schools.

The bream love all this cold weather and freshwater pushing down the rivers from the hills. Bream tend to head for deep water down around the mouth of rivers at this time of year and love it when a big tide pushes up clean water from the ocean. Try and fish the incoming tide with soft plastics such as Berkley Turtleback Worms or even a metal vibe slowly twitched along the bottom. 

The Aire and Ford rivers below the Great Ocean Road remain open to trout fishing right through the year and have been fishing well for brown trout up to 1kg. Casting soft plastics and small hardbodied lures close to the banks has been working for me and even my 2.5 year old daughter braved the cold conditions recently to help dad land a few trout.

So there you all go no excuses about the weather just rug up get out there and go fishing.