Whatever happened to global warming? It’s been a cold wet winter, just like we used to have 20 years ago, and I can’t remember when I have seen so much freshwater in the bays.

I went for a fish early in July to Andersons Inlet and the water was like mud, even on the high tide. Needless to say no fish. I then tried Mornington a few weeks later and the water was also a dirty brown. Apart from a few undersize pinkies, nothing else was about.

So the last couple of fishing trips I have been surf fishing, which produced salmon from 500g to 1kg at Williamsons and Baxter beaches. The best results came on the high tide and the first couple of hours on the run-off, with blue bait and squid strips the best baits.

In the past when we have had very wet winters with lots of fresh water entering the bays, we have had ripper whiting and snapper seasons. Let’s hope it all happens this year.

Woolamai, Baxter, Williamsons and Kilcunda beaches are all producing salmon to 1kg with a few 2-2.5kg mixed in.

Whitebait, blue bait and squid are getting the best results.

When the weather permits, outside The Entrance there have been reasonable catches of sand and tiger flathead and silver whiting.

Some medium-sized gummies are about off Elizabeth Island and still a few whiting off Tortoise Head Bank. A few big gummies off Ventnor being caught drifting on the change of tide.

The big calamari should start arriving on the annual spawning run so good things should start happening. A baited jig usually works better than the artificial jigs and if you tie a sinker underneath the prongs it keeps the jig closer to the bottom, hence more hook ups and more squid.

Check your fishing depth on your sounder. If it is 6m then pull out 5.5m of line from your jig to your float. Try to keep the jig as close to the bottom as you drift. You can’t go past silver whiting for bait.