Wind, wind go away! It seems like it will never let up. Weeks of almost constant wind has kept anglers from getting out on the water, which is a shame as the fishing has been great with plenty of options on offer.

Here’s hoping that the upcoming weeks grace us with some perfect spring weather to herald the start of another (hopefully) bumper snapper season.

August started with a bang when customers called into Fishing Fever with scattered reports of a snapper or two being hooked off the pier. A quick call was made to local land-based guru Eren Gruven who promptly went down there with his girlfriend Jess and, in no time flat, Jess had her first ever snapper on the pier – a cracker 5.5kg. And then to prove it was no fluke she managed to pin another 4.4kg fish a week or so later!

The following weeks produced more reds and this month should see the pier go ballistic! Numbers of quality snapper are on offer for those anglers who want to get out there and fish in the rough weather. Best baits have been pilchards and squid.

Aside from the snapper, there have also been plenty of mullet, Tommy rough and small salmon along the pier and around the creek mouth.

Best of all, it shouldn’t be too long until the dredging of the creek is finished; all I can say is ‘watch this space’. With better tide flow, this little creek has the potential to produce some amazing fishing for a variety of species.

We are hearing scattered reports from boat-based anglers of some early season snapper. However, it seems strange that the majority of boats are heading out into 16-20m of water to try their luck yet the land-based guys are smashing the snapper in 2-5m of water! You don’t need to be a scientist to work this out – look at places like the Parkdale Pinnacles and the back of the Mussel Farms in Beaumaris Bay.

Speaking of Beaumaris, the pier has been consistent with garfish and the odd squid. Over the coming weeks we will see this as a top place to find a solid land-based snapper, especially when it blows a big southwesterly for a few days.

Off Ricketts Point and down towards Black Rock, the fishing has still been fantastic for pinkie snapper between 27-45cm with even the odd 50cm fish being taken. Lures and baits have been producing their fair share of fish.

It’s only a matter of time until the pinkie anglers get clobbered by a run of big early season fish as they move in on the shallow reef. This will herald the real start of snapper season.

Garfish have still been around in good numbers over the past weeks. When the water has been clear, you can also find good squid, especially for those anglers willing to move around.

Adding to this, there has been very good numbers of pinkies on offer at almost all of the land-based locations and I am sure its only a matter of time until big snapper are taken from locations such as Sandringham Breakwall, Hampton Groynes and off Brighton Breakwall.

Out deeper there has been the odd report of some bigger snapper coming in from locatons such as the T1 and T2 areas of the shipping channel. Also just out from the Sandringham Breakwall, in the 8-10m area where there is a bit of rubble bottom, has been producing some solid pinkies and the occasional big red around dawn and during rough weather.

Along the shallow reef areas, such as Green Point, Brighton and up at North road, I have received some great reports of big red mullet on offer. Anglers who are willing to chase them are finding multiple numbers of big fish in their catches, especially when using soft plastics or baits of beach worm or peeled prawn.

Further up towards St Kilda the water has been fairly dirty, but now is the time you will start to see the flathead waking from their winter slumber and begin to make there way into the shallows to warm up. They are also looking for an easy feed, especially if its in the form of a soft plastic.

Now is the time to get the surf rods out and get serious off the St Kilda Breakwall. After the fishing this area produced in the early part of last season there is no reason it won’t repeat itself again over the next two months. Best of all, for whatever reason the place is producing huge reds in the 10kg class for either a boat or land-based angler.

Aside from the hopefully big snapper run to come, the pinkies have been feeding well through the area with all the piers and breakwalls producing plenty of fish recently.

The boat anglers have also been getting stuck into the fish on the cunjevoi beds located in the area between Kerford Road and Lagoon Pier.

If you have a boat, it’s worth getting into the cove between Station and Princes piers as there has been a run of good pinkies in the 1-2kg class moving through at night. While out wider the Fawkner beacon, through to the spoil ground, will be well worth a look over the coming weeks for a snapper, or ten.

Roll on snapper season 2012-2013. Good luck and get out there.