With football season nearing an end and the weather improving, there are plenty of fish out there for you to go and find.

Fishing licence fees went up on August 1, so anyone who bought a three-year licence last time got a bargain.

It has been a very quiet month on the fishing front at Port Albert, with only a handful of people venturing out. Reports have been few and far between. The inlet is fishing very slowly for most species, with the exception of flathead, garfish and salmon. The gars are being taken on the grass edges of backwater channels between Port Albert and Manns Beach.

The salmon are being taken at Manns Entrance, when the surf is at its roughest and pushes them inside.

The rivers have been fishing very well for estuary perch. They are being taken on both hardbodied lures and soft plastics.

Offshore the fishing has been quite good, with the ever-faithful flathead still being caught in good numbers. There have been a few reports of tiger flathead being taken out wide on the 35-38m line, past Cliffy Island.

There have been reports of some nice-sized snapper being taken outside and some good catches of pinkies as well, so it seems our summer fishing is starting early. It may be well worthwhile popping out and dropping a line.

Winter gummies are still being caught when the weather is on our side. Whale Bay is the place to be, so put on your beanies and have a go.

Port Welshpool has been fishing well with reports of calamari in the Lewis Channel and out at Rabbit Island. Gars, silvers and mullet have been the best baits to get these guys on and a good day can be spent stocking up your freezer with this season’s bait supplies.

Salmon can be found at Five Ways and out to the entrance, so start trolling those lures again. Also try at Rabbit Island for salmon.

The good old seven-gilled shark has been lurking around the Franklin Channel, so for all you shark fishers why not give these guys a go?

Spring is finally here and it is shaping up to be a great season. Hopefully I will see you all out on the water. Otherwise drop in and see us at the Alberton Roadhouse and stock up with all you need for your fishing trip.

Some good snapper caught out of the Franklin Channel at Port Welshpool. It’s time to start looking for these guys again!