We have hit summer and the fishing is just starting to hot up now. From inside to offshore everything is being caught from flathead to snapper and everything in between.

Of course everyone is talking about snapper all over Victoria, but we poor Gippslanders have had to wait a bit longer than everyone else it seems, but the snapper have just turned up offshore on the reefs. Most of the fish are the usual offshore fish of around 2-4kg however I have heard reports of the odd snapper up to 9kg being caught out here as well. Inside Port Albert has produced a lot of snapper so far in the past month; most have been caught in the entrance and also a few down the Snake Channel near the blue hole. Both squid and pilchards have been working as good as each other.

Unlike the snapper, the gummy sharks have been consistent and this stands for both McLoughlins and Port Albert. Offshore McLoughlins, gummies are being caught everywhere, from in close in 10m of water to out wide to 21m. On rough days, some anglers are fishing just behind the breakers near Woodside and catching good amounts of gummies as well.

At Port Albert, the Snake Channel is producing more gummy sharks than I have ever heard. There aren’t many massive ones being caught but most are keeper sized from 70cm-1m in length. Some anglers are catching their bag then releasing even more, so there is plenty there. There are few nice school sharks mixed in and some anglers are hooking monster sharks that are almost unstoppable on snapper/gummy gear and this is just inside the inlets. Offshore around the islands, Ben Barnes landed a bag of really nice gummies as well as a big seven-gill shark whilst fishing the midnight tide change.

People are probably sick of me talking about the whiting, but they really are big this year and they are still averaging 40cm in length. They are starting to get a little harder to catch in the fact that one day they seem to go good, then the next day they seem to be non-existent, but again, when they are biting you will get big ones.

Pipis have been the best bait but fresh calamari is still working a treat as always. McLoughlins is fishing fantastically and probably being the moist consistent, however Port Albert is producing its fair share of whiting for those who know where to go.

The bigger flathead have just come on the bite with the warmer water, and at the time of writing, the water temp is up to 21C in the shallows, but still averaging 17C in the deeper channels. This has meant that offshore, the bigger blue spot flathead have moved in towards the beaches, so offshore anglers drifting in close are getting very good bags of large flathead. Inside, the soft plastics anglers have just started catching consistent numbers of 60cm plus flathead.

Some anglers are getting over a dozen large flathead in a day and these numbers will only get higher in the next month or two. The bigger flatties are in very shallow water inside now, so try hitting depths of around 1-2m.

Berkley pumpkinseed plastics are as good as any.

For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on 51748544. You will get expert advice and great deals on fishing bait and tackle., Turn in to Rex Hunt and Lee Raynor’s “Off the Hook” on 1242 to hear Will’s Report on what’s going on in Gippsland!