We are now well into the middle of winter and despite the bone chilling cold it, the fish are not concerned one iota.

The past few weeks on Western Port have been challenging but providing you’re willing to put in the hard yards, there are still plenty of fishing options. Calamari are well and truly making the bulk of the catches but there are still some good whiting about along with gummy sharks and salmon aplenty.

The surf fishing is really on fire at present right along the coast. The majority of reports are coming from Williamson’s Beach, Kilcunda and both beaches at Cape Woolamai. These beaches always get good runs of salmon and this year is nothing different from the past.

Williamson’s Beach, being the deepest beach has been getting regular runs of salmon to 2kg. Andrew Peters managed to catch 16 fish in a morning session using bluebait including a whopping salmon estimated at over 2kg which took a red/white surf popper but the fish pulled the hook while aerial. The high tide has been the most productive time to fish, add in an overcast day and the salmon have been quite thick.

Kilcunda and Cemetery beaches are fishing equal to on another but unfortunately, one fishes great one day and the next the other. Picking which to fish is entirely your choice but at least they are close to one another so should you have a quiet morning session at one, you can always make the switch and head to the other for the arvo.

Once again, high tide fishing is a must and those using berley have been seeing the best results as the fish have been congregating in large numbers in the chosen gutters.

Of all the beaches Cape Woolamai has been the standout over the past weeks. One angler recently fished Anzacs to catch some impressive salmon to 1.5kg using bluebait. There is no doubt that bluebait is the number one bait used so far this season and is really getting the results. Those fishing Anzacs should heavily concentrate on the gutter to the right of the stairs. It is very deep with a rocky/gravel bottom that continually holds fish, even on the low tide. Berley is a must if you want results.

If you’re still keen on catching whiting, the Reef Island area has continued to produce some nice fish. Anglers fishing in 3-4m of water around the Island have been catching some good fish and they are in quite good numbers. Max and Cam had a fishing expedition to Reef Island and in a quick 2-hour session just before dusk the boys managed 20 whiting ranging from 38-45cm.

I can’t day that I have ever had consistent reports of big calamari being caught at Coronet Bay but the past few weeks have been very inspiring.

Pedro and his son’s Lachie and Patrick headed out for a fish off Coronet Bay and fished in close under the cliffs to catch 8 great calamari. Other anglers have also been fishing the area and have caught some real whoppers on both bait and artificial size 3.0 jigs. White and red foil belly colours have been the most consistent.

While Tenby Point has gone under the radar of late, the fishing is outstanding throughout the winter period. Recently, staff member of Cranbourne Tackle World Dylan has been hitting the rocks with great results. Dylan has been fishing well into the night and has caught numerous gummy sharks to over 5kg. Dylan has found that trevally and salmon fillet have been the favoured baits.

Land-based anglers have really been giving the Stockyard Point area a good flogging over the past few weeks and have been catching some nice fish. Elephants have been really on the chew with fish as large as 5kg being caught. Nick Tucker of headed to Stock Yard Point where he managed a nice elephant fish and also lost something much bigger.

This area can produce some big sharks so don’t go to light with your tackle. Ideally, a running sinker rig tied from 80lb is sufficient or use a Snapper Snatcher.

The Western Entrance is one of the best producing locations for anglers seeking gummy sharks and lately, the fishing has been exceptional. Though the larger versions may not be as prolific as a few weeks ago, the majority of fish caught range from 5-8kg. Ned fished the Western Entrance on a few occasions and has caught some great fish every session. There is no specific ‘X marks the spot’ here, rather as long as your fishing along a contour line you’re in with a chance.

If you’re keen enough to fish late into the cold winter evenings then Somers is a great location to search for land-based gummies. Mark Keaveny has been working the shoreline with good results. Mark has been fishing the rising tides and has had some good session with gummies to 5kg being caught. Mark has been using a range of baits including trevally, salmon, yakka and squid.

While anglers will be battling the cold, wind and rain over the next few weeks it is fair to say that if you’re looking for something to catch, you really can’t go past hitting the surf and fishing for salmon.

This season is one of the best in recent years and the salmon reports that I have been receiving are outstanding. Those fishing bait have been catching plenty of good fish but for something a little different, try casting metal slugs about the gutters.

Spinning for salmon is a lot of fun and is a lot easier that carting a tonne of bait and berley to the beach. All you need is a pair of waders, 9ft spin rod and a hand full of 25-35g lures, spare leader and a pair of scissors and you’re off. Walk the beach and flick the gutters, you’ll be totally amazed at how much area you can cover in a day with good success.