This popular spot is really firing with positive reports coming from everywhere. The water is clear and at summer temperatures the great fishing will no doubt continue.

The local jetties have been well worth a visit and on my last visit to the area I came across quite a few trying their luck. I arrived as the tide was about halfway up the cycle and most anglers were doing reasonably well on a fine sunny day with no wind, which has been unusual for this area in recent times.

Henry Imon was making himself comfortable in a deck chair with a couple of long rods hoping for whatever might come along. As it turned out he had half a dozen fish, which was made up of mullet, and reasonable size silvers that had been taken on whitebait. The other anglers I visited also had enough fish to make the effort worthwhile.

I always call in at the boat storage, which is the best place to get the latest information as well as fresh bait. The word was that there have been very good numbers of whiting to the 36cm mark being caught in the Lewis Channel. Although the Long Jetty is still closed and will probably remain that way for good, boaters have been tying up to the structure and doing well in the Lewis Channel that flows on by. The fish have been taking a variety of baits including Bass yabbies, squid, and small pieces of pilchards. The royals might not be huge but being up the 37cm mark they are well worth going after. There is also a sprinkling of mullet, silvers and flathead, many of which are throwbacks but will grow to swim and fight another day.

The Franklin Channel is always worth a visit and so far there have been good numbers of snapper to the 8kg mark being caught on a variety of baits, with squid, fresh silver fillets and pilchards being hard to beat. There are also good numbers of gummy sharks and good size flathead being landed with the run-out tide being the best time to try your luck.

On the other side of the inlet at Yanakie the reports are also positive with the water now at summer temperature. The Bennison Channel is the place to be, as very good whiting are being bagged to the 38cm mark. Bass yabbies have also been caught.

The other nearby spot that has been really firing is Port Albert. Information from the local general store that is run by Rob Killury is that now is the time to wet a line. He has installed a gantry for the larger fish such as bronze whaler sharks and also has scales for the smaller species. He says that both have been getting a very good work out.

The jetty has been super productive where there has been a very good variety of fish being taken mainly on the run-in tide. Whiting have also been caught, which is a bit unusual but no one is complaining. There have also been a few conga eels caught off the structure and one local youngster bagged one that weighed in at 10.1kg, but there have been even bigger ones taken.

Barry Manson from Yarram likes to fish outside the entrance and had a very successful trip when he bagged a 13.2kg gummy shark as well as some very good size flathead. There have been other reports from this area and it seems that around the 20m mark has produced the best results.

Jack Crapper had a very good day when he hooked into and landed a bronze whaler shark that dragged the gantry down to 91kg. He had bragging rights for the next week!

Dan Vardy is another local who has been doing very well and among his success stories is one where he caught a very impressive 34kg bronze whaler.

Another local Darren Wheelo bagged a 16kg gummy shark and can’t wait to get on the water to do it all again. Locals and visitors have also been catching plenty of mullet, silvers and good size flathead.

Phil Janson who runs the Seabank Caravan Park has also been doing very well whenever he can get out on the water. His lovely wife Elisa actually sends him out fishing with orders to bring back either gummy sharks or flathead as these are her favourites. Of course he always follows the good lady’s orders and took out his dad and son looking for the ordered fish. They were not disappointed and came back with a very impressive bag of whiting, flathead and a very good size gummy that were caught a short distance from his caravan park.

Phil says that there are plenty of small gummies and flathead around, which is a great sign for the future.