While the start of the season was pretty unkind, in recent weeks we have had pretty good weather patterns seeing plenty of fishable days. As we have moved through autumn it has probably been one of the better periods for the year for offshore fishing with calm winds coinciding with low swells. This month we have again seen plenty of focus on the local kingfish populations, which is exciting!

Hot topic of the minute are still the kingies where there have been fish taken throughout the month. The fish have been caught using a range of methods including jigging, live baiting and trolling lures. There have been plenty of schools of rats offshore of Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove and Point Lonsdale while the fish have also ventured inside the bay in and around the heads area.

For the bigger fish it is fair to say that there has been a fair bit of activity off Phillip Island this year with both Seal Rocks and Pyramid Rock getting plenty of attention. Mark ‘Sully’ Sullivan and Mick Bittain are two such lucky blokes who managed 12kg king in this area. Slow trolling live baits worked on the day for these boys.

However, other anglers such as Sam Sierakowski, nailed plenty of smaller models trolling smaller skirts and even jigging them when they came across schools on the sounder. There is no doubt that Victorian kingfish are getting more and more attention and it is pleasing to see that the populations seem to be increasing.

The best advice for those wanting to catch a local kingfish is to go prepared. And by that I mean, ensure you are equipped with a jigging outfit, a surface lure outfit and live bait outfit and that they are all rigged and ready to go. You just never know how kings will present on the day and what method you will use to catch them!

Inside Port Phillip Bay, over the last few weeks we have also had reports of the snapper firing off Mt Martha. True to form at this time of year the fish caught have been of a pretty good standard with most between 4-6kg. The 22m line seems to be the place to go with good schools being sounded up by those out their searching.

Salmon fishing in and around the heads on the ebb tide has been absolutely sensational. Almost every day big schools have been popping up on the run-out tide and providing heaps of entertainment for guys trolling or casting lures. I had a couple of great sessions just south of Pope’s Eye, where big schools were moving around and taking almost anything you put in front of them – fantastic fun on the light tackle.

These fish will likely hang around the rip for a month or so yet but the moment they disappear get ready to dust off your surf gear this will pretty much herald the beginning of the cool weather surf season!

The local charter boys have all been pretty busy in the last month but I have to make a special mention of Joe Far Fishing Charters. Aside from the usual bags of silver trevally, whiting and flathead Joe was pretty lucky to have a few days where he caught a number of southern bluefin tuna just outside the heads in shallow water. This was an incredibly rare event – I’m not sure I’ve seen evidence of bluefin caught in our local waterways for many years. What’s more the fact that he nailed a number over a five day period was pretty amazing! All we need now are a couple of marlin to show up and I’m a happy camper!

• For more information feel free to drop in and see the boys at Peninsula Total Tackle, 11 Boneo Road in Rosebud or phone: 03 5981 1994.