Winter has thrown all the elements except snow at the Braveheart anglers, but it has not deterred them.

River fishing for luderick and bream was absolutely amazing until heavy rains pushed too much freshwater down and hunted the fish back into the lake system. After approximately 150mm of rain the lake rose rapidly to the point where the entrance was released by Parks Victoria and the bream fishing around the edges and the deeper areas of the lake thrived.

Quality catches of bream have seen fish between 32-40cm caught on a regular basis, with most anglers catching between 6 and 10 fish per day. The best bait has been local sandworm and prawn, however vibes are still proving successful for the keen lure fishers.

When the weather permits, the ocean beaches have been outstanding with quality salmon to 3kg. Any amount of various types of shark are being caught too and it’s just a matter of how long you want your arms to be stretched.

It has been noted that there are very small prawns in the system already. This is a sensational signpost for the start of spring. Flathead are still being caught in the lake, the channel, Siberia and the river proving that they will be a major part of our fishing experience for the warmer seasons, as they have been for the past two seasons. I am really looking forward to August and September!

An unusual couple of catches by two separate anglers has seen 3 or 4 barracouta caught. A couple in the lake and a couple in the surf. This, to our knowledge, has not been heard of this close to Bemm River before and just shows how much bait is in and around Bemm River at the moment.

• Bemm River Holiday Accommodation & Boat Hire offers clean, quality accommodation overlooking Sydenham Inlet. Found at 41 Sydenham Pde Bemm River you can contact us on (03) 5158 4233 or 0427 584 233. You can also email us at --e-mail address hidden-- or look us up at www.bemmaccommodation.com.au.