Snapper is the buzzword on most fishos’ lips at the moment.

I have done a couple of trips up to the northern end of Western Port and on both trips there were a dozen or so boats fishing the same area, all hoping for an early snapper.

Last year at this time, I was managing a good fish every trip. This year, I haven’t turned a reel, the only thing I managed to catch was a conger eel.

However, it’s not to say that there are no snapper there, I did see two fish about 6kg landed. But last year, I was the only boat fishing the area and this year there were lots of keen fishos out there. When you do the maths, it’s about as productive as it was last year.

Williamsons and Baxter beaches have been fishing reasonably well with a lot of fish being caught in the 500g-1kg range.

Whitebait and squid strips seem to be the most consistent bait and the squid strips give you a longer fishing period as it takes those pesky sand crabs a lot longer to pinch your bait.

There’s been a lot of dirty water flowing out to sea from the Powlett River, which has dirtied the water along the coastline, but it hasn’t affected the fishing.

Below the bridge, not a lot has been happening. There’s been a few calamari in Cleeland Bight and salmon in the main channel on the high tide. Floodwaters from the Bass River have dirtied the waters as well as a lot of weed movement affecting the fishing.

Above the bridge, the winter snapper are still being caught around Corinella, Lang Lang and up past Joes Island, but they are scattered and not in great numbers.

Some early reports have started to come in of the new season’s run of snapper between Stony Point and Eagle Rock. In another few weeks the whiting should be starting to show up in numbers all over the bay. I am looking forward to another great season of reds and Georges.

Now is usually the time to chase the big calamari off Flinders. As yet, I have had only average reports on the area but it all should be happening, so if you want them for the table or for snapper bait, now is the time to give them a go.