What can I say… it has been the worst start to the surf season in many years and not because a lack of fish, but because of the pesky Ninety-Mile weed making fishing almost impossible.

Last year we were spoilt. By now, we were catching 5 or 6 gummies a night along with snapper and all sorts of other sharks. So far, this season we’ve had just a handful of gummy sharks caught by lucky anglers whom happened to pick the miracle night that the weed somehow disappeared.

I thought I had the beach worked out on what caused the weed and picking the right nights to go, but this season has thrown all the theories out the window. Even after strong westerly winds when you would think it would push the weed away, it hasn’t! Even after 4 days of great weather with light breezes, the weed is there in force making it impossible to fish. Then for one night, when you would think there is no point fishing, the weed is absent and you can fish! I can’t work it out. I just hope next month we get into some sort of cycle where the weed disappears and we can fish again.

A mate of mine, Clint Jones, has been one of the lucky ones who have managed to find a couple of fishable nights and on both occasions he has caught good gummy sharks.

I have had the odd customer tell me that Loch Sport has been a better shot and hasn’t had as much weed as the rest of the beaches for some reason and I have seen proof of this with numerous photos of big salmon and good-sized gummies and even a couple of snapper! But on the same note, I have had customers in the shop tell me they have driven the full length of the beach searching for a fishable section and haven’t found any. So like I said, it’s been tough to work out, but just go over and give it a crack as there doesn’t seem to be any patterns. You just might fluke a night or a tide when the weed isn’t there, and if you do, I guarantee you will smash the fish, as it hasn’t had much pressure and we have good warm water now.

Next month, we should really see the shark numbers increase, which is great news for the land-based shark guys; I just hope that the conditions allow for baits to be paddled out.

For the surf casters, we have had a cracking snapper so far in South Gippsland, so the surf should have some good numbers of snapper in close and even more so over the next month.

Good luck and don’t forget to send through your photos to our email or our Allways Angling Bait & Tackle Facebook page.

• For more information, contact Will at Allways Angling in Traralgon on 07 5174 8544. You will get expert advice and great deals on fishing bait and tackle. Tune into Rex Hunt and Lee Rayner’s “Off the Hook” on 1242 to hear Will’s report on what’s going on in Gippsland!