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EPs are hot to trot in chilly August
  |  First Published: August 2016



I’ve been finding it hard to drag myself out for a fish lately. Cold, wet and windy weather has dominated this month but that’s not to say the fishing hasn’t been good. On the few occasions I have wet a line the fishing was excellent.

Bream in the Aire River have been on fire with some big brutes over 40cm taken among the hordes of 35-39cm fish. Soft plastic grub lures have dominated, as have scrub worms for the bait fishers. The most productive area to fish has been around the campgrounds towards the mouth of the river. The Barham River in Apollo Bay has also given up some quality bream, but all the buzz is about the estuary perch bite.

Schools of estuary perch have been seen feeding on baitfish on dusk with some keen local anglers getting in on the action. Casting 2” soft plastic grubs on light jigheads has been the most successful method especially when fished slowly around the seagrass beds just on dark.

The beaches have produced some hot salmon bites lately with plenty of fish in the 1-2kg range. Casting metal lures is my preferred way to fish, but bait anglers also catch their share. Try Wild Dog Beach or Mounts Bay and fish late afternoon for the best salmon bite times. Large calamari have been biting prawn-style jigs around the boat harbour near high tide. Don’t expect numbers of squid at this time of year but what you catch will be of excellent quality.

Bluefin tuna are still being taken with some big 100kg+ fish caught offshore from Skenes Creek. Point Franklin and wide of the lighthouse continue to produce plenty of school fish and the odd barrel too. Gummy and school sharks have been caught from 35m off Cape Otway on fresh fish baits. You shouldn’t have much trouble landing a bag limit of flake if you fish the tide changes with fresh bait. That’s about all the reports I have for this chilly time of year but the good news is as of next month it should start warming up and the days will get longer. Until then stay safe and warm!

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