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Trout take over
  |  First Published: May 2007



The weather may have cooled down but the drop in temperature means that the freshwater water fishing is just heating up. Brown trout are feeding voraciously before they make the journey upstream for their annual spawning run. Lures cast near these foraging fish are getting slammed!

The Aire and Ford rivers both fish well at this time of year and fish of 2kg or more are real possibilities during the pre-spawn pig out. I prefer to cast small hard-bodied lures such as 5cm Rapalas or Rebel Minnows, and find they work best when fished around small drains or creeks that are flowing into the main river. These inlets supply plenty of food for the waiting trout and a lure fished near the change in water colour will attract the attention of any hungry fish lurking nearby.

Remember that although a 2kg trout maybe something to take home and brag about, they are getting ready to spawn and if returned to the water unharmed will supply many more fish for the future. It is for this reason I return all of my trout caught during the pre-spawn season.

Cooler ocean temperatures also bring the salmon back to the beaches along the Great Ocean Road and there have been some big schools sighted lately. Boats trolling metal lures behind the waves at Wild Dog Beach have been catching plenty of salmon around the 1kg mark, with the occasional bigger specimen too. Soft plastic lures will also take plenty of fish when cast into the schools of frenzied fish, but if you lose sight of the school resort back to trolling until you locate them again.

Beach fishers can get into the action by casting baits or lures into the deeper gutters along the surf beaches. Best beaches include Glen Aire, Mounts Bay, Wild Dog and Johanna Beach. Early morning and late afternoon produce the best bites.

When the salmon are ‘on’ the fishing can be fast and furious and then stop just as quickly. I like to tie some extra rigs before I start fishing so I don’t have to retie rigs while the fish are biting. When casting lures from the boat I also have a second rod rigged and ready to go so no time is wasted looking for lures and tying knots.

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