The fishing around Apollo Bay is improving as the weather gets better and water temperatures start to increase again. Species such as King George whiting, snapper, flathead and gummy shark have moved back along our coast and should hang around for the next six months.

Blanket Bay and Cape Otway have been the productive areas to dangle a line. Between 35-40m of water, both areas have been producing snapper, gummy shark and some decent flathead, measuring up to 45cm. The King George whiting have been found closer to shore off Marengo and the waterfall reefs. Pipis fished on a running sinker rig should get your drag singing. Fishing the slack water period at the top of the tide has been producing the most fish and berley will also improve your catch rates.

On calm windless nights schools of yellowtail mackerel have been congregating after dark around the light on the end of the pier. They are easily taken with small pieces of pilchard for bait, or tiny soft plastics twitched just under the surface. Always take your squid jig down to the pier as there has been some good-sized squid hanging around the light as well. Squid can also be taken throughout the day from the pier, or while casting from a small tinny inside the harbour.

Black bream have been taken from the Barham and Aire rivers on scrubworms or prawns. Plenty of yellow-eye mullet have also been taken from these rivers as well. Use berley to bring the mullet around and peel the prawn tails for bait.

The trout fishing has been very good in the Aire and Ford rivers, with fish taking a liking to Rapala lures cast from the bank. The best fishing has occurred downstream from the Great Ocean Road, although some trout have been caught on lures and flies just above the Great Ocean Road bridge over the Aire River when the water level has been low. The smaller streams such as the Wild Dog Creek and Carrassbrook Creek are also producing plenty of feisty little trout. Most have been taken while flyfishing with small nymphs, although bait fishermen are still landing their share on worms.