The fishing was fantastic in early January and the great run of fish we’ve been experiencing should continue to keep us entertained right through February.

Land-based fishermen have had great success from the breakwall on salmon, mullet and snapper. Fishing with bluebait or squid in the late afternoon has often seen all three of these species landed.

Those who have chosen pipis as bait have also seen some great King George whiting come ashore. These are not the only species on hand for land-based anglers. There’s been plenty of silver trevally taken from inside the Apollo Bay harbour, and the beaches at Wild Dog and Marengo have fished well for salmon and flathead.

If rock fishing is your game then concentrate your efforts around Marengo or Skenes Creek where whiting and small snapper have been biting well around dusk.

Boat fishermen have been telling the same story about the lack of quality snapper this season. Let’s hope that things pick up a little for February. The inshore grounds have been covered in little pinkies. If you’re willing to sort through the masses of undersized fish then you will still find enough legal ones for a feed.

Flathead can be found just about anywhere there is a sandy bottom but the biggest concentrations seem to be around the 35m mark. January saw some 60cm beauties landed but the average length is still a very healthy 40cm. These make for excellent eating and I must admit that flathead fillets dipped in batter is one of my favourite meals.

Blue sharks and makos have been a real hit this summer and plenty have been landed from 70m of water. Some of the makos have been big, weighing over 200kg. Make sure you pack the heavy gear as 10kg line is better left at home when a fish of this size turns up. Use plenty of berley to entice the sharks. A sea anchor is a great way to slow down your drift if the wind is up.

If you require further information about fishing around Apollo Bay then drop me a line at Surf-n-Fish on (03) 5237 6426.