Cold winds and rainy days haven’t been all that helpful to anglers over the last month.

Those who did venture out inside were rewarded with mixed bags. Those that ventured out offshore were greeted with good bags of flathead as Adrian Drysdale found out with a nice bag from Whale Bay.

Mark Bryant of Tidal Princess Charters had a crew out on two consecutive days recently. The first day was spent fishing the Seal Island group for good numbers of pike, barracouta and flathead. The second day saw all clients aboard bagging out on pinkies over on a reef system near Wilsons Promontory.

The colder weather has also brought with it the annual run of the seven-gill sharks. There have been good numbers taken in Whale Bay and from Port Albert to McLoughlins Beach.

The snapper have been fairly quiet in this area with low numbers of smaller fish taken. The odd big gummy has been around as Dave Day found out, taking a five footer while chasing snapper.

The fishing in the inlet has quietened considerably. There are still good number sof silver trevally and mullet to be had in the upper reaches of the inlet and in the Tarra and Albert river systems. Natalie and Peter Whelan had a good afternoon around the river mouth catching mullet and silver trevally. Jap clam accounted for most of the fish.

The boys from Wind Mill Caravan Park had a really good session in the Albert River taking silvers to 1kg. The Albert River is a good spot to wet a line when the weather doesn’t allow you to venture out into open waters.

One good thing that comes from the rain is that the local population of estuary peach liven up. Good catches have been taken in the Albert with Ritchie Egan taking 4 good perch in one afternoon.

The Tarra is also fishing well with Robertson Beach local Jack Pike getting some good perch. It’s great to see most of these fish being returned to the water after a quick photo for the album.

With the onset of colder weather the fishing in Port Albert tends to slow down a bit. Offshore, the flathead will remain consistent and the seven-gill sharks will make their presence increasingly felt.

Inshore you can expect garfish and silver trevally. Both of these species respond well to berley and can be taken on the grass beds at the edge of most channels and backwaters.

Salmon will also be about in good numbers and can be taken in numbers by trolling chrome lures in the entrances of either Port Albert or Manns Beach. Get Hooked, Wheelo.