As expected at this time of the year there are very few people fishing the top end of the bay but, as always, those putting in the extra hours are getting good results.

The pinkies continue to be the most reliable species to target at the moment with good numbers of fish on the inner reefs from the mussel beds in Beaumaris Bay all the way up to St Kilda. First light and dusk have been the best times with the fish feeding very aggressively for that short period.

After first light when the bite slows, a move out to around 10m should produce a few more fish, especially if conditions are overcast. The best bait has been squid sliced into thin strips and laid along the hook, fished on a lightly weighted running sinker rig.

On the topic of squid, they have been around in good numbers and most anglers fishing for them have not been disappointed. Small lightly weighted jigs in green and blue have been the favoured colours if you want to catch a feed of calamari.

The bay also has good numbers of salmon about at the moment but they can be frustratingly hard to find at times. Sometimes you won’t see them feeding on the surface for days and all of a sudden they bust up and all hell breaks loose. When the fish are up on the surface, slowly drive over towards the school but keep some distance away. Casting lures from a distance is the way to go. Too many times I have seen guys troll straight through the middle of the school, thinking it’s the best way to guarantee a hook-up. But all this does is put the fish down and ruin it for everybody.

At times, we have to wait a week or two before we have the chance to fish for salmon on the surface. So when the chance arises we have to make the most of it! When the salmon aren’t visible on the surface it doesn’t mean they have moved from the area; they are usually just holding down deep.

A good way of finding the fish is by trolling bibbed lures that will dive 6-8m. Or alternatively, cast soft plastics on heavier jigheads and fish them close to the bottom.

As for the Yarra River, the bream fishing has been a bit tough. Although there have been some good fish taken, we will have to wait until spring before things start to get more consistent. The anglers braving the cold nights along the Yarra are still catching some nice mulloway with reports of fish between 8 and 12kg. Live mullet fished under a float is the way to go when you can get them. Then just sit back with a hot cuppa and enjoy the serenity!