By now you’ve probably already checked out the photo that is attached to this report. Now that is some estuary perch!

For those of you who read last month’s report about a handful of keen fishermen putting in the time and reaping the rewards for their efforts, this is exactly what I was talking about. The fish was taken on a Squidgy flickbait matched with a new resin jighead on a number six hook. Don't think for a second that this guy just got lucky. He has spent hours chasing estuary perch, trying new techniques and putting up with all sorts of difficult conditions for that one fish. And I'm sure if you asked him whether it was worth it, the answer would be a big fat “yes”!

It’s not just the estuary perch that are falling to the new resin jigheads. Plenty of bream have also been brought undone by this latest revelation in fishing. The Erskine River in Lorne and the Barham River in Apollo Bay are both fishing very well with fish to 44cm tagged recently.

While bream in the Aire River have constantly exceeded 1kg for fishermen using spider crabs as bait, the number of fish remains low. Anglers can expect two or three fish for a day’s effort.

Garfish have filled the harbour recently and can easily be targeted by those fishing from a boat. Use plenty of berley made from bran and tuna oil and load your hook with a small piece of pipi or prawn. It’s a great way to spend the day as most fish can be seen taking your bait right off the surface. They sure make some spectacular leaps after being hooked!

The trout season in rivers opened on 3 September and I’m sure many anglers are out trying to tempt a willing trout. By the end of this month, our local estuaries will be full of tiny whitebait that make their way in from the sea to spawn. This really excites the trout; they just love to crash through big schools of these tiny fish for a feed. Use small white or clear lures and fish them right along the bank. Hold on though because you will be surprised at how big some of these fish get, despite the shallow water.

For the most up-to-date information about fishing around Apollo Bay, drop us a line at Surf-n-Fish on (03) 5237 6426.

Nat Barry proudly displays a 45cm estuary perch taken on a Squidgy flickbait lure.