Although the really big salmon have yet to make an appearance at Inverloch, there are plenty of the little blokes about. For some reason they have been largely ignoring lures that they’d usually gulp down and have been taking a liking to pipis and whitebait.

Nothing would surprise me after the weather we’ve had. Warm, balmy unseasonable days have been followed by sudden cold snaps that saw heavy snow fall right to the water line; a first according to many old timers.

Veteran angler and life member of the Wonthaggi Angling Club Alan Bentick and his mate Graham Gray went about catching a fish to weigh in for a recent club competition. They pumped the almost compulsory bass yabbies before venturing out. They’d heard that there might be some salmon in the area.

They targeted the snags but did no good until Graham decided to see what a pipi might do after other baits and lures failed to produce. It was a good decision because in no time Graham was connected to a salmon. They bagged out in short time although the fish weren’t exactly competition-winning specimens at around 600g each.

Outside Anderson Inlet, Tony Quinlan loves to chase garfish and says that there are plenty of them to be had on small pieces of pipi suspended under a float. Tony says that he has caught some of the biggest gars he has ever come across. The tides don’t really matter with the best results coming in the evening and after dark.

The nearby surf at Venus Bay is still bubbling along at a brisk rate and Michael Cawley from Rod Bending’s Fishing Shop in Inverloch reckons that the good fishing should continue. Salmon to 3kg have been taken on a regular basis, mainly on whitebait and pilchards.

Just a short drive down to Waratah Bay and you’ll come across the current hot spot as far as surf fishing is concerned. For quite a while now there have been salmon taken on the run-in tide to the 2kg mark, although they average 600g. For some reason the bite is timid through the day. But come evening, regardless of the tide, the salmon bite with a vengeance. Mixed in with them are quite a few gummies and flathead.

Waratah Bay is a safe shallow stretch of water. To the visitor, it’s somewhat of a surprise that it is home to so many fish. There is the added advantage that it’s just a short walk from the car park to the water: something that’s appreciated by anglers, especially those who have a bit of trouble travelling long distances.