With winter well and truly behind us, spring brings a whole new set of options on the fishing front. November has to be up there with the best when it comes to fishing along the Great Ocean Road. Windless mornings and nights bring glassy seas and great boating conditions to this otherwise rough and wind swept part of the coastline.

I spend many evenings fishing around Apollo Bay and Marengo from my small tinnie in search of King George whiting and trevally, while admiring the beauty of the green hills from the water. I target the area out from the Waterfall in Apollo Bay or close to shore at Marengo making sure that while fishing close to the reef, my bait lands in the maze of sandy channels where the whiting hold up. Pipis tend to bring the best results but other baits such as squid and mussels are a worthy replacement. I use a small running sinker on 3kg line and a number 4 baitholder hook.

Boat fishing is not the only way to get among it all. Land-based anglers catch plenty of thumping big whiting from the stones. The best platforms are Artillery rocks, Grey River, Marengo and Blanket Bay. Port Campbell Pier also produces some fine specimens at this time of year as well.

While talking about land options, the beach fishing for Australian salmon has been fantastic over the past couple of weeks. Johanna and Wild Dog beaches have been giving up the biggest fish, with plenty being caught in excess of 2kg. Fishing methods vary from angler to angler but bluebait and small surf poppers are the most consistent fish takers. Fished on a paternoster rig with the popper on the top hook and bluebait on the bottom, this is a very effective way of tangling with a few fish and also helps if the crabs are prolific.

The main salmon run is over and as the water warms the fish will thin out, so anyone keen on a few sambos should give it a go sooner rather than later. Best beaches too try are Gibson Steps, Johanna, Glen Aire and Wild dog.

The bream fishing is really firing up in the estuaries. The Barham and Aire river estuaries have been fishing well for keen bait soakers. Black spider crabs and scrub worms have been the bait of choice and anglers have been targeting the hours around the top of the tide. There is a good mouth on all of the coastal streams between Lorne and Port Campbell after good early spring rain, which has given the rivers a good flush out, and the tidal influence really gets the bream stirred up. As such, the coming month should be a cracker!

For the latest fishing information, contact Surf n Fish, (03) 5237 6426.

CAPS

1.An average size Aire River bream taken on an unweighted scrub worm.

2.Late evening and early morning are prime times to target King George whiting over shallow reefs.