King George whiting are the main target fish in Andersons Inlet through late summer to early autumn. Live Bass yabbies are the pick of the baits, with squid strips and fresh pipis being an effective substitute. The run-out tide through to the low is the pick of the times to fish.

For anglers in boats, Stevies Gutter, off the A Frame to the right of Mahers Landing, and at the bottom of the Horseshoe are premium locations. For land-based fishers, the Kiosk and Stevies Gutter are producing quality fish.

Good catches of fish to 45cm are a regular occurrence and anglers seem disappointed when they don’t come home with a bag full. It doesn’t take much to put the tentative feeding whiting off the bite.

After fishing Stevies Gutter, a regular angler complained of not picking up a whiting on his trip. While discussing what else was on the bite, he told me had hooked a banjo and a 1m gummy, as well as a couple trevally and salmon. I would be happy to be feeding on fresh gummy that night!

As Stevies Gutter is such a shallow area around the low tide, larger and more aggressively feeding fish will put the whiting off the bite, preferring to feed when all is quiet.

The excellent fishing continues throughout Andersons Inlet. The size of the flathead this year makes it the best season I can remember. This can be attributed to the changing tactics of anglers and their improved techniques with soft plastics. I have also received the first reports of elephant fish at the green buoys taking whole pilchards and squid strips.

Schools of salmon are moving throughout the Inlet as well as pike, barracouta, trevally and mullet in the main channels on the incoming tide.

There is solid pinkie snapper activity further up the Inlet towards the mouth of Tarwin River.

With the increased salinity in the Tarwin, it is the time of year for pinkies, gummies and elephant fish to be targeted by land-based anglers off the rock wall on the rising tide.

Estuary perch to 35cm are solid in numbers in the river from the rock wall to the bridge, and are taking soft plastics on the run-out tide.

There is consistent gummy shark activity at the entrance and along the Venus Bay beaches. The highlight has been an outstanding 13.5kg (cleaned) gummy hooked by Michael de Hamer from Beach 5. This proves the importance of using fresh bait when fishing for gummies and, in this case, a salmon fillet.

This 13.5kg (cleaned) gummy shark was caught by Michael de Hamer at Beach 5 (photo: Paul de Hamer).