We are experiencing some quality fishing in the area as we taper into the cooler months. May will see an increase in whiting inside Corio Bay and salmon around the Surf Coast. Larger whiting over 45cm often make themselves known during autumn from Barwon Heads to Lorne, so don’t put the boat away just yet!

Soft plastic anglers have enjoyed great sport drifting and casting for snapper from legal length to 3kg over the rubble in 3-5m depths. By-captures have included flathead to 55cm and the odd pike.

Ross Winstanley has started lurking about the inner harbour of Corio Bay seeking whiting. Ross says they have been a bit slow but it wont be long before they really come on the chew. He has been taking mixed bags of rock and sand flatties plus a few pinkies, and he also nabbed a 5kg elephantfish, which was a nice bonus.

Anglers fishing near Avalon from last light to about two hours after dark have recorded good numbers of whiting from 30-38cm. They are only biting after dark and best bait has been pipi and mussel.

Bob from Swan Bay Boat Hire says there are still some quality flathead about for those who put the time in on the outgoing tide. Bob managed a flattie of 75cm fishing the eastern side of Duck Island.

This time of year can see an influx of gummies into Swan Bay and Bob has already seen a few frames around the ramp with a few undersized ones being caught during the day, which is a good sign.

Pinkie snapper to 1.3kg have been taken after dark as well as the larger gummies. Bob says there are plenty of small whiting from legal length to 35cm kicking about and those that are targeting them have also caught silver trevally and pinkie snapper. Garfish and leatherjacket are also fairly thick inside Swan Bay so there is always something to amuse the kids.

For those keen on whiting, Bob says to head in between Swan Island and Duck Island. Please check the regulations for fishing inside Swan Bay as there are distinct boundaries where you can and cannot fish due to Marine Park boundaries.

Inside Queenscliff, the trevally have been a little hit and miss but the outgoing tide has seen bait fishers get into a few whiting just out of the current.

There have been a few salmon schools hanging about Point Nepean. Most fish have been from 600g to 1.2kg, but there are the odd 2kg fish taken as well. Some of these schools are working the surface but most of the time they are cruising below the surface and blind trolling is the only way to locate them.

Ken Stevens from Barwon Heads Angling Club says ‘Archie’ the dolphin, which has taken up residence in the lower estuary, is enjoying life with the plentiful food supply. Unfortunately, the fishing has suffered a bit and you need to head further upstream to find fish. Ken says that some anglers have caught elephantfish to 3kg, trevally to 1kg and the occasional bream.

The kingfish are sporadic at best this year with only a few fish around 2kg being caught offshore.

Ken says the fishing offshore has slowed somewhat but a few anglers are still catching the odd pinkie to 2kg and tiger flatties. The pinkies can be taken in close and drifting out past 40m while the flatties are mostly found out around 40m over rubble.

Tony Selkirk from Barwon Heads has taken a few pinkie snapper while fishing the local beaches with surf gear.

Dylan Pace has been spear fishing off the local beaches and says there has been some whopping mullet to around 50cm kicking about the shallows.

David Dunn has also been fishing the shallows of Torquay using soft plastic lures out of his kayak. David has taken whiting to 42cm, red mullet, silver trevally and pinkie snapper. Dave says that the Berkley Sandworm in new penny colour has been a standout.

John Albrecht from Torquay Angling Club took his son Mitch out one Saturday morning and had a ball fishing the shallow reefs and catching some whopper whiting to 510g. They also stumbled onto some big schools of salmon so flicked a few lures their way. Mitch got sore wrists and arms from dealing with those guy’s and said “I’ll just do the net from now on dad’. The fish where up to 1.5kg and a whole lot of fun on the light gear.

They also got stuck into some nice pinkies using plastics up around the 1kg mark, in and around the heavier reef areas.

The Anglesea River always provides a bit of fun for the kids. I had a go down there with our tribe plus a few mates and their kids and had a ball catching and releasing plenty of small bream using prawns.

Mick Allardyce took his son Harry down there recently and Harry bought home the biscuits with a whopper of around 35cm.

Offshore, Mick was out with Ben McLean for a drift outwide when Ben’s spinning rod let out a fair squeal. The culprit turned out to be a mako of about 5ft!