Off the Spool - July 05

Fishing Reports

Winter is not the easiest time to fish in Melbourne or Victoria generally. Its cold and gets dark early, making after work trips difficult. Many saltwater species such as snapper and whiting are quiet whilst native fish are also less on the move. Plus the closed trout season restricts the river anglers. The shining lights though are bream in our estuaries, squid and sharks in our bays and the salmon off the beaches.

Port Phillip Bay

Cranbourne Fishing Tackle staff member Jarrod Day fished Bouy 14 on 2 occasions recently with Matt Cini From Reel Time Fishing Charters. The boys fished Davies Bay in Port Phillip no one day for 25 squid on 1.8 Yamashita jigs, then in the afternoon fished Buoy 14 on the run out tide for 1 gummy shark of 7kg and 3 Seven gill sharks of around 50 kilos each. All fish were taken on fresh squid baits. On the second occasion they did much the same and landed 20 squid on 1.8 Yamashita jigs, then fished Buoy 14 for 1 gummy shark of 4.5 kg. This time the gummy took a salmon bait.

Mornington on the eastern coast of Port Phillip is also producing good arrow squid with one angler recently landing 15 arrow squid on silver whiting. He also reported seeing up to five 2m school sharks at the rear of his boat! The Patterson River at Carrum is producing 3 bream to 35cm on Soft plastics and salmon to 1 kilo. Squidgy Flick Baits worked best.

The beach at Gunnamatta is producing salmon to 1.5 kg. Incoming tide seemed to be most productive, with fish falling to white bait.

Western Port

Cape Woolamai has been fishing very well over the last week. Catches have been consistent during both tides enabling great fishing at anytime of the day. Blue and white baits are doing well along with pippis.

Jarrod Day fished with Pat Neidhart off Stoney Point Pier recently. The boys landed squid to 1.5 kilo’s on Silver Whiting baits under a float. 5 bigger squid were lost when they didn’t hold onto the jig. Venus Bay continues to fish very well. Anglers fishing the top of the tide have taken salmon to 3 kilo’s. Best baits have been blue bait and white bait with surf poppers working well also.

Alan McFayden from Inverloch reports salmon to 3kg have been taken at Williamsons Beach during the week. Blue bait and white baits are working well, with surf poppers also enticing a few fish.

Colin Gilmartin from the Kilcunda Caravan Park reports good numbers of salmon to 2.5kg. The fish seem to be in schools swimming up and down the beach with catches being fairly consistent throughout the week. Best baits have been both blue and white baits fished on a paternoster rig.

Gippsland Lakes and Wilderness Coast

Lakes Entrance
Those that persevered with the weather conditions caught small to medium salmon on the surf beach at Lakes entrance using blue poppers and blue bait. The town jetties are
producing Luderick of approx. 26cm and larger. Best bait is green weed.

Lake Tyers
The lake has risen approximately 1m this week after the much needed weekend rains. This has dirtied the water considerably with a lot of fresh water continuing to run in. There
has been some good size bream caught in the Nowa Nowa Arm around the Trident Arm on prawn but with the dirty water it is necessary to be patient. Locals have also been taking good size snapper in the lake.

Mitchell River
Because water levels on the Mitchell are up this week fishing has been quiet. Some good size bream have been taken at the cut. Fishing will improve as water levels change.

Tambo River
Fishing has been a little slower due to the large amount of recent rain however there are still fish being caught around most of the structure throughout the river system. Shrimp and sandworm are still preferred baits with spider crab being successful late afternoon to
early evening. Whelan’s Rough Road and towards the mouth of the river is certainly the spot to try.

Metung
Silver trevally continue to be caught off the town jetties using live bait. Some good size bream have also been caught this week. Dolphins continue to grace the waters of Bancroft Bay.

Paynesville
Very quite this week at Paynesville the cold wet weather conditions have kept people indoors with no reports of good fish this week.

Loch Sport
Cold overcast and wet weather varying from gales to absolutely calm days has considerately affected surf fishing. The only reported catches this week have been small Aussie
salmon using a variety of baits.

Hollands Landing
Inclement weather has kept fishermen away this week. Weekend fishing clubs reported good catches of bream the largest being 1.5kg. Small numbers of mullet have been taken. Best bait is live sandworm.

Marlo
With the entrance open and the water receding the fishing will improve. New fish will enter the estuary. Bream on the ready for their spawning run with luderick mullet salmon and tailor chasing them. Fishing from the boat ramp and the rocks at Cape Conran anglers
are getting good bags of garfish. Fishing with sandworm and sand flies under a float. Off the rocks at sailors grave with mixed bags of trevally pinky snapper and flathead. Conran Point Ricardo and Corringle beaches are still producing very good bags of salmon and tailor on
lures blue bait and poppers. Offshore from Cape Conran the fishing is still very good with catches of flathead pinky snapper gurnard and shark.

Bemm River
Recent heavy rain has subsequently opened the entrance. Anglers have had to work hard for their fish but the quality has been outstanding. A couple of bream over 3lb were weighed in
throughout the week. “Bobs Bay” has proven to be a good area with sandworm the bait of choice. No reports from the surf due to rough weather. Note: The Pearl Point road remains closed for roadwork's.

Mallacoota
Heavy rain has opened the entrance. Despite the rain some good size bream up to 35cm have been caught around the lower region of the Betka River using Bass Yabbies and sandworm. As the water clears fishing will improve.

My thanks to Paul Worsteling of Cranbourne Fishing Tackle, Rudi Holzfend of the Compleat Angler and Bairnsdale Tourism for the information contained in these reports.

In Profile: Merv McGuire

Merv McGuire is the current CEO of the Rex Hunt Futurefish Foundation who play a vital role in improving recreational fishing opportunities for children and those less fortunate. For may an sales executive with a TV Station, Merv was instrumental in getting the very first Rex Hunt TV shows to air in the early 1990s.

Here’s a bit about Merv,

Born: North Fitzroy (Melbourne)

Lives: Melbourne

Current occupation: CEO of the Futurefish Foundation

Local Fishing Hole: Lake Eildon, chasing trout on all methods.

Favourite Victorian Fishing Hole: Howqua River.

First Fish: Brown trout caught in the Rocky Valley Reservoir (Falls Creek) on a cricket fished off the bank, age 6.

Best Fish: 18 pound barramundi.

Best Fishing Experience: Tiwi Islands fishing at the old ‘Barra Base’ for its incredible variety of species.

Merv McGuire with a fine trout.

How did you get involved in Futurefish?: “Rex Hunt rang and asked if I would be interested in helping him get Futurefish off the ground. We worked together on the early TV shows”.

Where do you see recreational fishing heading?: “Unless we stand up for ourselves and fight for our rights we will be over run by the ‘can’t do’ groups, greens and government”

What is your opinion on VRFish?: “The concept and the majority of the structure is the basis for a good organisation. However, the organisation needs a constant flow of people to develop ideas and follow them through. VRFish needs a broader base of representation, better communication and be seen as more pro-active on real projects”

What is the number one thing your would change about the management of the Victorian Fishery?: “I’d to see trout protected in Victorian waters with a heritage listing. Also restrictions on stocking native fish need to be lifted and stocking maintained or increased. In the saltwater, we have to get rid of the netters out of our estuaries and be willing to experiment with stocking saltwater fish like mulloway. I guess that’s more than one!”

Futurefish website: www.futurefish.com.au

Victorian Fishing News

Port Phillip Bay Dredging Protest 31 July 2005

The Victorian Government continues to be paralysed by a lack of clear environmental policy direction. They pushed like crazy for unfair marine parks on environmental grounds and now seem to be doing the opposite with the scandalous approval of channel dredging in Port Phillip Bay.

A protest has been scheduled for Sunday 31 July at 1pm at Greenwich Reserve, The Strand, Williamstown. (Melways Ref: 56C5 near Newport Power Station). Wear Red. More details at: www.bluewedges.org

2nd Round of Voluntary Buyback of Commercial Netting Licences

News release from the Futurefish Foundation:

“On Saturday May 28th at the Rex Hunt Futurefish Foundation Ball, Premier Steve Bracks, announced that the Victorian Government will allow recreational anglers to use fishing licence revenue to seek expressions of interest for a voluntary buyback of commercial netting licences in Victoria’s bays and inlets and the Gippsland Lakes.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Futurefish Foundation, Merv McGuire, said today that the Foundation was encouraged with the Premiers announcement, however reiterated that “it is the end goal of the Victorian recreational fishing peak body, VRFish, the Australian Fishing Tackle Association and the Rex Hunt Futurefish Foundation to completely rid our bays and inlets of commercial netting”.

“Hopefully the voluntary buyback is a start to reaching that goal” Mr McGuire said. He went on to say, “It is important that the Government fully appreciates the recreational anglers ultimate position” and said, “the Futurefish Foundation is looking forward to working with the Fisheries Revenue Allocation Committee (FRAC) and VRFish to ensure that the maximum outcome can be achieved from this decision”.

Holiday Hotspot – Magical Marlo

Marlo is a small East Gippsland town situated at the mouth of the once mighty Snowy River as it meets the Tasman Sea. Like many of the Wilderness coast estuaries Marlo Inlet is fed by one or more rivers that eventually break open through an inlet or estuarine lake to the sea. In Marlo’s case the estuarine system is fed by the Snowy River and the Brodribb River via Lake Curlip, with the inlet consisting of Lake Corringle, the inlet channel and a backwater. A number of excellent beaches and offshore access at Cape Conran add to the diverse range of fishing on offer at Marlo.

Marlo is one of the best bream fishing locations in Victoria with fish to 2kg not uncommon and regular captures of bream in excess of 1 kg. However whilst bream dominate, there are a host other river and estuary targets such as estuary perch, bass, trout, luderick, tailor, mullet, trevally, juvenile salmon and garfish. Off the beaches, salmon and gummy shark are the main targets with the beach at Point Ricardo the most popular due to good access. At Cape Conran some 20km to the east of Marlo a concrete boat ramp caters for anglers seeking snapper, flathead and sharks out in the Tasman Sea.

From its source up in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, the Snowy River winds it’s way south down to Victoria into the Alpine and then Snowy River National Parks before running through Orbost and to the ocean at Marlo. Bank access to the river is excellent from the Highway Bridge at Orbost all the way to where the Little Snowy River breaks off the right just before the town.

The author with a solid bream from Marlo.

Whilst the upper reaches will produce the odd trout, bream and estuary perch are the main targets on a year round basis with live prawn fished under a float near the snags the most likely method to succeed here especially at night.

Diving minnow lures will work well cast around the snags on the perch population, whereas the bream are not so willing to take a lure here.

Mullet and luderick are also caught in the river with sandworm the best bait. Boat based locations to try are at the end of Loch End Road where there is a small boat ramp and water pipe, Devils Backbone, and scattered snags from the Little Snowy River offshoot through to the junction of the Snowy and the Brodribb River.

The Brodribb River flows approximately 50 kilometres from the Errinunda National Park in the highlands before reaching Lake Curlip and then re-forming into a river and winding it’s way to meet the Snowy River to the north-west of the township of Marlo. The river system is also intersected by Cabbage Tree Creek some two kilometres downstream from Lake Curlip.

The Brodribb has steep banks with thick growth and many snags that provide ideal lure casting possibilities with baits such as prawn and sandworm effective on the bream and perch. Reed beds are clustered in several areas along the bank and these provide the ideal habitat for estuary perch. The river also supports a population of luderick, mullet and the odd sea run trout during winter. Facilities include a small boat holding jetty and retaining wall with limited parking for cars and trailers.

The inlet at Marlo is fed by the Snowy and Brodribb rivers that enter the Tasman Sea through a natural entrance that only closes from time to time. Tidal forces are strong particularly near the entrance where boaters need to be cautious on an outgoing tide. Locations within the inlet include First Island, Marlo Jetty, The Slips and the back water which runs east past the entrance known as Frenchs Narrows.

A range of estuarine species are caught within this productive inlet including bream, perch, mullet, tailor, Australian salmon, king george whiting and luderick with the occasional big flathead and rarer still, mulloway.

The Broddribb River offers anglers plenty of lure casting opportunities for bream and estuary perch.

Marlo jetty is one of the best land based locations throughout East Gippsland as it is ideally positioned to take advantage of schools of perch, bream, luderick, tailor, mullet and juvenile salmon as they move back and forth with the tide. Whilst most species can be caught during the day, estuary perch are a night time speciality on the jetty if the prawns are running, anglers will do well with a live prawn cast into the black of the night. At dusk and dawn the perch will also take minnow style lures cast from the jetty along with some tailor.

Finally, Point Ricardo is a well known surf beach for Australian salmon ,mullet , flathead, trevally and gummy shark. To find the beach, take the Cape Conran road out of town, the turn off is approximately 9km along on the right.

Fast Facts - Access from Melbourne is via the Princes Highway to Orbost and onto Marlo Road that passes under the Highway Bridge and follows the Snowy River for some 16 kilometres before reaching the town. Marlo has a population of around 500 permanent residents with a good supply of tourist accommodation including several caravan parks, and holiday units. Supplies can be obtained from the general store, bait & tackle store and petrol station.