IT HAS been a good week for Victorian anglers.
Yellowtail kingfish have come on the bite off Portland, King George whiting are dominating catches in Port Phillip Bay and Lake Eildon continues to be our most consistent freshwater venue.
Rain has refreshed alpine rivers and streams, and trout are being caught everywhere, reports Geoff Lacey.
Pretty Valley and Rocky Valley lakes on the Bogong High Plains are providing excellent fishing for shore-based anglers, with rainbow trout to 600g being caught on lures and drifted worms.
Anglers drift-fishing along the wind lanes are catching rainbow trout to 1.5kg.
The Kiewa River is producing rainbow and brown trout to 850g on lures, bait and flies.
West Kiewa River is firing, with fly fishers reporting good catches of rainbow trout.
The lower Mitta Mitta River at Mitta Mitta is producing rainbow trout and a few browns, on bait, lures and dry flies.
Snowy Creek at Granite Flat is producing rainbow trout in the 450-500g range. Trout to 1.5kg are being caught near the junction with the Mitta Mitta River.
Gary Constantine, at Eildon Bait and Tackle, reports shore-based anglers fishing with scrubworms under a float near the marinas at Lake Eildon are catching rainbow trout to 1kg.
Near the dam wall, fly fishers working smelt patterns are catching rainbow trout to 1kg.
Clown-pattern Tassie Devil lures trolled at about 25m deep are effective on brown trout to 2.4kg. Eildon Pondage has brown trout to 2.8kg and rainbow trout to 750g.
Mick Hall says fly fishers in the Goulburn River are catching brown trout to 1kg on gold bead nymphs. The Rubicon and Stevenson rivers are fishing well for brown trout to 650g on beetle-pattern flies.
Mick Kaksa says redfin to 1kg are being caught in Pykes Creek reservoir and the Maribyrnong River near Deep Creek.
In the Western District, Doug Lucas reports fishing has been slow at Lake Purrumbete, with some rainbow trout to 1kg taken on mudeyes. Wurdiboluc Reservoir is producing redfin to 1kg on Jensen Insect spinners.
Doug reports the Surry River has good numbers of bream taking chicken and Bass yabbies.
Yellowtail kingfish to 17kg are being caught on Portland's North Shore on lures and squid.
The Gellibrand River is producing bream to 35cm on garden worms and silver trevally to 24cm. Aire River has bream and yelloweye mullet.
Boat anglers fishing off Marengo near Apollo Bay are catching King George whiting to 900g on pipi, and further offshore, pinkies to 35cm and sand flathead to 1kg are being caught.
King George whiting dominate the fishing in Port Phillip Bay. Brett Terossi says good catches are coming from Avalon in Corio Bay, Point Cook, Campbells Cove, Frankston to Mt Martha, Portsea and the mouth of Swan Bay.
Mussel, squid and pipi baits are working best in 5-7m water.
Gummy sharks to 25kg are being caught along the South Channel on squid and garfish.
Salmon to 2kg are being caught spinning at Blairgowrie.
In South Gippsland, King George whiting has slowed in Western Port, with best reports from Middle Spit, Tyabb, Quail Banks, Cat Bay and Flinders Bight.
In the Gippsland Lakes, at Hollands Landing flathead and bream are biting pilchard, prawn and soft plastic lures. Flathead and bream are being caught at Metung, and the ferry jetty at Paynesville has produced bream on vibe lures. The Mitchell, Tambo and Nicholson rivers are producing bream and flathead on prawn and soft plastic lures.
At Lakes Entrance, silver trevally are being caught from the scallop wharf, with flathead and salmon in the Reeve Channel taking pilchard.
In Lake Tyers, bream and luderick are being caught at the Glasshouse and flathead are biting on lures and pilchard in the Toorloo and Nowa Nowa Arms.
Snowy River platforms at Marlo are yielding bream, mullet, luderick and estuary perch.
