THE big news this week is the appearance of schools of striped tuna in Bass Strait.
The tuna are up to 5kg and running in about 30m of water from Gunnamatta to Torquay and being caught trolling small, skirted lures at up to 12 knots (22km/h).
Swan Hill on the Murray River is fishing well. Rod Mackenzie said that Murray cod from 55cm through to more than one metre long were being caught, along with good numbers of yellowbelly to 1kg.
Most fish are taking baits, including bardi grubs, yabbies and cheese. Downstream at Wemen, Murray cod to 75cm and yellowbelly are being caught.
Fishing at Mildura seems to be dominated by yellowbelly on lures and bait, with not much cod action reported. The Edward River is fishing well for mainly small Murray cod.
Gary Considine at Eildon reports anglers trolling Tassie Devils in Lake Eildon at about 8m deep have been catching brown trout to 1.8kg. Shore-based anglers fishing with Powerbait near Point Dethridge are hooking rainbow trout averaging about 750g. Redfin to 1kg are taking scrubworms and yabbies near Fraser Camping ground and Big River.
In the Goulburn and Rubicon Rivers, fly fishers are achieving success with grasshopper and stonefly patterns, and gold bead head nymphs.
Neil Shelton at Nelson said that Lake Monebeong Beach is producing good numbers of gummy sharks to 15kg. The Glenelg River is holding good numbers of school mulloway to 75cm from Taylors Strait to Donovans.
Most mulloway are being caught trolling live bait or lures. Large numbers of small bream in the system but larger bream to 35cm are being caught.
Yellowtail kingfish to 14kg are being caught off Snapper Point at Portland on live mackerel, fresh squid heads and trolled lures, Bob McPherson said. Plenty of other quality captures are being made and these include King George whiting to about 1kg, snapper to 2kg and school sharks to 17kg.
In the Western District, Doug Lucas said fishing in Lake Purrumbete is slow for small numbers of rainbow trout to 1.2kg on mudeyes.
Lake Wurdiboluc is a better option, as it is producing redfin to 1kg on lures, and trout to 1.8kg on Tom Jones pattern flies. Clifton and Gibsons Steps beaches near Port Campbell are producing salmon to 2.5kg on bluebait and surf poppers.
The Curdies River at Peterborough is patchy for bream to 36cm on scrubworms. The Gellibrand River is holding large numbers of yelloweye mullet and estuary perch at the mouth, and Aire River has bream to 41cm upstream of the old wooden bridge. Beach and rock anglers fishing the broken sand reefs between Apollo Bay and Lorne are catching King George whiting to about 1kg on pipi.
In Port Phillip Bay, Michelle Torossi reports King George whiting dominate the catch. Reports have come from many areas including Point Cook, where whiting to 46cm are being caught, Ansetts to Mornington, Queenscliff and Portsea. Mussel, fresh squid and pipi baits doing best. Piers at Mornington and Frankston have produced salmon to 1kg on lures.
Mick Kaksa said silver trevally, snottie trevalla and pinkies to 2kg are being caught from Fisherman's pier in Corio Bay. Kerford Rd pier has pinkies to 35cm, and the Maribyrnong and Yarra Rivers are "overrun" with bream ranging from undersize to 32cm.
In South Gippsland, Western Port is producing King George whiting to 42cm off Balnarring, Tyabb Bank and Middle Spit. Best baits are pipi, mussel and squid. Small numbers of mulloway to 10kg have come from Corinella.
In the Gippsland Lakes, large bream are taking fresh crab from the Metung jetties, and Hollands Landing is steady for bream and flathead on prawn, sandworm and whitebait.
At Lakes Entrance, silver trevally are being caught along the waterfront, with flathead and salmon being caught between Nungurner and Nyerimilang Park. Lake Tyers has bream and flathead taking peeled prawn and soft plastic lures. Beaches at Marlo are holding gummy sharks.
