Reel Life | Crowning glory in Port Phillip Bay

Kingfish are one of the most sought-after fish along the east coast of our country. While a 62cm specimen is not considered a big kingfish, it is a decent size.

Known as ‘hoodlums’, kingfish will fight all the way to the boat. They will try to get back to the reefs and rocks in an effort to break the line and escape.

Kingfish can grow to more than a metre in length and can weigh over 20kg, so you can imagine the fight some put up. Fishing of that species in and around Port Phillip Bay saw the size and numbers diminish over the years, but in recent times, commercial restrictions have seen them begin to make a return to the region.

Kingfish can be found where salmon are schooling — giving salmon anglers another option.

There are several locations around the heads to hunt for kingfish. Anglers can try a number of rocky outcrops at the top of the heads, a steep rocky outcrop off Point Lonsdale and submarine dive sites off Barwon Heads.

Kingfish have always been where there is rocky cover.

Rod said it was early in the season for kingfish, but as he says: fish are where and when you catch them.

He said he was bagging early season snapper both in the bay and off the coast at Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads. He said he expected the bigger fish to be around in September.

Meanwhile, pinky size resident fish were providing anglers with plenty of action.

Rod said whiting were biting off the mouth of Swan Bay and the White Lady marker off St Leonards. The best bait is squid pieces, especially after being tenderised. According to Rod, anglers should cast their bait to the sandy patches between the grass beds to get the best results.

Rod said calamari squid were being caught along the grass beds between Point Lonsdale Jetty and the ferry terminal, as well as between Point Nepean and Sorrento.

Baited jigs, whole herrings or juvenile salmon, as well as artificial lures, are working well for squid.

Rod said when the weather was suitable, he was also catching flathead, silver trevally and other table fish.

Rod said he had to contend with seals taking up to half of the hookups, at times.

At Eden in NSW, John Liddell said most of the action was along the inshore reefs.

According to John, Mark from Freedom Charters was bagging snapper, morwong, flathead and other table fish from Boyd’s Lookout to Green Cape.

Further north at Narooma, Graham Cowley said it was the same around Montague Island. He said there were good hauls of flathead along the sandy bottom and schools of kingfish towards the northern end of Montague Island.

Around our neck of the woods, the freshwater action has been patchy, with juvenile cod biting.

While it is only early winter, it won’t be long before the wattle begins to bloom and the yellowbelly appear in force.

At this time of year, trout should become more active; the best bait will be scrub worms or garden worms, as well as lures such as Tassie devils and minnow hard-body ones.

You can try mountain streams and rivers, but they will be cold; the best strategy is to go trolling at Lake Dartmouth or Eildon.

Redfin have been reported at Lake Eppalock, Waranga Basin and the Hume. But in all cases, you will have to spend time looking for schools of redfin that will take worms and soft plastics and ice jigs.

The reports from fishing the Goulburn have been patchy and mainly from the backwaters, where the advice is to fish close to the bank and among the snags.

The same goes for the Murray River, the Broken Creek at Nathalia and the Broken River between Benalla and Shepparton.

The most consistent fishing has been at Eildon, where cod and yellowbelly are being caught in the river arms; cod are taking surface lures at dusk, while yellowbelly are taking Jackall lures with a rattle in them.

Well, once again, that’s it for another week. I hope you had a pleasant long weekend. Stay safe — and good fishing.