For those who don’t mind a drive, we can now consider saltwater fishing as an option, although the social distancing regulation is still limiting charter operators and to a lesser extent private boat owners.
Reports from Queenscliff have been promising according to Rod Lawn and Peter Smallwood from Adamas Fishing Charters, who have been going out privately and have been bagging snapper as well as flathead, squid and silver trevally around the ferry terminal and the reefs close to the mouth of the creek.
Calamari are also on the bite between Lonsdale Pier and the heads.
Rod said along the coast around Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove and Point Lonsdale as well as on the Portsea side, fishing had been good — weather permitting.
Rod said as it was school holiday time, accommodation was getting hard to find — so if you are planning a trip it will be best to phone ahead to make a booking.
Remember that Melbourne is still under lockdown and a curfew, although Premier Daniel Andrews may have news of some easing of restrictions this weekend.
The same goes for other seaside fishing spots; at places such as Portland, where the tuna season is still in full swing with reports of schools of bluefin tuna close inshore, phone ahead for accommodation bookings.
With the NSW-Victoria border still closed, trips to NSW are still off-limits; but with the continuing drop in the number of infections of coronavirus, there is the possibility the border may be open to Victorians in the not too distant future.
I will cross my fingers and hope.
Weather around our region has been changeable, which is typical of spring, so picking the right day to go fishing has been a bit of a hit or miss affair — especially at Waranga Basin where the water can be mirror-flat one minute and choppy and rough the next.
When anglers have been able to get on the water they have been boating some nice redfin.
My local newsagent friend was able to show me a fine brace of redfin a friend had caught, so they are there and are on the bite.
Fishing at Eildon has been reasonable but be prepared to work hard to find fish.
Cod are still being taken by anglers fishing deep-diving hard-body lures, spinner baits and surface lures as well as bait.
Fishing the deeper water near the wall and in the river arms are the most productive spots.
Casting a Jackal-style lure to a rocky ledge or other structure is starting to work at attracting yellowbelly; try Fraser National Park for them.
The Bonnie Doon arm is also worth trying for redfin, especially near Peppin Point and the old galleon.
Trout are being caught early in the morning, and trolling a Ford Fender with either a bunch of worms, a mudeye or a lure is the best method; this goes for Dartmouth as well.
Yellowbelly are also on the bite at Lake Nillahcootie, just the other side of the boat ramp along the rocky face.
This used to be a mecca for redfin, but now the yellows have taken over.
I heard of a release of former breeding fish from Snobs Creek into the Goulburn River below Eildon. Some of these fish are trophy size, and with no anglers from Melbourne being able to fish for them, your chances of bagging one are better than average.
Fishing the rivers and streams in the north-east has been reasonable, with generally pan-size fish being caught but occasionally a kilo-plus size among the catch.
Bait casting such as scrub worms or mudeye as well as bladed or hard-body lures are getting results.
The secret to fishing rivers is to work your way upstream and cast above to likely holes or banks and let your bait float back with the current.
Now that the regional Victoria lockdown restrictions have been relaxed, it is not time for us to do likewise; keep doing all those things that have allowed us more freedom.
Keep your distance from others, sanitise your hands, and wear a mask; do these things, and we can all hopefully keep safe and well.
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