VIC
Get ready for seasonal changes PPB WEST
Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.au
This is time of year when we start to notice some changes. The water temperature is dipping, and because of that we will see some mixed results. It will also mean our target species will start to change. We’ve had a late run of snapper but will be primarily focusing on species like King George whiting, squid and flathead. A TRIP TO REMEMBER I’ve spent countless hours on the water this past summer, and must admit I’ve had a little bit of a snapper and whiting hangover recently. I decided to mix things up and spent a couple of days at Portland chasing tuna. We watched the forecast like hawks leading up to the trip away. I was feeling
optimistic during my 5-hour drive from Melbourne to Portland, with low swells and gentle 10 knot northerly followed by a 15
knot northerly predicted. Instead, when I arrived, the forecast had changed to 58 knot northerly and 38°C heat on the first day,
followed by a downpour of 14mm on the second day. It couldn’t have been any further from the prediction, and not great for me who
The author was elated with this bluefin tuna.
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still occasionally suffers from sea sickness. On day one, we started bottom bashing baits with a drift chute in 50m of water. We caught countless sea perch, nannygai and snapper. However, the swell was like a washing machine. Battling sea sickness, we came in close and fished around the harbour, trolling shallowdiving hardbody lures for countless snook, pike and barracuda. It certainly wasn’t what we had planned, but it sure was
The squid are very active now. lots of fun, with double and triple hook-ups. The following day we woke to torrential rain. It was relentless, and didn’t let up for pretty much our whole time on the water.
At stages we needed the bilge pump on just to drain out the rainwater. We stayed in close near the anchorage. Considering the conditions, we decided it was a morning to ‘go big or
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A nice catch of Portland bluefin tuna.