Snapper proving popular

Payton Mason with a gummy shark. (supplied)

Snapper reports are still on the rise with more reports coming in each week with anglers starting to haul in some quality fish.

The bend of the channel off Clifton Springs is proving to be a hot location with plenty of fish being reported with some over 6kg.

Bait fishing either side of the tide change has been the standout times to fish, if you can time it on a sunrise or sunset, even better. Fresh calamari and pilchards have been the best baits and silver whiting has also been accounting for a few.

There has been plenty of gummy sharks getting caught while chasing snapper, mainly taking fresh squid or blood baits like salmon, some boats landing multiple in a session.

Clifton Springs has been a fishing hot spot this week with whiting reports coming in hot. Anglers have been doing some serious damage over the broken ground out front of Clifton Springs up towards Portarlington.

There has been a large number of smaller/undersized fish but if you’re willing to work your way through them, the bigger fish are there to be caught. Pipis and squid have been the best baits.

Calamari remain in fine form off Clifton Springs with anglers finding bag limit captures and some at a fantastic size. Size 3.0 jigs in pilchard, whiting and white colours proving the best.

Queenscliff is another hot spot this week with the harbour fishing very well for silver trevally, salmon, pinkie snapper and whiting all on the chew. Soft plastics 3-4 inch are producing the goods.

Anglers fishing baits have also been having some great success in this area also with pilchard fillets working best.

Point Lonsdale Bight is still the number one squid location with anglers having little issue in finding large numbers. Size 3.5 jigs and silver whiting have been doing most of the damage.

Offshore Barwon Heads has had a hot snapper and gummy shark bite along the 30 metre line. Good to see the rain hasn’t affected it too badly out there and the fish aren’t slowing down. Fishing the bottom with fresh blood baits and squid has been lethal with snapper to 7kg and gummy sharks to 15kg being taken.