Snapper have started for 2007...

[GOTMYN]

Hi everyone,

Not sure if we have many Fisherman/women on here, but thought Id let you all know that Snapper in Port Phillip Bay have finally arrived!!

It took a bit of work this week, but with 3 trips, early morning starts and live Bait, we landed our first 2 for the year!! 1x2.6kg and 1x3.7kg, not huge, but enough to put a huge smile on our faces..

Approx 10km out from Mornington, just next to the shipping Channel, Caught on fresh Garfish landed only hours earlier......

Of Course their are plenty of Flatties to be had, and the odd Salmon, but the Big Reds were the reason we were out there....

Also witnessed some good size Gummies being Filleted back at the ramp, all caught before first light..

Thought this would be a good Thread to share what they are biting on and where.... Piers as well...... Anyone with any info or rescent stories (true) let us all know.......

Cheers, and Tight lines.....

[Torquative]

I know its hard to answer on a forum BUT WTF do I need to do to catch Flatties?

The place me and dad go are known for flatties but we can never get the little buggers.

Tell me everything you know, pretend your talking to someone who knows nothing

BTW yeah attending a fishing school thing would be great .... so would money to fund it

[GOTMYN]

I know its hard to answer on a forum BUT WTF do I need to do to catch Flatties?

The place me and dad go are known for flatties but we can never get the little buggers.

Tell me everything you know, pretend your talking to someone who knows nothing

BTW yeah attending a fishing school thing would be great .... so would money to fund it

Your not on your own!!

When you don't want them, they are their in thousands, and Vice Versa.....

Mate, A simple line with a Running sinker, just a ball, not too big, 5 cent piece is a good size, and a fresh piece of fish/squid/chicken, even Bread will catch you a Flattie or 100 if they are about, the main problem people have is that they use hooks that are way too big!! Again think of a 5cent piece, somthing around this size is ample for the biggest flattie... Now don't overload the hook with bait, sometimes a larger bait will intimidate the fish and you will not get a touch... Just enough on the hook to allow for the Barb to be exposed, if within a couple of minutes, you havn't had a touch, just reel the bait in a metre or so and wait, Flatties wait for their prey to pass bye, they do not hunt for it, a few more minutes, and then another metre, and if you dont get a touch within the time it takes to have the bait at your feet, cast and try again, if an hour passes and you have nothing, go somewhere else........ Hope this helps....

[14secvp]

you mean flatties as in flounder if so put a peice of corn on the hook works every time we just got a record tuna caught out of our port this week was bigger than me it was over 280 dont know if kilos or pounds but it is the biggest ever i think lots of yuppy launches in town trying too catch them

[GOTMYN]

you mean flatties as in flounder if so put a peice of corn on the hook works every time we just got a record tuna caught out of our port this week was bigger than me it was over 280 dont know if kilos or pounds but it is the biggest ever i think lots of yuppy launches in town trying too catch them

Nah I'm talking about Flathead,

Flounder, although Flat in appearance, are normally caught over here in the shallow beaches at night with a spotlight and a spier, never as big as yours but!! HUGE!!

[dijm8]

yep im a professional here ive got my $200,000 license and work on da prawn boats too you shud c the snapper we get at K.I very nice, but im not telling u my secrets nor my spots :P

[matty88]

Love my fishin, go every chance I get. Like saltwater, but I rather freshwater, as I can only ride so far lol. How's this for fishing:

YouTube - Fishing in Afghanistan-RPG style


hahaha

Of course I don't condone any violence towards any fish (or animals for that matter)

[GOTMYN]

This is really simple with a twisted dropper and long shanked hook on the top about 30-50cms from a snap swivel , a mister twister lead head lure sits on the bottom .
On the top hook I use Octopus or Squid as it is very long lasting and it can be used a few times over
The lure on the bottom acts as a sinker as well and seems to only get hits from bigger fish . If your drift gets to fast just put a bigger lure on to get it down ,or thread a sinker on bove the swivel.
The best colour i have used is a black bodied lure with any colour head you like .


Use either a lure or a sinker.....

[14secvp]

yeah we get giant flounder them turbot things pretty much a meter long flounder i had never seen one till i moved to the westcoast damn big flounder thats for sure

[holdensupporter2005]

When I was in Tassie went fishing and caught a few flatties.
One was a bit sandy so I took it to the edge of the water to
wash it and it got away, wasn't thinking!!!

[azkwazere]

i love the snapper comp held in mornington, good times had there before!

Landed a few in port phillip, few 8kgs... hit a whiting schol one day though, ****, line in, fish out, 20mins and about 20fish later lol... haha, took the fun out of waiting.

Flatties hurt when they spine ya, owwwww.

aZk.

[minux]

lol, i'd love to be able to fish..but its something i just suck at. That and lack of patience doesnt help.

[azkwazere]

you cant really suck at fishing, sometimes you jsut catch **** all... and patients is a huge thing... in fact, it chould be called paitent-ing.. cos your waiting al the time, its nice to just be sitting out there in the sun... mmm boats

fly fishing, now that i suck at.. hahaha i always miss the damn fish.

aZk.

[minux]

you cant really suck at fishing, sometimes you jsut catch **** all... and patients is a huge thing... in fact, it chould be called paitent-ing.. cos your waiting al the time, its nice to just be sitting out there in the sun... mmm boats

fly fishing, now that i suck at.. hahaha i always miss the damn fish.

aZk.

hah, thats why i like the "homer" style of fishing, works well for me

We go out on the boat with all intents of fishing, we end up tubing or skurfing after 30 minutes lol

[tmaybz]

hi, Ive heard something bout new size limits? i got a reddy the other day,it was 38cm.
Not sure on size limit ,so i threw it back
can anyone tell me if i should have kept it or not
thanks.
P.S never forget the bait and leave it in your boot

[lxhatch]

footy has finished and i cant wait till i get to go fishing, useually get a few pinkies in portland where i usualy go...

and as for flatties, they are a lazy fish so you wanna use a running sinker and slowly reel it in to stir up the bottom, so you can get them interested in having a look, you will usually find them on sandy bottoms not weedy

[GOTMYN]

hi, Ive heard something bout new size limits? i got a reddy the other day,it was 38cm.
Not sure on size limit ,so i threw it back
can anyone tell me if i should have kept it or not
thanks.
P.S never forget the bait and leave it in your boot

There is no actual size limit set for Redfin at this stage, Would have been a good Keeper for sure!! I remember years ago when I cought my first redfin, it was the fight of my life, at 35cm I was exstatic, But then I met Snapper, Hard to match the sport of a good Battle in the bay..
Check out this link in regards to Redfin and the size limit. Cheers,
http://www.vic.waterwatch.org.au/file/inform/Redfin.pdf

[14secvp]

update on the huge tuna it weighed 283.8Kg on 60kg or less gear caught by a womanwilma robinson took her 55 minutes to land it possibly the largest caught they say in the paper its huge longer than a person is tall by a couple of feet

[matty88]

A few fishing tips:

If a flathead spikes you, rub the wound on its belly. It has a slime that makes the pain go away and heals much faster.

Redfin: Nope, no limit. My biggest was 40cm

Hopefully we can have a cruise to a pier in each state.... cars and fishing. My two alltime fave hobbies.

Matty88

Bait in the boot: Left a bucket full of prawns in my mates car on a hot day, we were out fishing for 5+ hours and we nearly threw up.

[GOTMYN]

Ok, now for a few Tips on where they are ATM...
You will find good quality Snapper up around the 2-4kg mark just out from the Kirkpatricks Hotel on the esplinade Mornington, Approx 1km from Boat Ramp at Fishermans Beach you will head out until you hit the 19mtr mark, Line Up the Kirks Pub front entrance with the tip of the rock ledge in front of it.... you are on a small Reef here, and will have a good chance of landing a fish or two.... you will always notice the Charter Boats at or near this area all the time!! i have landed plenty of Snapper up to 5kg at this spot...

More spots to come as the fish move around the Bay...........

[cxcxcxvcvcvc]

if you want to catch flatheads then ive been told they always feed at sunrise and sunset and thats the best time to catch them! also aim for sand bars as they usually lie on the bars waiting for food to drift past them by the way all this knowledge (came out of tide times and other fishing books) & has landed me about one flathead a year: and yeah love fishing

[Wagon_Wheel]

Might have to steal a few spots off ya...
This year i promised myself ill be out in the boat a fair bit, gotta get off me ass and get my boat license... ill do it straight away after bathurst.
Ill be keepin me eye open, and the snapper comp in morno is great, used to go with my dad all the time, havnt been in a few years though

[matty88]

Carrum's firing at the moment for the snapper, using silver whiting heads... better than pilchards, hold on the hook better and flatties don't ruin them.

[vtdemon]

I'd love to do more saltwater fishing, never caught a Snapper. It's hard being 2 hours from the nearest saltwater spots. Far too easy to just go down to the Goulburn or Murray Rivers on the weekend or after work during daylight savings.

Love me a Reddie on the frypan. And nothing better than landing a beautifully marked Murray cod, get a photo and send him home. Great fish, strong and good to look at.

[GOTMYN]

Still pretty quite out,
every 2nd boat is coming in with a fish or two, but no big catches as of yet...
Water needs to warm up a bit and it will be on for another season....
Prolly a couple of weeks from now.