Friday 12th of June 2015

This is the last Fishing with Pedro column. The Ballarat Courier has decided to retire it. The first Pedro column was written around 40 years ago. I have had lots of help over the years and would now like to thank those who have contributed to the column by submitting reports and sending in photographs during that time. It has been a cumulative effort and something I have enjoyed doing each week. I would also like to thank The Ballarat Courier for allowing me the liberty of writing the fishing column each week and off course I would like to thank the readers. I can only hope you enjoyed reading the column as much as I enjoyed writing it. Goodbye and happy fishing Pedro

PEDROS BASKET

• Our last photograph is of Pedro with a couple of lovely whiting
• Snapper to 7kg have been caught off Barwon Heads in 30 metres of water
• A 6.7kg snapper was caught off North Shore rocks using fresh squid for bait
• Reports of salmon to around 2kg in the river mouth at Barwon Heads. Most of the salmon were small though but legal
• A 154kg broadbill was caught off Port Macdonnell using a large squid for bait. It took 4 hours to bring the fish to the boat
• Tuna between 12 and 18kg are still being caught off Portland
• Last week a 96kg bluefin tuna was caught in 70metres of water off Cape Nelson on the charter boat “Off the Hook”
• Bag limit catches of squid off Clifton Springs
• King George whiting to 400mm just outside Queenscliff harbour near the grass beds with squid for bait
• Also Bourke Street at St Leonards is still producing whiting
• Wurdiboluc Reservoir is producing redfin and trout to 2kg on fish arrow soft plastics

Friday 5th of June 2015

PEDROS BASKET

• The photograph this week was taken by Peter Farrugia when he was in the United States of America recently. He visited Tracker Boats in Lebanon Missouri. This site opened in 1982 and was dedicated solely to the manufacture of Tracker fishing boats. It sits on 65 acres and employs around 700 people. They had 7000 boats in stock when Peter visited. Johnny Morris created and sold the first Bass Tracker back in 1978. It was the industry’s first fully accessorised ready to fish boat, motor and trailer package
• Reports of Australian salmon to 1kg in Corio Bay inner harbour while trolling lures
• Smaller salmon were caught off the Portarlington pier last week
• Snapper to 5kg were caught off Barwon Heads using squid for bait
• A 3kg yellowtail kingfish was caught using barracouta for bait
• An 11kg gummy shark was caught off Torquay
• At Portland the charter boats reported good catches of bluefin tuna to about 18kg
• Big numbers of squid have been reported at Clifton Springs while drifting over the grass beds. Squid also at Indented Head
• Pinkie snapper to 450mm have been caught around the spoil ground using soft plastics
• Queenscliff harbour has provided some shelter with the wintery weather we have been having with reports of silver trevally to 400mm
• Wurdiboluc Reservoir is producing redfin to 1.6kg, rainbow trout around a kilo and some brown trout as well
• A 450mm rainbow trout was caught in Lake Wendouree fishing from the bank using a mudeye under a float
• At Lakes Entrance silver trevally have been found around the town jetties using pilchard for bait. Off shore they have been getting flathead, snapper and gummy shark with the best bait being squid and pilchard
• Salmon are taking blue bait in the surf at Mallacoota
• At Paynesville the best spots for bream and mullet have been the local jetties and the Strait using prawns and worm
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Friday 29th of May 2015

PEDROS BASKET

• The photograph this week is of Michael Sewell with a tuna caught off Portland. He caught 7 fish to 34kg from 9 fish hooked
• Salmon to 2.5kg have been found around the Geelong Yacht Club. Casting soft plastics has produced the best results
• While trying for a gummy shark a 7.5kg snapper was caught in the Symonds channel near Mud Island
• A 5kg snapper was caught near St Helens
• Reports of catches of squid at Curlewis while drifting
• Squid also from Governors Reef to Grassy Point
• Some whiting to 400mm have been caught off St Leonards using pippies and squid for bait. The bigger fish were caught on dark
• Squid to about a kilo also at St Leonards
• Lake Wendouree is producing brown trout to 2.5kg and rainbow trout to about 1kg in the deeper water in the rowing lanes. Some shore based anglers have also caught some good fish. Best baits are soft plastics or small hard body lures. You can also try mudeyes. Some good redfin have also been caught in the lake
• Brown trout to 2.5kg have been caught in the Newlyn Reservoir but the water is shallow and weedy
• Redfin to 50cm have been caught at Wurdiboluc Reservoir
• In Gippsland bream can be found in the Mitchell River from Eagle Point to Two Bells using vibes for bait
• Bream are taking prawn and worm in the Tambo River from Sardine Flats down to the Three Gums
• In the Nicholson River bream are going on prawn from the boat ramp down to Thumb Point
• From Hollands Landing try Storm Point, Blonde Bay and Toms Creek for bream and mullet using prawn pippies and worm for bait

Friday 22 of May 2015

Dennis Paul decided to take his children Paris, Brad and Dillon to Port Macdonnell during the school holidays. His mate Wilba from Southerly Fishing Charters had said “there were good schools coming through”. The first day a stiff breeze was blowing around 20 knots.  They headed to the shelf and ended up with 6 albacore to 16kg and 4 blue fin tuna to 20kg. The second day they managed 4 blue fin tuna to 19kg. The conditions on day 3, 4 and 5 were too rough to go out but one of their friends did and caught a 107kg tuna and five days earlier had caught a 142kg tuna. Day 6 Dennis and Dillon tried for a bigger fish. They went out to the 30 metre line and started trolling out to the fifty metre line and back. After working this area for a few hours with no result they decided to go out wider and ended up trolling from 65 out to the 100 metre line when the reel started screaming. Dillon who had been asleep was quickly woken up and cleared the deck. After nearly 4 hours the fish was finally in the boat. It weighed 137.9kg on 24kg line class

PEDRO’S BASKET

• The photograph this week is of Dennis and Dillon Paul with their monster tuna
• The southern bluefin tuna have moved close in off Portland due to the recent cold fronts crossing Victoria. They are looking for warmer water
• Reports of whiting out towards Point Wilson
• Flathead are about as well
• Squid are around the Clifton Springs area
• A 7.5kg gummy shark was caught near Mud Island using squid heads for bait
• Squid and whiting have been caught at Indented Head
• Pinkie snapper to 45cm are in Corio Bay using soft plastics
• Brown trout to 2kg have been caught in Wurdiboluc Reservoir as well as some redfin
• Chinook salmon to about 1kg in Lake Purrumbete
• Reports  of brown trout to 2kg in Lake Toolondo using a mudeye under a float
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Friday 15th of May 2015

PEDROS BASKET

• The photograph this week is of Jarrod Huggins with a tuna weighing 80kg that was caught off Portland recently
• Last Tuesday Portland was expecting winds of 80 kilometres per hour with a swell of 8.5metres. The winds are expected to drop off by this weekend. Tuna to 20kg have been caught in 50 metres of water but if the weather is too rough to chase the tuna you could try for some salmon trolling lures behind the surf. Whiting, squid and snapper can also be found inside the harbour
• Silver trevally have moved into the harbour at Queenscliff. Fish to 45cm are being caught so there is some fun for those wanting to throw some soft plastics around
• A few nice snapper have been reported by charter operators lately so it might be worth having a go before they pod up and head out of the bay
• Squid and whiting at St Leonards with the larger whiting near the mouth of Swan Bay
• Locally, Newlyn Reservoir has seen some very nice redfin caught on lures but bait would be just as good if not better. Early morning is proving to be the best time with fish over 40cm being caught so it is well worth a look
• Reports of brown trout at Lake Wendouree using soft plastics in the deeper water. Some have fished from the bank when the weather has been rough using a mudeye under a float with good results
• Redfin to 50cm have been reported at Wurdiboluc Reservoir
• Lake Toolondo is still producing great fish with trout reported to 2.8kg and redfin to around 40cm making it a place for all keen freshwater anglers to visit before these beautiful browns shut down for their spawning season
• Down at Gippsland the Mitchell River is producing 40cm bream with the best bait being spider crab and local prawns
• Bream also in the Nicholson River and the Tambo River using local prawn for bait
• At Mallacoota try the beach for salmon using poppers and pilchards
• At Lakes Entrance whiting have been caught from the jetties using prawn for bait and offshore pinkies and morwong have been caught using pilchard and squid
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Friday 8th of May 2015

Last weekend I received a telephone call from Max Bartlett wishing me a happy birthday. Max and his son Scott are heading overseas soon on a work related trip. Mr Bartlett senior just celebrated his 90^th birthday. That is a great effort.

PEDROS BASKET

• The photograph this week is of John Humphries with a Murray cod measuring 1.2metres caught at Bundalong. John said it was his fish of a life time and it was a big thrill to land it
• Peter Farrugia has just left Chicago and is driving to Los Angeles along Route 66. Peter reports that all the fishing boats must be taken off their moorings in the winter because Lake Michigan freezes over and that the high snow falls make it impossible to leave boats on the water
• A 102kg bluefin tuna that was caught off Port MacDonnell recently had been tagged and released by the CSIRO in the Great Australian Bight in 1993 when the fish was approximately two years old
• A 129.5kg southern bluefin tuna was caught in 42 metres of water just past Lawrence Rock off Portland. It is the biggest tuna that has been weighed in at Portland this year
• Salmon to 600g have been reported in Corio Bay fishing from the jetties. Flathead and pinkie snapper have been found amongst the moored boats
• Some snapper being caught off the Mountain View Quarries and North Shore
• Squid have been reported at Clifton Springs, Point Richards as well as the Governors Reef at Indented Head and Queensliff
• Reports of whiting off the St Leonards Yacht Club

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Friday 1st of May 2015

PEDROS BASKET

• The photograph this week is of Stuart France and David Young with the bass they caught to win the Bluefin Boats B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Teams Series which was held recently. We have just delivered a Mentay cricket pitch roller to David’s father Gary
• Whiting to 400mm have been caught near the Coles beacon
• Fishing for whiting in the evening at Indented Head has produced some good fish also
• Plenty of whiting have been caught out from the St Leonards Yacht Club otherwise known as “Bourke Street”
• If you use a bigger bait you should be able to catch the bigger whiting. Try different concoctions to see what works for you
• A lot of under size pinkie snapper at Clifton Springs. Squid to around 1kg as well as some big flathead
• Reports of trevally, pinkie snapper and Australian salmon in Corio Bay. Fishing close to structures produced the best results
• Australian salmon to 2kg along the surf coast
• Plenty of bluefin tuna to about 20kg at Portland fishing out wider
• Fishing early morning or evening has produced some good size brown trout and redfin at Wurdiboluc Reservoir
• Chinook salmon to 2kg have been caught at Lake Bullen Merri
• Brown trout around 2kg have been caught at Lake Toolondo using mudeyes or Tassie devils

Friday 24th of April 2015

Come Saturday morning Max Bartlett and Pedro headed out off Indented Head. We managed to catch some nice squid. We also got some fresh mussels which were an orange colour. The tide was working in our favour and we took 13 whiting to 400mm long. We packed up when the tide died a little. The fish were good but we had to work for them. We waited for the tide to move the fish to us and then it was fast and very enjoyable

PEDRO’S BASKET

• The photograph this week is of Max Bartlett with a couple of nice whiting
• Dick Williams of Port Macdonnell reports of tuna being caught weighing in at over 100kg
• Clifton Springs is still producing whiting, flathead and salmon
• Some squid still about as well
• Whiting have been caught off the St Leonards Yacht Club and also at Indented Head
• Pinkie snapper to 500mm are being caught in Corio Bay using soft plastics
• A 6kg gummy shark was caught in the Swan Bay channel on fresh Australian salmon
• Plenty of King George whiting have been caught in the entrance to Swan Bay. Squid has been the best bait
• The final qualifier of the Bluefin Boats B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Teams Series took place at Lake Boondooma recently. Stuart France and Dave Young won the weigh-in with a bag weighing 6.44kg. Dave Young also took out a new (pending) length world record of 51cm. Some teams reported catching over 40 legal fish in some areas.
• Reports of brown trout to 1kg in Lake Wendouree
• Redfin to 400mm have been caught in Wurdiboluc Reservoir

Friday 17th of April 2015

PEDROS BASKET

• The photograph this week is of David Rivett with a big trout he caught in Lake Wendouree whilst fishing from his kayak
• A 1.5kg Chinook salmon was caught at Lake Bullen Merri while trolling. Rainbow trout to 1kg have also been reported
• Some large redfin at Wurdiboluc Reservoir as well as a few brown trout to 2.5kg
• Brian Metcalf and Bill Clifford had their annual trip to Kangaroo Island. The fishing was not as good as previous trips due to very strong winds but they still caught some big fish
• Stan Haley took his 2 sons out on a charter from Darwin. They caught lots of big fish and some sharks but managed to avoid the crocodiles
• Peter Farrugia went fishing last Monday and caught some flathead
• Squid to around 1kg have been caught while drifting in 3 metres of water off Point Richards
• Whiting to 400mm at the Swan Island grass beds using pippie and squid for bait. Also some Australian salmon have been caught as well as some nice size squid while drifting
• Plenty of whiting at St Leonards but you may have to move around a bit to find the school
• Flathead at Clifton Springs. Also reports of squid while drifting over the weed beds.
• Whiting have been caught at the Quarries and reports of gummy sharks to 10kg in this area
• A 750mm gummy shark was caught off Point Wilson
• Reports of flathead and squid at Indented Head. Whiting have been caught in the evening
• A 3kg elephant fish was caught in the Barwon Estuary using squid for bait. Some nice Australian salmon were also caught
• The bluefin tuna have arrived at Portland and Port Macdonnell with reports of a number of large tuna over 60kg but most caught have been around the 20kg mark. The most popular lure has been the Raplala X rap 30
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Friday 10th of April 2015

It was Easter Monday morning. It was cold out on the ocean. The crew of Pedro, Dean, Heath and Desmond Menhennet were ready. Dean wanted to dive for some scallops and we had our work to do as well. We came back with a supply of scallops.

PEDRO’S BASKET

• The photograph this week is of a good size Dusky Morwong. It was spotted over the Easter Weekend maintaining its position over the Lonsdale wall in the middle of the rip in Port Phillip Bay. They can also be seen over the weedy grasslands area along Queenscliff and towards Point Lonsdale.
• The grass beds at Queenscliff provided good fishing with reports of bag limit catches of whiting
• Gummy sharks have been reported out towards the channel and also towards Point Henry
• Squid to 1kg have been reported at Clifton Springs and Indented Head. Some big cuttlefish have also been caught.
• Pinkie snapper to about 2kg have been caught at the spoil grounds
• Bag limit catches of whiting have been reported over the Swan Island grass beds
• A 119cm cod was caught and released in the Murray River near Mildura
• Plenty of blue fin tuna to 20kg being caught off Portland
• Elephant fish to 2kg have been caught in the Barwon Estuary using squid for bait
• Bream also reported using bass yabbies for bait
• Swan Bay was a popular spot over the Easter break with King George whiting to 420mm reported using pippies for bait. Drifting for squid also reported catches to 1kg
• A lot of anglers fished St Leonards and were rewarded with good catches of whiting