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Hot and cold fishing
  |  First Published: April 2015



This has been an on and off season in this part of the world as far as fishing is concerned and no one would disagree. There have been patches of calm conditions and the fish have responded with the result being good bags.

I have received numerous calls and one happy boater was Glen Jackson who will often make the trek from Morwell with a couple of mates. They will usually put in at Port Welshpool that has a very good boat ramp and don’t mind paying the modest parking fee.

On his last visit last month they picked a great day with no wind, which is a real change for this part of the world, and headed out to the Franklin Channel. This turned out to be a good choice as they were soon into the snapper that were all around the 6kg mark, not huge but very acceptable. As well as the reds they bagged 4 very good size gummies and a couple of big flathead that made for a very good trip. The only complaint was that the weather was too good in that the sun beat down on them and they had to go for the sunscreen, but it wasn’t really a complaint and Glen reckons they will be back again.

Last month there were numerous other positive reports coming to me as far as the entrance or Singapore Deep. The wind in this area can come up from nowhere and boaters should keep an eye out for any change that can be sudden. If this happens then head for cover and waste no time. Having said all that, this is where big gummies and snapper are being caught with best results have come from the run-in tide and mixed in with them are good size flathead that make the effort worthwhile.

When conditions have allowed, a trek out wide can be worth the effort, but make sure you have enough fuel to get back. This is where places such as Cliffy Island have been very productive for gummy sharks, big flathead as well a good numbers of kingfish.

The local jetties have also been very productive with good numbers of silvers, mullet and flathead among the fish that are making up pleasing bags. Visiting anglers and locals are very happy with their efforts and there are also eels and whiting adding to the excitement.

The other Port is Port Albert being around 22km away and Rob Killury says that the fishing has been great with whiting being to the 45cm mark being caught inside the entrance right up to the jetty. They are taking baits, which include Bass yabbies, squid and small strips of pilchards. Many anglers like pilchards as they believe that the oily content deters those annoying toadfish and that alone would generally be enough for most people.

There have been very good size gummy sharks being caught on squid and pilchards.

The jetties have been going well where silvers, flathead and mullet are in very good numbers. Rob Killury, who runs the local general store, says that he has had plenty of successful fishers weighing in catches at the store where he has a gantry for the larger species such as sharks and scales for the smaller fish. He says that gummies in particular have been in very good numbers and in the warm conditions, as they should be, there will be very good fishing in the foreseeable future.

Outside the entrance in the deeper water, there has been very good fishing with snapper and good size gummies along with flathead making the effort well worthwhile.

For the benefit of visitors there is a very good multi-lane boat ramp that will take any size boat trailer and there is a website that has current and forecast conditions.

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