Plenty of good fishing reports have come through from across Gippsland over the past fortnight, with anglers putting in the time and using the right bait and techniques being rewarded.
PLEASE BE AWARE
Scientific testing has identified multiple algae species of concern across parts of the Gippsland Lakes, including elevated levels of Pseudo-nitzschia and the cyanobacteria Nodularia. A bloom of Karlodinium is also suspected to have recently caused fish deaths in Lake Victoria.
There is often little surface evidence or discoloured water associated with these blooms. Any fish harvested from affected waters should have the gills and guts removed prior to cooking.
The public is advised not to swim in affected waters. Anyone who comes into contact with contaminated water should wash immediately with fresh water and seek medical advice if experiencing illness after contact.
Pet owners are also urged to keep animals away from affected waterways.
AROUND THE WATERWAYS
Lakes Entrance: Fishing around Lakes Entrance has fired up over recent days. Trevally are biting well on prawn, with anglers also finding success using small soft plastics or lightly weighted prawn imitations. Off the beach, salmon remain the main target, with metal lures proving effective when cast long and retrieved steadily, particularly during early mornings and late afternoons.
Lake Tyers: Bream are taking prawns and lightly weighted rigs, mainly around structure and drop-offs. Flathead are responding to soft plastics and diving minnows, while tailor are chasing pilchards and metal lures.
Metung: Chinamans Creek, the town jetties and the boardwalk are all producing whiting and flathead on local prawns and pipis. The odd tailor is showing up along the back beaches chasing metal lures, while bream are taking crabs, mussels and local prawns.
Mitchell River: From The Cut through to the Port of Bairnsdale, flathead are appearing in solid numbers and actively taking local prawns, live sandworm and soft plastics. There is also a healthy showing of bream in the system, responding well to cut crab and fresh local prawns.
Nicholson River: Bream are active from the river mouth to the Highway Bridge, taking live sandworm, soft plastics, local prawns and blue bait. Drifting the flats or slow-trolling plastics has also produced good results.
Tambo River: Mulloway have been on the chew between the two bridges, hitting both lures and blue bait. Closer to the mouth, bream are feeding on live sandworm, local prawns and hard-body lures.
Paynesville: The jetties are standout locations at the moment, producing good-sized bream along with the occasional mulloway, with live sandworm the preferred bait. Estuary perch are also being caught throughout the lake system, with soft plastics proving most effective.
Hollands Landing: A mixed bag is on offer, with bream, the odd mulloway and flathead all present in the system and taking local prawn and live sandworm. Prawn activity has also been strong towards Loch Sport, with night sessions recommended.
Marlo: Bream and luderick are taking live sandworm, local prawn and soft plastics around Second Island. The Brodribb River has perch on the chew, with live sandworm and hard-body plastics working well in deeper sections. Offshore, anglers are landing gummy shark and flathead using blue bait and fresh fish fillets.
Bemm River: The entrance remains open, with tailor and salmon being landed off the beach and in deeper channels. Larger bream are more active in the mornings, particularly in the channel on soft plastics. Good-sized flathead are also being caught.
Mallacoota: Squid, flathead, snapper and gummy shark have all been landed recently using fresh baits such as squid cubes and pilchards, while jigs are also worth trying. Large schools of yellowtail kingfish are moving through the system, with bridled yakkas or squid recommended as bait. Flathead and bream are also active on fresh prawns and soft plastics.
High Country: The Mitta Mitta, Gibbo and Ovens rivers around Mount Hotham and Omeo have been producing some quality trout on hard-body lures. With colder weather approaching, anglers are reminded to check forecasts carefully before heading out.
