South West Victoria Spring Fishing Guide
As we rapidly approach the end of winter here in south west Victoria, anglers begin to emerge out of hibernation as the days get longer and water temperatures rise. Let's take a look at some of the top fishing options this coming spring.
Snapper
Spring is always a good time for big snapper in Victoria, and the south west is no different. A strong north or easterly gets the Lee Breakwater at Portland stirred up, and the snapper begin to fire. It can get pretty hectic when the reds are on down there with anglers lining the wall with surf rods trying their luck for a big snapper; some of these can be 6 or 7kg. Often the first blow of the year is the signal for the first anglers to head down and try their luck. A running sinker with Ezi Rig, or paternoster is the choice for most anglers, with 6/0 hooks baited with fresh squid, yakka or salmon fillets. The beaches can also be good this time of year; the Narrawong, Discovery Bay, Levies and Yambuk beaches can be the best for snapper. Offshore, the big ones are found in 70-150m, with pinkies up to around 3kg moving inshore usually October or November.
Golden Perch
The yellowbelly fishing opportunities in the southwest have grown exponentially in recent years thanks to the stocking of Rocklands Reservoir. With these initial stocked fish now 9 years old, there's some whopping great yellowbelly in there well over 60cm as well as mega Murray Cod to 90cm - and even some over the metre. Spring is by far the best time of year for yellowbelly as these fish school up and attempt to spawn. Use your electronics to find these big schools in the southern end of the lake around Brodies, and fish through them with small vibes (Jackall TN60s, Ecogear ZX35) or soft plastics (Gulp Jigging Grub or Z-Man Grub, in black). Early summer sees traditional methods like bait fishing with worms or yabbies, casting spinnerbaits at snags or trolling hardbodies reign supreme. The infamous wall is the best spot in the lake in spring, but make sure you steer clear of the exclusion zone for boating as no doubt you'll get picked up by Fisheries surveillance. Further north, the Wimmera River has been a renowned yellowbelly fishery for decades and this water should fish well anywhere downstream of Horsham from around October.
Sharks
When the weather windows line up, late winter and early spring is always go time for big gummies and schoolies inshore. These big girls can be over 30kg, and move in close to 30-50m in big numbers to lay pups. It's worth noting that these big females most likely are full of live young and it's never a good look to return back to the boat ramp with a couple of dead pregnant sharks. If you do decide to keep one of these big spring sharks, and you suspect it has pups, dispatch of it and cut the belly open to release any pups and give them a chance of survival. Even better, practice catch and release on these big girls. Once they'e dropped their pups, they will start moving back out to the deeper water but will hang around inshore until October or November. You can also find some good beach fishing opportunities at the same beaches mentioned earlier.
Trout
What a winter it's been on the trout! Whether it's on the crater lakes, including the incredible fishery at Tooliorook, or on the local year-round rivers - we have had one of the best seasons in memory for big fat brown (and rainbow) trout. The lake fishing will continue into spring, and while the rivers certainly hold fish year round, they do tend to slow down as we move towards summer and water levels drop. The lower Merri is the pick of spots in spring, with sea run and estuary resident fish move up and down the system.
Estuary Perch
The EPs are another popular target during spring. They'll begin to feed hard after winter spawning, and move into shallower water where you can enjoy some topwater action. The Tooram Stones are on the Hopkins is a real hotspot with perch congregating under the basalt lava flow rockwall in big numbers as they move upstream. Try casting hardbody jerkbaits with a twitch and pause retrieve (Daiwa Double Clutch and Spike, Jackall Squirrel), soft plastics or bladed vibes with light line of around 4-6lb. Late afternoons and into the evening is always the best time for perch.