Warrnambool Fishing Report 04/09/26

This time of year sees a great mix of species on offer, and the past couple of weeks have been no exception. From game fish and quality bottom fish offshore to estuary bream and perch and inland trout, anglers have been finding plenty of good fish in both size and numbers.

Offshore

The annual spring tuna run is now in full swing, with anglers making the most of some decent weather windows. The tuna have regularly been rounding up bait schools including pilchards and redbait, prompting plenty of anglers to turn to pilchards drifted down unweighted.

This remains one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to target barrel tuna and, when the fish are feeding hard, can produce multiple hook-ups in a session. Live baits are also well worth considering, and at times it can seem like the bait has barely hit the water before it's being ripped from your hands. Quality hooks are essential, with Gamakatsu Live Bait hooks and Black Magic KLT circles both great options.

Another technique continuing to gain popularity is casting large poppers into feeding tuna on heavy spin gear. Big poppers such as Shimano Bomb Dips, Maria Pop Queens and similar offerings provide an exciting way to target these fish, particularly for anglers looking for a challenge.

Longer rods around 7'6" to 8'3" with a PE 6–8 rating are popular, giving anglers the casting distance needed to reach feeding fish while still having plenty of power once hooked up. The extra rod length also helps produce the sweeping action required to get a big popper working properly. Casting gloves are highly recommended when throwing heavy lures on braid, as a mistimed cast can quickly result in a nasty cut.

It's also worth replacing treble hooks with quality singles on larger tuna lures. Singles can provide excellent hook penetration while making things considerably safer once a powerful fish is thrashing around beside or inside the boat. If you don't have the tools to change them yourself, bring your lures into the Tackle Shack and we'll be happy to help get them set up.

Away from the tuna, some excellent sharks and quality snapper have also been hitting the deck. School and gummy sharks have been caught throughout the usual 30–50m depths off both Port Fairy and Warrnambool.

Fresh bait remains one of the biggest keys to consistently catching these great table fish. Our pilchards are kept at the right temperature to prevent them partially thawing and becoming soft or mushy, ensuring they're in excellent condition when they hit the water.

Local squid has also been extremely popular over the past year and is an excellent bait for sharks and snapper alike. One squid can provide plenty of strip baits, tentacles, two head halves and hood flaps, making it a surprisingly cost-effective and versatile bait.

When school sharks are around, circle hooks are highly recommended to reduce the chance of bite-offs and deep hooking. Black Magic KLT 8/0s remain a staple among local bottom fishers, combining an inline design, Teflon coating and an extremely sharp point to make them one of our favourite circle hooks.

Estuaries

The Hopkins River continues to produce some fantastic bream despite the dirty water. This could be helped by some good pushes of saltwater entering the system, while the approaching spawning period also has fish feeding heavily as they build energy reserves.

The recent Vic Bream Classic round highlighted just how healthy the system currently is. Fish were in exceptional condition, with some carrying plenty of spawn and others simply very well fed. A 40cm Hopkins bream might typically weigh around 1kg, but during the event fish of that length were pushing an impressive 1.3kg.

Several fish over 1.4kg were landed, but none topped Shelley Smith's outstanding 1.55kg bream caught in the dying minutes of the event. For a relatively small system, the Hopkins continues to produce an incredible quality of fish year after year.

One system that certainly can't be called small is the Glenelg River, and it has been fishing exceptionally well lately.

Some of the region's best anglers recently converged on the Glenelg for the annual "Perch Search", an initiative run by the Victorian Fisheries Authority to collect mature estuary perch for breeding programs in Victoria and other states. Only 60 suitable male and female fish were collected from the system, with the program helping provide opportunities for anglers to target these fantastic native fish in waterways where they may not otherwise naturally reproduce.

The fishing during the event was outstanding, with the required fish collected by Saturday night. The standout capture was an absolute thumper caught by Garry Carruthers in the lower Taylor's Strait area, measuring an impressive 53cm. Several more fish around the magical 50cm mark were also landed, once again demonstrating just how good the Glenelg can be for big estuary perch.

All fish during the program were targeted on lures, helping improve their chances of survival by reducing the risk of fish swallowing baited hooks deeply. A great effort from everyone involved and another positive initiative for the future of the fishery.

Freshwater

Lake Tooliorook continues to fish well for both rainbow and brown trout, although getting on the water early or late in the day has been important. Being a relatively shallow lake, the higher the sun gets, the more cautious and difficult these fish can become.

Tassie Devils in the 13.5g size remain among the standout lures, with darker colours continuing to produce plenty of fish. Some quality redfin have also been caught at Tooliorook on both Tassies and shallow-running hardbodies.

Rapala F5 and F7 minnows have been around for donkey's years, but they continue to prove why they deserve a spot in the tackle box.

Spring is also prime time to start targeting Rocklands Reservoir, and there are some exciting new lure options available for anglers chasing cod. Spinwright Fluff Ball jigheads, Fluff Ball spinnerbaits and the new Daiwa Mega Minnows are all well worth swimming around likely cod country this spring.

Looking Ahead

This weekend's weather is looking like hard work, even for anglers planning to stay on the rivers and lakes, so it might be a good opportunity to spend some time preparing gear for the better days ahead.

For those who do brave the conditions, don't forget to send in your catches for your chance to win a great prize pack thanks to Daiwa Australia.

Until next week, tight lines and best of luck!