Apollo Bay Fishing

Apollo Bay Fishing

Fishing Areas and Conditions

• The Apollo Bay pier offers fishing inside the harbour. The article reports squid catches there, particularly in warmer months.
• Rock walls and fishing platforms provide other land-based options. The article names Marengo, Orchard Creek, Wild Dog Beach and Snapper Rock.
• Close to shore, boats can drift the sand flats for flathead. Depths change sharply, while reef and weed areas hold King George whiting and trevally.
• Offshore reefs named in the article include Blanket Bay, Henty Reef and Cape Otway. It describes these as snapper grounds in warmer months and also suggests targeting gummy sharks there around peak tide changes, when the water runs slowest.
• Tuna are mainly targeted farther offshore around Point Franklin, The Big Reef, Blanket Bay, The Edge and The Lump, though the article says they are sometimes caught in front of the harbour. It gives March to July as the peak period.
• The Aire, Barham and Kennett rivers offer estuary fishing. The article also identifies Skenes Creek, Wild Dog Creek, Smythes Creek, Grey River and the upper Aire, Barham and Kennett rivers for trout.

Rigs, Bait and Lures

• Inside the harbour, the article suggests paternoster rigs, running sinker rigs or unweighted bait, using pilchards, squid, pipis or blue bait.
• Drift pilchard or squid baits over the nearshore sand flats on a paternoster rig for flathead. Carry different sinker weights to accommodate changing depths.
• For whiting around reef and weed, the article suggests smaller hooks with small strips of pipi or squid, anchoring on sandy patches and using berley.
• On the offshore reefs, present pilchards or squid strips for snapper on a double-snell rig. The article suggests strips of salmon, mackerel or squid for gummy sharks in the same areas.
• In the estuaries, try lightly weighted grub or paddle-tail soft plastics, surface lures or shallow-diving lures for bream and estuary perch.

Access and Hazards

• Apollo Bay Harbour has a dual boat ramp. The pier has rod holders and onsite amenities.
• The article cautions that trips to the offshore reefs require a vessel capable of handling offshore conditions and appropriate safety gear.