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Fishing Prospects The strong current ripping through the Heads has created channels, with sand and mud flats inside the bay. This, together with the heavy reef along the ocean shore, is home to a variety of fish. The main species being: * Port Philip Bay snapper * King George whiting * squid * leather jacket shark * salmon * flathead. Whilst these are the major species, the varied conditions over a small region means that you can occasionally get that unusual catch also. Much has been written about the various rigs and techniques etc for catching fish in TBF, so I will concentrate on the hardest part for any visitor - finding fish. Snapper Snapper can be caught drifting in channels around the heads. Otherwise launch at Rye, and motor off Arthur's Seat approx 1 - 2 nm, and sound around, looking for rubble (and fish!). Or launch at Queenscliff and try Symonds Channel on any drop-offs, or near the Tide Gauge. Right in The Heads can also produce good fish, especially on the Queenscliff side, not far from the pilot station. Smaller school snapper can also be caught on the reef outside The Heads, either on the Point Lonsdale side, or the Nepean side in about 8 -15 metres of water. Use your own favourite snapper rig and gear. I prefer to fish light, using 6 - 8 Kg line, with a running sinker (as light as possible) on top of a brass ring, with about a metre of 15 Kg nylon trace. I use two hooks, a 2/0 running keeper hook and 4/0 chemically sharpened beak style. Best baits in the area are freshly-caught garfish and sauid. If vou can't catch any, take along WA pilchards as a stand-by. l always have a garfish line and squid line with Yo-zuri in the water when I'm out. Sometimes when the snapper don't oblige, you can still take home a bag of squid, gar, mullet, or bay trout. King George Whiting Whiting are usually a little more reliable than the snapper. Whiting can be caught close in shore along the beaches of either Peninsula, but I have found the really big ones just inside The Heads. Favourite spots include Nepean Bay, or on the Bellarine side, try the Lonsdale Bight or near the wreck of the old submarine. Best times for whiting on the Nepean side is the start or end of the ebb, whilst at Lonsdale Bight it's the opposite - start or end of flood. The Sorrento Channel off Cameron's Bight, even right at the Sorrento marine, and amongst the boats at the Blairgowrie Yacht Club are worth a try. I usually use the running sinker rig with a pea-size ball sinker and a longshank No 4 or No 6 hook, with an attractor bead on top. Since I find the best time to chase whiting is at slack water, this rig is fine. If, however you are fishing whilst the tide is running, you could use a tide rig with a long trace. I find that pipis are a good bait for whiting, and have also had success with freshly-caught squid. Mussel is also good if you can get it fresh. Squid Whatever I am fishing for, I always have at least one squid line out in this area. Like whiting, squid can be caught in and around the weed beds on sand and reef on both sides inside The Heads. Best spots include the reef off Nepean Peninsula at Sorrento. There is an excellent, brand-new three lane concrete ramp here suitable for any size trailer boat, in any wind/sea. Rye has similar facilities to Sorrento, but shallower, and the ramp can be difficult for bigger boats at low tide and wind. Single lane ramps suitable for tinnies are at Blairgowrie and Tootgarook. Costs are $8 at Rye and Sorrento (season ticket available), and free at Blairgowrie and Tootgarook.
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