Going to Blanket Bay Campground, Fishing alone for the first time

[NHSeyed]

Hey all
I am going past apollo bay and going to be fishing with a group of people who have only fished a handful of times in their life. I am the "experienced" one but I have never fished alone or been in that position before, always fished with people who live and breath fishing.

Going next weekend for two nights, I have a surf rod and a couple other rods. no hooks, no sinkers, nothing.

I just want to get something on the line so what should i target and what even is there for me to target at this time?

also, can anyone advice me any where to get hooks and sinkers, and what bait cheap around northern melbourne.

thanks

[sandef]

The area at blanket bay looks like mainly rock shelf's, I wouldn't fish there with a group of inexperienced anglers. I would fish wild dog beach at Apollo bay ,nice gutter in close. You need 3/0 hooks 3-4 oz sinkers and 20lb line

[Persistence]

With a group of inexperienced fishers I'd go to the Wharf at Apollo bay. Try time it so you are there an hour before high tide. There is calamari on the inside and you will get salmon and flatties casting towards the beach.
If you just want to catch something, burley with bread crumbs and tuna oil on the inside of the harbour. you will get mullet and trevally. size 12 hook baited with a small piece of raw chicken, squid or bead dough under a small float. Or paternoster rig with small hooks with the same bait.
If you are determined to fish the beach, look for the deeper gutters and use a paternoster rig with squid.
Goodluck.
PS. The coop at the wharf has very good fish n chips.

[shazdoggg]

Have never fished Blanket bay but have fished my fair share of spots around Apollo bay. In fact, I’m here now for a few days.

If you’re landbased, I’d suggest the beach and rocks at Petticoat creek for mullet, salmon, kgw, snapper.

Apollo bay break wall at the harbour for salmon, mullet and kgw.

Marengo rocks for kgw, tommy rough, sweep and salmon.

Mounts beach is producing salmon at the moment on first light to 70cm with spinning being the most productive method.

Haven’t heard any reports from the Barham river but there’s always the chance of a sea runner if the mouth opens to the sea.

Was at Lorne pier last week and was super quiet but saw some school kids(in uniform with teachers) catching medium sized salmon form the pier on metal lures.

The main pier at Apollo bay is quite hit and miss but as others have mentioned, a light float rig combined with berley will give you a good chance of catching some bread and butter species like salmon, tommy rough, trevally and mullet. There are also some big leatherjackets in the harbour and small squid.

Was speaking with one of the locals when I was down at the shops this afternoon and he said there have been heaps of school tuna being caught from Kennett river to Bald hill on small skirts and stickbaits along the 50m line if you have a boat. Hopefully they’ll still be around in a few weeks when I bring my boat down.

Cheers Shaz

[DougieK]

Don't take newbies rock fishing anywhere west of Cape Otway. The shelf is uncomfortably close and the swell is extremely unpredictable.

Beyond what's already been mentioned, Johanna beach is as good if not better than Gunnamatta and the odd jewie even get's landed there around this time of year.