Portsea pier

[bilby]

After family friends generously offered the use of their holiday house, I had a few days out from fishing for pinkies and (so far elusive) mulloway in Melbourne on a short holiday to Portsea area this past week. I hadn't been to the pier since I was a teenager - I had forgotten how beautifully aqua the water is down that way. The weather was pretty terrible - I managed three attempts at fishing London Bridge beach, and was chased off by lighting and storms on two occasions and heavy weed and three metre waves on the third. I did manage to hook a decent fish in the wash even so, but lost it. I also tried the front beach and caught a banjo shark, lost something decent, and caught my first Gurnard Perch, which was interesting. It went back unharmed! On the pier itself, I tried for squid, but pretty much had no idea what I was doing and lost patience. I did see some fantastic calamari caught while I was there - up to about 2kg I would estimate. My only success came casting metal lures around the edges of where people were float fishing for Tommy Ruff - I managed this barracouta (my first in Victoria) and dropped another as I was about to lift it onto the pier. They seemed to be hunting the smaller baitfish near the berley trail. Anyway, it's a stunning area, and well worth another land based attempt in future, I think.

[Nude up]

Hopefully it doesn't have the worms in it because I like couta tastes great. If it has worms save it for bait.

[Trumpeter]

I grew up fishing on the Portsea pier catching Leatherjackets and Garfish and if the weather was hot doing bombs into the ferry wash, great memories.

[Lightningx]

Nice report

[bilby]

The barracouta actually tasted great. I've eaten a few now since my Tasmania trip and found no worms - just delicious flesh if you can find your way around the fine bones (which is a bit like dealing with garfish bones).

[Bar002811]

Great catch mate. Good job on the first couta!!:)

[matt1991]

Anyone got a photo of a barra with worms? I want to see the difference.