Fishing Victoria Forum

Went to the pier again straight after work (unprepared)
I had my trusty inkvador rod from sure catch hoping to catch a squid after my 3rd visit of 0 hook ups thought today might be my day. Although I brought along my surf rod and bout a 3 pack of bait (pipi,squid and blue bait)

I usually fish with 4 rods (2 on floats with whiting and spike, one surf rod with paternoster rig n bait) along with my squid rod.

However today I just came with surf rod and squid rod!

Arrived at 6:30 fishing past the peak of high tide. Landed a flat head at 7:30pm it smashed the blue bait.

Then 20 minutes later got a small sized squid which I used on the surf rod. The rig was for flat head hook size to accomodate the species! I assumed the fresh squid (being tough and big) would mean nothing could clean it off! Seen no bites on it throughout my session as I lifted it out the water they were both clean gone! Couldn’t figure it out! Next time I’ll make sure I bring my bell as it’s hard to watch while jigging at night.

Lots of cross overs at the pier especially near the lights (frustrating but bearable) the worst when ppl think it’s your fault lines are crossed even when you knowingly are aware yours was in the water first. Patience is key on a pier.

Packed up by 12am. Filleted flat head at 2am. Enjoyed the next day with chips!

Question: I see a lot of long fish in the water - could be pike snook or coutta but they don’t take anyone’s baits or hard body lures. School of trevally too but no hook ups only whiting bite.

Trying to figure out how to get them as they are plentyfull there and could be a good bait. Any veterans that fish there know what they are?

Nice report and pics!
Cheers :thumbsup:

Awesome fish, great report.

soulstar wrote:Went to the pier again straight after work (unprepared)
I had my trusty inkvador rod from sure catch hoping to catch a squid after my 3rd visit of 0 hook ups thought today might be my day. Although I brought along my surf rod and bout a 3 pack of bait (pipi,squid and blue bait)

I usually fish with 4 rods (2 on floats with whiting and spike, one surf rod with paternoster rig n bait) along with my squid rod.

However today I just came with surf rod and squid rod!

Arrived at 6:30 fishing past the peak of high tide. Landed a flat head at 7:30pm it smashed the blue bait.

Then 20 minutes later got a small sized squid which I used on the surf rod. The rig was for flat head hook size to accomodate the species! I assumed the fresh squid (being tough and big) would mean nothing could clean it off! Seen no bites on it throughout my session as I lifted it out the water they were both clean gone! Couldn’t figure it out! Next time I’ll make sure I bring my bell as it’s hard to watch while jigging at night.

Lots of cross overs at the pier especially near the lights (frustrating but bearable) the worst when ppl think it’s your fault lines are crossed even when you knowingly are aware yours was in the water first. Patience is key on a pier.

Packed up by 12am. Filleted flat head at 2am. Enjoyed the next day with chips!

Question: I see a lot of long fish in the water - could be pike snook or coutta but they don’t take anyone’s baits or hard body lures. School of trevally too but no hook ups only whiting bite.

Trying to figure out how to get them as they are plentyfull there and could be a good bait. Any veterans that fish there know what they are?

Could be Snook. They can be really really finicky and shy. Used to see lots at BHds when I'd visit and fish with a mate there at night around the fishermans jetty. We finally figured them out. Unweighted line with a hook rigged in the centre of the bait which was a glassie. That way it just drifted down ultra slow all natural and moved with the water. We rigged them the way we did because we noticed they would gently cruise up to the glassie and take it in the centre of it, not the tail or head. We'd wait a several seconds then load up. This was always on slack water. Never seemed to strike when it was moving in or out. Slack water, fluttering glassies, not weight. It was a killer method.
Mate died a number of yrs back though and I havent bothered going there since.
Might be snook, if it is that'll work.

Great flathead for a feed
Well done mate

Could the long fish be garfish?

fishnut wrote:Could the long fish be garfish?

Nah definitely not garfish! They have a little long sword snout which these black long things don’t! And they are close to 1 metre in length they swim half a metre below the surface and sometimes thrash about in the surface as if they are trying to eat something.

Much like snook or coutta do! Only when I used lasers and shiny lures they don’t take it when they should! Iv seen trevally and another school at night but they too just swim around and don’t take others pipi or any other bottom feeder bait! Maybe they weren’t hungry or maybe I’m not using the right rig that the fisho in this thread mentioned I should try....

St Leonard’s is a great place to fish ...I know that much

Sounds like pike. Try small soft plastics, or bait under a float. Will get trevally like this too

pike throw a softplastic silver in colour then hold on there sucker,s for that colour eating wise okay but dont freeze them they turn to mush

Caught plenty of pike with flick bait sp’s 3 or 4 inch size pilchard pattern. Probably them.
Give it a go