This week's Fishing Article

PEDRO'S FISHING COLUMN
as seen in the
BALLARAT COURIER Friday the 10th of February 2012

A story about our man born on a farm. They had semitrailers delivering spuds to the Sydney market for years.

Ross Quick did his time at Miller Brothers in Rodier Street Ballarat. He was a turner and fitter. After doing their time most of the Quick boys did some work at Mentay. Then they took off in full trucks. It is a good organization. We use them most of the time. They have a big B double unit that goes to Queensland every weekend so we get our rollers delivered to customers by Tuesday or at the latest the next day.

Well Ross is the boss man that organizes the load and he was out with his daughter Jody and her husband Josh fishing in the channel off Portarlington. Ross put a fresh bit of small squid on the line and cast it out. There was a little movement of current then out of the blue to the surprise of everyone Ross was in to this big fish. Well have a look at the fish he caught. He never has to brag about this one again. The fish was 6.7kg. While the spawning season is going they do not eat so the fish would have been about a kilogram bigger.

Most of the snapper bite at the top of the tide. Never mind what time of the day. This is when big mamma lays her eggs and that is when the male should be ready. Nice catch eh?

People ask about what is seen by the diver. Dean Menhennet was out. He had one other diver searching for scallops. I asked the question for you. Flathead remain hidden in the sand and lie in wait for some food to come past. They will attack. No sign of snapper when these boys go out about the middle of the day. This gives them the sun which is a big light to see the scallops. They use the by valve method of propelling. They really move very first. Scallops are very nice to eat. After chucking them you can use the entrails to attract other fish like whiting and snapper. We did at Werribee so there is an idea again learn about them



PEDRO’S BASKET

- The photograph this week is of Ross Quick who while fishing with his daughter Jody and her husband Josh caught this 6.7kg snapper while drifting off the channel at midday using a whole baby squid for bait

- Andrew Slater took his dad Doug out fishing at St Leonards about a fortnight ago. They were going to a do at Queenscliff. They got 5 big whiting and the tide changed. They got a few squid when it was slack tide. They only got a few more because they had to go for dinner

- Well Pedro decided to go out. I called in to see Mandy Howard at Portarlington who had got word that her daughter Montana who is over in Canada had snow falling all around. Montana is away for 12 months as an exchange student all the way over in Nova Scotia. She had an allergic reaction to something and spent a few hours in the local hospital last week. All our love goes out to her. She is 16 years old. Her parents used to run the Portarlington Newsagency

- Rodney Mayne and his partner Kerry went up to Barham and caught one yellowbelly on shrimp that went 450mm and a cod 500mm long

- This week snapper have been going mad in Corio Bay and the outer harbor concentrated at stringray bay using gulp minnows and soft plastics

- A 5.3kg snapper was caught after dark on a pilchard. They are going everywhere

- My mate must be catching them south of Port Henry to 4kg. It is called Hermsley

- They are catching them over 5kg on fresh squid and a gummy shark over a metre long. I would love to get one. I have not caught one yet

- Max Bartlett and Scott caught one after a banjo and a stinger at the end of the Symonds channel

- Now Chinese bearings do not work for long. I saw a boat heading for Ballarat Marine Centre to get some good bearings. It cost the people the cost of a tilt deck truck like what we get when we have a car accident and to do it all again. It is like a garden hose. In the summer time it is limp and in the winter time you cannot use it because it is too stiff. Another boating tip from Pedro

- Hot news – snapper have turned up at Corio Bay west of Point Wilson spit. 3 to 5kg were caught