Flinders report - VIC Options

[Guest_AK_*]

hello,

I fished off flinders with a boat in search of a mako but the baits kept getting attacked by arrow squid. We managed 3 good sized ones on pilchard rigged squid jigs. At one stage they were attacking a rapala lure inteded for couta!

AK

[glen]

Hey AK,

I put some photos of some squid i caught off Flinders Pier in the photo gallery.

These were caught probably in Nov 2002.

Glen

[Guest_Guest_Joe G_*]

Went to Flinders pier Sat 19-4-03 6:30 - 11:30.

very quiet, Only one calamari 1kg caught by my brother.

Being Easter I reckon people are netting in westen port too.

Couple of people catching leather jackets (borring..)

I think I might hang up the jigs till Spring time.



Back to the fish markets 4 me.

[Wes]

What's wrong with leatherjacket.

I caught one off the Flinders Jetty that was 45cm. And I got a Flathead coming along at 70cm also from the Jetty.

With squid, you must be patient and copy the other fishermen; the ones that look like they want a meal. Also, you have to be there at the right time to get the squid. Not every day can be a winner, but I doubt that they have netted the squid to extinction. Keep trying, the squid are there.

Regards

Wes

ps what is the price of calamari at the fish markets?

[Joe G]

Thanks for the encouragement, Wes.

Being weekend warrior's, it gets frustrating when they dont bite, especially when you havent been for a while.

BTW. We're the only ones who got the 1 calamari that day, and the L/jacks were small too.

Calamari price is still a bit high ~$20/kg and very hard to find.

Reg,

Joe.

[Guest_Guest_JohnM_*]

Has anybody been to Flinders lately. I'm planning on a trip next week and was wondering if the squid were on the bite. Any luck anybody? Also, I've heard of a number of reports in the PPB. Any luck there? Thanks.

[Guest_Mr_snapperman_*]

I was there off the pier on Monday from 3.30pm to 8.00 pm for zero return. My father was there on Wednesday catching only one squid of around 1 kilo. Three weeks ago I did well catching 4 squid, all 1.5 to 2 kilo.
From talking to some regulars it appears that it is generally hit or miss - Maybe having one good night in three!
On both occasions I was there I noticed that some were doing well catching grass whiting with the odd k.g. in the shallows earlier in the day. Also there was some sea gars jumping around later.
Hope this helps. It seems that as far as squid are concerned it seems to be completely variable.
Cheers T.

[glen]

i have to agree that my luck at flinders is very variable too.

but there is a fair variety of fish (and of course squid) to target. i caught quite a few tommy rough and some trevally last time i ventured down there. i fished with deep set floats and used some bread berley.

i have some photos of flinders caught squid in the photo gallery.

cheers,

glen

[aok47]

Hi,

Two guys from the fishing club fished flinders pier on saturday night, 31/05/03 2000-2400, and they caught 4 calamari between them. i think 3 were small and one was around the 1kg mark.

AK

[aok47]

hello again,

a couple of friends had caught 2 small calamari on friday night....

we fished flinders pier on sunday 6/7/03 from 0900-1230 and caught nothing

However,....... there were a couple of greek fellas at the end of the pier and they hauled in an octapus of 2~3kg! they also caught 2 calamari so there were a few around. I noticed they were using baited jigs with silver whiting and had the jig lying on the bottom, not suspended under a float. Also they had painted the entire jig black and added a third row of barbs to the jigs.


AK

[Mr_snapperman]

Two weeks ago in ideal conditions (overcast, no moon and light winds) I fished 3.pm - 7.30 pm. for zero squid. The Greek chap that had fished from 5.am and was still on the pier had 6 good squid so I thought I was in for a good night however not a scale was disturbed off my silver whiting for the entire session. Just goes to show that you have to be there at the right time. Of my six trips there in the last 3 months, 2 have been great, 1 ok, 2 complete duds and the other a virtual dud (2 small squid).

[Guest_Guest_Mr_snapperman_*]

Hit Flinders pier on Weds 20th of August fully armed and prepared for a big session. Infact I dragged myself out of bed at 3.30am and I was at the pier at 5.30am. Surely I would be the only one at that time! NO. There was 7 or 8 blokes out there at that time and a few others turned up in the next hour. What do you have to do to get a good piece of jetty these days? Fished from 5.30 to 9.30am for the result of only one squid (see photo). During that time only one other was caught!. It was however a glorious morning with bright sunlight and hardly any breeze. I later spent the day fishing off Gunnamata where I had some fun with a couple of salmon spinning a 35g laser in the surf. Catching a 2kg Salmon with 7lb light spinning outfit made my day.
In the evening I tried again off Finders from 7pm to 11pm without any scales being disturbed off anybodys jigs. One bloke had however caught 2 squid and a very good octopus (approx 4kg) before I arrived.
As a matter of interest the squid caught had both its arms missing about half way down.

[Edit - I have shrunk the photo down since it was too wide. Cheers, Glen]

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[JohnM]

Anybody been there lately? Heard the guys in their boats are killing them!

[adam]

im heading down to flinders pier sometime nxt week, and wondering if the squid are gonna be on the bite, and any other species of fish i can expect to target down there..

thanx, adam

[Guest_Joe_*]

Sun 28 sept.

What a joke....

Bloddy pier was so full of Squid anglers, I reckon the calamari saw all those jigs in the water and laughed at us.

Very small strike rate.

On my side of the peir I counted ~ 45 floats

The Point of the pier occupied by a pack of old idoits who camp their all nite in tents

YEP , I didnt catch anything, but then again not many others did either (expect those pricks who hog up the point)

Those C*&@'s on the point only caught because they cast out ~ 100m off the point.

[glen]

Pier hogging has come up as an issue a few times lately. Has anyone got any ideas how we can overcome it?

Perhaps the four lines per person should not apply on these popular piers. Perhaps we need a limit of 2 lines per person?

Or is there some way of making the hogs uncomfortable so they cut it out? If you know a place is crowded and you put out four lines then you are a selfish bastard in my book.

What do you guys think?

Glen

[Guest_Guest_Mr_snapperman_*]

The appeal of Flinders for me in the past is that less people fish there than Portsea and Queenscliffe. This seems to be no longer the case. The last time I was there ( see post .... a few back ) I was suprised by how many people were fishing at 5.30 am!! . Even though when I arrived there was 40-50 odd lines at the end I just rocked up spoke to a couple of guys who were happy that I threw some lines out between theirs. No Problems, shared some fishing stories and some jokes (unfortunately not many squid). This is the best attitude. When I rocked up in the evening there was a couple of freindly guys but one prominent prick who had some fixed weighted lines in and was complaining about every drifting line coming close to him. The guy was definately a few tenticles short of a full squid. This is not the right attitude!!
One time I stopped at queenscliffe and could not find one single foot of pier (on the left hand side) to throw a line out. Some of the old geezers were babysitting 8 or 12 rods (apparently for their freinds). Maybe the solution is that there should be a reduction on rods used on all piers. Personally I would be happy with two or three.
I dont agrre with Joe getting upset with guys camping all night off the end of the pier. It is their right!.

[adam]

omg..Flinders pier..dont get me started on this..
its bad enough having the old men & women [in their yellow raincoats] lining the pier whih their handlines, while they sit at the top and 'hog' the top of the pier with their poles and ofcourse more handlines..
once my little bro and i was walking up the pier looking 4 a spot when he accidently kicked a long 'pole' which belonged to an old lady [who was with the posse of old men] and she started yelling and threting him, and i wanted to slap the bi*ch and its lucky the old men didnt want to have a go cos i was pissed..
all he did was kick her rod a few inches..
i tell ya what, i wanted to kick her in the water [maby she could attract some fish]..
anyways..someone has to do something about those people..

[Guest_Joe_*]

Hi Mr_snapperman,

Your Right, But these guys just raise the stakes.

I have a family and I go fishing for FUN. I can't afford to be out all night just to get a spot on the pier.

These #$@@#$@##$@ 's are Hogging.

Then they get upset when you cast 5m away from them., cause the current sweeps the jig to their side.

My anger comes from hogging not the camping.

Also these guys are regulars.

Oh yeah. I also had a run in with that guy.
Ya just smile and keep on fiishin.

Best of Luck to you all. {expept the Hog's}

Glen,

One thought would be to Hire a trained seal to collect all their line?> : :

[Guest_Simon_*]

Hi, Guy's

I've been following this site for a while and have to say it's great. I bumped into Mr Snapperman @ Flinders pier a couple of months back and he put me onto it-thanks Snapperman.

This is my first post and I could'nt resist putting my two cents in about the pier hogging issue.

For my money 4 lines per person on a boat is too many let alone for pier fishing, especially the more popular piers like Flinders. Two lines per person is ample for pier fishing, this way you could fish one bait for the larger Squid and use a jig to prospect or maybe pick up the smaller ones if the larger ones were scarce.

I use to fish Flinders a fair bit a few years ago and I fished with one rod with a Jig only and I too had a few run ins with the 10 hand lines per yellow rain coat brigade too. Having multiple handlines running up the pier is a joke. Having a four lines per person rule for both boats and piers is a bit narrow minded.

Glad to get that off my chest, keep up the good work with the site Glen.

P.S. Fished Queenscliffe for the first time from a boat this morning and a mate and I got 13-made my day. :D