Summer in the Shallows
Revered for its winter run of snapper, Brent Hodges says Corio Bay offers equally impressive action during the warmer months.
At this size, Australian salmon are a worthy alternative in between tide changes or whenever the reds are playing hard ball.
Having fished Corio Bay intermittently for the past 10 years, I really wasn’t expecting to break any records when I set out for a short early morning session last summer. Accompanied for the first time by good mate, Mark Brown, who was absolutely frothing at the bit to catch a few on soft plastics, the plan was to fish the incoming tide from first light through to about midday. Launching at Limeburners Point and making our way towards Clifton Springs, I was fairly confident of picking up a few flathead, snook and juvenile snapper in the shallows. I also hoped we might jag a larger red at dawn, but to be honest, I wasn’t holding my breath. In years gone by, Corio Bay has been a source of frustration for me. Sure, there have been some memorable moments, but until recently, my success rate could only be described as underwhelming – highlighted by a few brief encounters with surface feeding salmon, some good eating size flathead and loads of mostly undersize pinkies. To be fair, I’d never really given Corio Bay a decent working over and by that I mean fishing it regularly over successive days, weeks and months. I guess it’s been a bit of the old ‘grass is always greener’ scenario. On reflection, since I drive past almost every day and knowing what I do now, this sounds absurd!
Anyhow, as we set up a drift over a shallow reef, Mark hooked a small pinkie snapper within seconds. This was followed by about a dozen of similar proportions with most measuring up a few centimetres either side of the minimum legal size – typical for Corio Bay in summer, or so I thought. By the time the sun appeared above the horizon, Mark was already sold on soft plastics. Though the bite slowed over the next hour, we did manage a handful of flathead and a couple of lengthy snook. At this point, we almost pulled the pin early as I suppose you could say our mission was complete. We’d caught enough fish to put a smile on Mark’s face and he even had a few flattie fillets for dinner. In a last ditch attempt to lock horns with something larger, we decided to check out a cluster of boats anchored nearby. As suspected, no one seemed to be catching, but it did cross my mind that perhaps they were earlier. Before moving on, we agreed to return at midday, just in case there was a window of opportunity around the next tide change. Arriving back at the spoil grounds after giving Mark a quick tour of the bay, the sun was shining brightly and there wasn’t a boat to be seen. Somewhat half-hearted, I deployed the electric motor, re-threaded a soft plastic and started casting. Almost as if on cue, just half an hour into the run-out, it all started to happen. Six snapper to 2 kg were brought on board in quick succession and while they weren’t huge, it was a massive step up from the tail pinching pinkies encountered earlier. Popping the leader on a couple of suspected larger specimens, though disappointing at the time, was just the inspiration I needed to persist with Corio Bay.
Salmon can turn up almost anywhere, but they’re often found within reasonably close proximity to the piers at Point Henry and Point Wilson.
This brief episode sparked my obsession with Corio, which over the ensuing months produced some of the most exciting inshore sport fishing I have ever experienced across Port Phillip. Launching at every opportunity and sometimes pushing the limits in less than ideal weather conditions, personal best records were reset on several occasions and it wasn’t just snapper providing all the action. Admittedly, luring big shallow water reds quickly became my sole objective with fish to 6 kg plus encountered amongst numbers in the 1 to 3 kg class. Along the way, plenty of ripper flathead and the odd King George whiting were a more than welcome by-catch. Likewise, some serious snook also provided entertainment when the reds were shut down. At times, massive schools of Australian salmon erupted nearby, absolutely pounding the abundant bait into submission.
Looking back, it’s surprising how a stroke of good fortune, followed by a bit of persistence, is all it took to unveil a whole host of fishing opportunities that had basically been sitting right under my nose for years! The following guide to fishing Corio Bay is a summary of my observations and experiences last summer.
Both blue spot (pictured) and rock flathead are a regular by-catch on soft plastics intended for snapper. When specifically targeting flatties, try fishing a little shallower than you usual and keep the jighead closer to the bottom.
Bait, Depth and Structure
Corio Bay is split into two parts known as the inner and outer harbour regions. Much of my time last summer was spent prospecting the perimeter of the outer harbour, from Point Henry through to Clifton Springs, across to Point Wilson and back to Bird Rock at Avalon. Areas that house a mixture of rock, weed and mud in water ranging from 4 to 7 m proved effective. Flathead and snook were often found amongst the shallower weed beds, whereas pinkies and larger snapper were generally held up over rubbly or muddy substrate. Arguably, the most important factor when searching for snapper in the shallows is the aggregation of bait. Peak feeding periods can be influenced by various temporal and environmental triggers, but it’s the bait that draws larger predators into a particular area in the first place. Last year there was an abundance of whitebait right across the outer harbour. Yellowtail scad were also prolific at times and the snapper were never far away. After fishing this area repeatedly over consecutive weeks and months, I’m convinced some snapper were actively herding and preying on baitfish mid-water, particularly during peak feeding periods. At other times they were found beneath the mobile berley trail created by marauding schools of Australian salmon, no doubt mopping up bits of flesh and guts as it fell through the water column. While it may be difficult to ignore salmon chopping at the surface, it is often worth casting wide of the commotion in an attempt to reach the snapper lurking below.
Snook are a common catch during the warmer months, especially over shallow weed beds in 4 to 6 m of water.
Wind, Weather and Water Clarity
Overcast skies, combined with a light to moderate breeze, are preferable when fishing the outer harbour shallows. Ironically, my largest snapper to date intercepted a plastic during ultra-calm mirror-like conditions and clear skies! If given the choice, however, I would prefer to fish under cloud coverage every day of the week. It’s also worth noting that at this time last year, a spate of unseasonably strong north-west winds, followed by some stiff afternoon sea-breezes, resulted in relatively poor underwater visibility for several weeks. The cloudy green-tinged water no doubt provided suitable cover for the fish to move in, feed and hold in the shallows. Interestingly, by mid-autumn the water had cleared significantly to the point where you could easily see the bottom in depths up to 7 metres. As a result, the larger snapper in particular, were far more difficult to pin down.
Mark Brown proudly displays part of the catch that ignited the author’s obsession with Corio Bay.
Tides and Timing
As far as tides are concerned, the first hour or two of the run-out tide is arguably prime time on Corio Bay, especially when this coincides with first or last light. I also enjoy fishing the low tide change at dawn through to high water around midday. Fishing through multiple tide changes always helps to maximise your chances of striking the fish in feeding mode. Looking back, as long as the bait remained in the area, so did the snapper. While the tide changes acted as a trigger for more intense feeding activity, it was still possible to catch a few fish outside of these periods. The most difficult time to register any interest at all is generally during times of limited tidal influence or slack water.
Inshore Stealth
Much of our recent success in the shallows can be largely attributed to a stealthy approach, which undoubtedly resulted in more fish brought to the net. In my experience, once there’s more than a couple of boats buzzing around or dropping anchor on the inshore reefs, it’s usually game over. The ability to silently hold position under electric power and make multiple casts at schooling snapper or surface feeding salmon is a huge advantage over trolling, drifting haphazardly or deploying a noisy cumbersome anchor. Getting out on the water early or being prepared to stay late when there is less boat traffic also has obvious advantages. Similarly, if you’re able to fish mid-week, as opposed to weekends, you’re more likely to experience sustained action in the shallows.
Summer in the Shallows
Now that summer has arrived, it’s time to get serious about fishing Corio Bay. While the snapper season may have already peaked across some sections of Port Phillip, this is when the outer harbour really shines. However, don’t make the same mistake I did and expect to simply turn up for a few hours and blitz the field. I’m somewhat embarrassed it took 10 years to finally tap into what Corio Bay truly has to offer. Spend time getting to know the local landscape, fish to a structured plan, but always be prepared to improvise. With a little luck and persistence, the rewards will come your way.
