Fishing Victoria Forum

Hey folks,

I'll be back in Adelaide over Christmas. My wife has to come back a week earlier than me so I'll be driving back on my own.

I was thinking of taking a few days or nights and driving back via the coast, camping with a focus on fishing.

On one hand I could cut straight back home in 8 hours and just do day trips out of Melbourne.

On the other I could turn it into a much longer multi-day cruise and have a go on spots along the Coorong, or cut down the coast to Portland and then back along the Ocean Road, etc.

Any tips on some worthwhile fishing stops and camping sites along the way? I'm from SA but haven't done much of that coast within driving distance of Adelaide, I always went to Yorkes instead.

Mostly I've been cutting east from Melbourne the last few years. I had some great fishing in Winter around Bridgewater bay earlier this year.

Since I'm a nice guy I'm getting a 9' rod for Christmas which will treat me a bit better surf fishing as well, better than my shonky 6' rods anyway. I've also got waders that I like to use if the surf isn't too bad.

I have some camp sites I really like closer to town like Cumberland river not far out of Lorne, although I've never had much luck fishing around there.

All beaches around apollo bay hold plenty of salmon even through summer. Use a paternoster. Squid and pillies are highlight baits, otherwise you can shoot some metals out. Great fishing down there, you’ll definitely get some.

Portland lee breakwall for sure.

Park yourself on the portland lee for a morning and see if you can nail a kingie!

Or go have a poke around Johanna beach just be super careful with the swell etc. Great gummy and mulloway spot but really really insane rips, worse than Gunnamatta on a bad day.

Great suggestions everyone. I nearly drove down to Portland a couple of months back when the parents in law were visiting but we opted for Morengo (next to Apollo Bay) instead to save some driving. Problem was the place we booked was way further away from the beach than they made it look so I couldn't stroll down in the evening for a fish.

Apollo Bay was really nice though so I'll have a go there.

Looks like Portland will be my first main stop and I'll work my way back from there.

Johanna looks beautiful too but bloody hell, rougher than Gunnamatta! My only attempt fishing Gunnamatta was on a 45km/h wind day and it felt like sitting through the end of the world, struggle town. I'll make a stop if the weather permits though.

Johanna is a great surf fishing location with National Park camping right there. You really need a northerly wind there to help calm the surf, otherwise the surf is full of sand partials making it unproductive. I nearly came to grief at Johanna one night when I was fishing for gummies. Somehow a big wave suddenly appeared from behind me in the dark as I was preparing to cast out. It bowled me over and dragged me into the surf. I really struggled with my waders full of water and how I made it back out, I'm not sure. I think it was more good luck and than good management. This was in relatively calm conditions so, it can be a dangerous spot.

Another excellent location is the Aire River which is a little closer to Apollo Bay. It also has National Park camping and a nice little surf beach that's often quite productive.

These two west coast beaches can be very windswept, but once you head past Cape Otway and on to Apollo Bay it is much more protected from the prevailing westerly wind. Apollo Bay is a good fishing location with a number of good options.

From Apollo Bay back along the Surf Coast the surf fishing isn't great generally. The beaches are mostly quite shallow and without features. There are some good rock fishing platforms though.

Many of the Geelong locals head to Bancoora beach at Breamlea for their surf fishing and it can be productive, plus there's a nice little caravan park within an easy walk of it.