With the Forums running hot, with doubts and suspicions being cast around about the truth of fishing reporters reports, all I can say is this (I don't do it, don't believe in it and hope to never knowingly do it), what other people do is up to themselves.

Personally I "take everything that is told to me with a grain of salt" unless I see the said item or I trust the individual telling me. As my dad use to tell me, "Son, you have to have a great memory to be a good liar", sooner or later if you tell fibs you'll get caught out, nothing surer. At the end of the day, writers have only two things to fall back on. One is their good name and the other is their reputation and to me both are not for sale.

Now to the heavy stuff of getting on with this weeks report! But then again is all true? I'll leave it to you...

Things have been up and down this week in the Western Districts, one minute it's sunny then the next it's blowing a gail, but that's typical Spring weather. What it does to the local fishing is hard to say but, it's well worth the challenge of getting out there as this time of the year does produce some fantastic fishing especially in the bigger two lakes.

Lake Bullen Merri is still a hard place to workout and to fish, one minute there on and then the next you'd do better at the fish market. Trolling has been somewhat a hit and miss affair with few reports coming in, but those that have have been of great quality. Both Atlantic and Chinook salmon have found their way to the net with some fish well over the three kilo mark. Most of these bigger fish have been full of 4 to 6 inch minnows so it would pay to fish deep with big lure of the same size to match the hatch so to speak.

Off the bank the fish are still in good numbers but no were near the same size. Most of the fish taken down the southern end of the lake have been in the 600gm to 1.6kg range and most have been taken on glassies under a running sinker rig.

For those who like to bait fish deep move around in about 30 to 35 metres of water find a school of fish holding up on a ledge or a drop off and berley up like mad drop a glassie or a minnow down to the bottom give it a half a crank off the bottom and wait. This method is producing fish in the 2 to 3kg range.

At Lake Purrumbete, simular methods to Bullen Merri are also producing good fish down deep, both by trolling or by bait fishing. There has been some good reports of 2kg+ fish also been taken close to the boat ramp so it's worth the effort to flick a fly or a shallow running minnow lure around before you head out. Also bait fishing around weed beds close to the exit channel has been fruitful.

The Fly flickers have been pretty active over on the eastern shoreline of the lake with some good reports of fish taking emerger style and BMS style flies. At the moment Purrumbete is well worth the effort and is out fishing Bullen Merri.

Lake Colac is fishing well with reddies up to 700gms coming from the lake on local glassies, Meredith Park, the boat ramp area and Delaney's are all areas well worth a look. Things are looking good for a dumper reddie season.

Not much on Modewarre this week but I might have a look see over the weekend. Wurdibuloc Reservoir, is starting to fish well with some nice bags of redfin coming from the lake, live minnows or glassies under a float seem to be doing well with the shallower end of the lake producing more fish than the deeper walled section.

On the 18th of October there is going to be a public meeting held for "The Fishing Party Vic", this meeting is open to all and sundry and is being held at the Bellarine Game and Sports fishing Club headquarters "the Geelong Gun Club" at Limeburners Point over looking the Limeburners Boat ramp - it starts at 8pm so I hope to see some FV guy's there. I'm sure it will be well worth your time.

Till next week stay upright and good fishing
Karl

See Karl's previous report here.