Port Fairy

Welcome to the Port Fairy Fishing Guide. Port Fairy is a coastal fishing township located on Victoria’s far southwest coast at the end of the Great Ocean Road. Roughly 3 1/2 hours drive from Melbourne between Portland and Warrnambool. Port Fairy is a unique setting with historic buildings remaining from its days as a port back in 1800. Port Fairy is a great location to target Tuna, with schoolies and massive barrels being very sought-after catches. You can target a wide variety of species, too, including Kingfish fishing in late summer, Snapper, a variety of sharks, king george whiting, squid, and even deep-dropping baits for species like nannygai, morwong, sea perch, and blue morwong.

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Port Fairy is built around the Moyne River. Along here is Fisherman’s Wharf, which has rows of boats that can be seen from the footbridge. The Moyne River is the entrance out to the Bass Straight and an exceptional world-class fishing destination for Tuna. With waters over 10000 meters deep, Port Fairy earns its reputation as a fishing hotspot, particularly for tuna fishing during the winter months. It also offers other great game fishing and an extensive range of species, such as Kingfish, Snapper, and many other species. It’s also a popular destination for tourists with annual whale and sea watching. It’s also a great spot to head out with a fishing charter that has all the gear ready to chase a big Tuna or stick to the jetties for bread-and-butter species.

Watch this video of FishingMad chasing school Tuna in Portland and Port Fairy.

Things to do at Port Fairy

Much accommodation is available, including the Port Fairy Big 4 family accommodation. Port Fairy has many boutique shops scattered throughout the town. It hosts the Port Fairy Folk Festival, a large music festival held annually around March. Or enjoy the relaxed pace and local produce with fine food and wine at the many great pubs, cafes and restaurants. The town is full of history and has many centres and walks suited for history buffs. You can also head out to Griffiths Island, which is home to a large colony of mutton birds, while at the eastern end of the island is the Port Fairy Lighthouse.

Port Fairy has three main beach areas along Ocean Drive and pockets of sandy beaches parallel to the Moyne River via Beach Street. Whilst there, you can visit the Port Fairy Botanic Gardens. Or venture out on a boat and do some whale and seal watching. Take a tour to Lady Julia Percy Island, which is home to thousands of seals and is quite a remarkable sight. Of course, Portland is the place to go fishing. Carefully take your own boat or jump on one of many charter operators. The deep open seas aren’t for everyone, and perhaps not suitable for young children, so there are plenty of spots along the piers, jetties and nearby estuaries that would be suitable.

Fishing Port Fairy

Port Fairy is one of the busiest ports in all of Victoria. Make no mistake, Port Fairy is the destination to target Tuna, you can also target Kingfish, Mako Shark, Thresher Shark, School Shark, Bronze Whaler sharks, Whiting, Flathead, Snapper, Salmon, and Mulloway. The offshore fishing at Port Fairy is getting better every year. Anglers from far and wide come to Port Fairy to land a barrel bluefin tuna, which migrate here annually in winter. We’ve seen some impressive Tuna caught up to 150kg while trolling skirts or hard body minnows. Another fun way to target Tuna in recent years is by using stick bait and surface poppers with spin gear, such as a 6000 reel spooled with 50lb braid. The productive Tuna grounds around 50m deep are also home to large gummy sharks, Mako sharks and snapper. Here you should target them with baits such as squid, pilchard and mackerel on a snell or paternoster rig.

Tuna season typically starts in March and finishes around July. Tuna coming inshore during winter means you don’t need to venture out beyond the continental shelf to find them. Good ways to find tuna include watching your sounder for large bait balls, drop-offs and reefs. However, the biggest indicators are often breaking water and large congregations of birds that are diving into the water. The number one method of targeting tuna is trolling skirts behind the boat, waiting for a decent hookup and usually travelling at speeds of 5-10 knots and using downriggers as a way of controlling the depth that you keep your skirts at. When targeting the big barrels of Tuna, you will be using expensive, shiny game rods and reels with a heavy line. If you are after some fun and want to chase some smaller school-sized schoolies tuna, then you can do so with a 10-20 kilo rod and a 600 size reel spooled with braid between 20-40 kilo. This is an enjoyable way to catch Tuna, and you can mix up your tackle by opting for hardbody lures such as Rapala X-Raps, large vibes and large soft plastics.

This form of fishing isn’t for everyone, so it’s essential to be honest with yourself before venturing out into open seas like Portland to determine if you suffer from seasickness or motion sickness. Targeting Tuna means venturing out into open seas and trolling for many hours in deep waters with large swells. Swells that are very different from sheltered system,s such as Port Phillip Bay. Safety when fishing these areas is paramount and not to be taken lightly. Take all the necessary safety precautions before venturing out. Winter is the best time of year to chase Tuna, as that’s when they’re active. This is often the time of year when you will see the range of charters and traffic in full swing. Bird activity is often a great indication of a hungry pack of Tuna that are surfacing and on the bite.

Fishing from the beach can also be productive at Port Fairy with Mulloway, snapper, bream, whiting and salmon caught on East Beach, Killarney, Yambuck and behind the golf course. It’s a good idea to look for gutters that are given away by a colour change and berley and cast into the gutters, which is where the deeper water is. Around Killarney is productive grounds to target whiting and squid. Port Fairy, however, offers great fishing all year round. Seasonally ,you can target Mulloway and flathead in spring, Snapper and Kingfish in summer and Tuna in winter.

At Port Fairy, you can catch

• Tuna
• Mako and Gummy Sharks
• Snapper
• Mulloway
• Barracouta
• Flathead
• Salmon
• Garfish
• Trevally
• Squid
• Cod
• Sweep
• Tommy Ruff
• crayfish
• Bream ( Moyne River )
• Mullet ( Moyne River )
• estuary perch ( Moyne River )

Port Fairy Fishing Charters

Targeting Tuna is a highly specialised recreational activity that requires expertise, a specific boat, and fishing tackle, as well as an understanding of the conditions. For many, the best way to experience this is by going out on a fishing charter. Known charters who operate in this area include.

• Salty dog fishing
• Magnet fishing charters
• Southern Coast Charters
• Matt Cini fishing charters
• Matt Hunt’s fishing charters
• Game on charters
• Bag out tuna fishing charters
• Red hot fishing charters
• Proline charters
• Unreel fishing charters

If we’re missing any charter operators that you would recommend, then do let us know, and we will add them to our list.

Targeting Tuna at Port Fairy

Tuna is a remarkable fish species with a worldwide reputation for speed, size, power, and taste. Genuine oceanic missiles and, for many, a bucket list of fish. Tuna has remarkable fighting qualities and unparalleled eating qualities. Tuna fishing hits its peak in the colder months. Locally, we have bluefin, yellowfin, & albacore, all of which grow to massive sizes. Good ways to find tuna include watching your sounder for large bait balls, drop-offs, and reefs and following large congregations of birds diving into the water, dolphins and seals.

Around Port Fairy, you can catch Tuna far and wide. The anchorage, Julia Reef, Cape Nelson, and Lawrence Rocks are popular areas. However, you can catch good tuna in many spots from Port Fairy to Port Macdonnell and beyond. We like to troll a spread of skirts, lures and teaser bars at 6 knots and will often keep an extra rod rigged up with poppers and stick baits just in case. Targeting barrels requires specialised equipment consisting of big game rods ( generally 15-24kg class ), expensive game reels ( generally Tiagra 50s or equivalent), and heavy lines ( 100+ lb braid with equivalent top shot).

For many, the best way to experience this is through a specialised tuna charter operator. If you target schoolies ( Tuna between 10-40 kilos ), you can do this by using a 10-15 or 10-24 kilo spin rod and an 8,000-20,000 size reel spooled with a 40-60 pound braid. This can be a fun form of fishing. Productive areas for schoolies in Portland will include areas near Lawrence Rocks, in Portland Harbour near the big boats, and towards Julia Reef. Trolling skirts or deep-diving lures like Rapala X-Raps or Nomad Madmacs work well. You can also have a rod with poppers or stick baits on hand and ready in case you come across a school of Tuna, which will be noticed by breaking water, a large congregation of birds, or masses of bait. This is a fun form of fishing: locate the school and cast into them, work stick baits back at a medium to fast retrieve, and then hold on.

Targeting Kingfish at Port Fairy

In summer, the kingfish action around Port Fairy is brilliant. We have caught them fishing off the main breakwall, from the kayak launching from Wally ramp and on the boat all around the anchorage, Julia reef and beyond. Kingfish are unparalleled sports fish that possess immense power. Kingies can grow over a meter in length, have excellent fighting qualities, generally school up in big numbers, are renowned tablefish, and are a very welcome bycatch for those who may have been out in deeper waters targeting species such as Tuna. A heavy-duty setup is required, starting with a 10-15 kilo rod paired with a 6000-20000 size reel. Some good options include the Penn Slammer, Shimano Saragosa, Daiwa Saltist, Daiwa Saltiga or Shimano Stella spooled with 20 to 50-pound line.

Good bait options include squid, pilchard, and garfish—or live baits such as yakka, squid, and mackerel. Vertical jigging metal lures from the boat are one of the most successful techniques. You can also target them with large soft plastics and stick baits. Kingies are generally active between December and March and can be located most of the day. Kingfish love swimming and patrolling along structures such as rock walls, so it pays to keep your lure or jig close to the structure. You will often get good volumes of kingies around February not too far out from Wally’s Ramp as there are nice shallow reefs about 1 kilometer out that the kings like to congregate around.

Targeting Mulloway at Port Fairy

Mulloway, AKA Jewfish, are a prized catch on the top of many Victorian anglers’ bucket lists—a stunning fish with a large mouth and distinctive silver or bronze colour. Patience and dedication are required to catch the elusive Mulloway, which can reach up to 1.8 meters and 60 kilos. The minimum legal size is 60cm, with a daily bag limit of 5 over the legal size. Live baits such as mullet, salmon, and whiting are a top choice when targeting mulloways and pinning them behind the neck to allow the bait to swim freely. Other staple dead baits include pilchard, trevally, garfish, prawns, chicken & squid. A running sinker rig to a single 5/0 – 8/0 hook or a double-snelled hook to present the bait nicely. Soft plastics between 80mm and 100mm are also a great option. Good options include flick baits, shads, paddle tails and grubz. You can also purchase pre-made rigs and swimbaits, such as mullets, which are designed to imitate a fish in its surroundings.

Choosing a Mulloway outfit Recommended gear to target Mulloway 6-10, 10-15 or 12-24 kilo rod paired with a 4000-8000 spin reel spooled with 20-50 pound line and equivalent leader. Mulloway resides near river mouth entrances. They are often caught near structures such as bridges and pylons. Present your baits and lures as naturally as possible or use live baits. Mulloways can be caught at any time of the day but are most active at night, during peak tides and during moon phases. We have found that lures are quite productive during the day and bait is more productive at night.

We recommend targeting gummy sharks with a 7-foot, 8-to 15-kilo rod paired with a 4000 to 6000 size reel spooled with 20 to 40 pound line. Finished with a strong leader ranging from 40lb through to 60 pounds. Ideal rigs include a running sinker rig, a single or double snelled rig, or a paternoster rig. You can use an Ezi rig, attaching a sinker to the clip and then tying on a pre-made double snelled rig. Octopus or circle hooks from 5/0 to 7/0 are preferred for presenting chunks of salmon, trevally, squid, mackerel, Eel, mullet, pilchard, yakka’s, & garfish.

Targeting Squid at Port Fairy

Squid is frequently caught on the pier towards the front and mid parts of the pier. Look for the squid ink, which is a great indicator of where to target them. Anglers do well suspending squid jigs with the use of a float. Targeting squid is a fun form of fishing that is growing in popularity with the reward of fresh calamari. Squid can be caught all year round; you will find them in shallow, weedy areas, and they respond well to jigs in clear water conditions. We recommend reading our detailed guide on How to catch squid around Melbourne. An egi rod between 7.5 feet and 9 feet in length is ideal and there are plenty of egi rods on the market fit for purpose. We recommend an 8-foot 3-inch rod paired with a 3000-size reel spooled with a 15-pound braid. Squid jigs are prone to snags in this area, and we have found that using slow-sinking jigs in the smaller sizes of 2.5 and 3.0-gram jigs will help avoid this problem. Cast your squid jig to allow time for the jig to sink, and then do a series of lifts and pauses to imitate a wounded prawn. The natural temptation is to strike. Instead, a subtle lift to keep line tension and a constant slow reel is all that’s required.

Check out this video a master class on Kayak fishing for squid

Targeting Whiting at Port Fairy

Whiting is a bread and butter species which are fun to catch on light spinning gear and tastes great. They school up in big numbers and they respond well to berley, so berley an isolated area with a mix of chicken pellets, Tuna oil and pilchards.  Whiting fishing requires finesse, so we recommend a light 1-3 or 2-4 kilo spin rod around 7 foot in length. Coupled with a light 1000-2500 size reel, spooled with 4 pounds or 6-pound line and leader. When bait fishing a simple running rig with a small sinker to swivel, then 40cm of 4-pound leader to a small baitholder long shank hook or a paternoster rig with 2 hooks and a size sinker depending on your conditions.

Watch our 25-minute whiting masterclass as we guide you through everything you need to know to catch whiting.

Targeting Salmon at Port Fairy

I prefer targeting Australian Salmon with light spin gear. It makes the experience enjoyable and easy to use. A 7-foot 2-5kg spin rod paired with a 2500 or 300 size reel and 12lb braid and leader works excellently. When schooled up and actively feeding, they will smash soft plastics, ideally 4″ paddletails and curltails in natural colours, which imitate a baitfish that they are feeding on. They will also happily take staple baits like pilchard and squid from a pasternoster rig or running sinker rig. Winter is a great time to target salmon as they’re active and school up in big numbers. Salmon is a powerful sports fish that punches well above its weight. When hooked, they produce intense bursts of speed, powerful runs, and vigorous head shakes. Do keep an eye out for gutters, which are patches of deeper water that Salmon will swim through in schools. The darker colour of the water can identify these. When bait fishing, pick a surf rod between 12 and 15 feet in length, which allows for long casts with heavy sinkers and keeps your lines high above the crashing surf. These will be 6-10 kilo class. We recommend a Paternoster rig with a star sinker. Giving you two baits at different heights. You could also attach a surf popper above.

When lure fishing first consider what weight lures you are likely to be casting. We would recommend rods between 9-12 foot in length in 5-10 kilo class paired with a 3000 size reel spooled with 15-pound braid. Good lure options include Savage Gear Missile, Halco twisty, Ecogear Teibo, JM Gilles pilchard baitfish, Rapala X-Rap SXR, Lazer spoons, Zman slim swimz, trick swimz, Halco laser pro