Wangim Walk

Welcome to the Wangim Walk Fishing Guide Geelong. In 2021 we welcome a 10 million dollar and 440m platform that ventures over Corio Bay. It’s very welcome news for local anglers and the community of Geelong. Originally purpose-built to provide cover for boats moored at the Geelong yacht club the on water walkway presents great fishing and walking opportunities for the general public. Wangim Walk obtained its name from the Wadawurrung language and means Boomerang. The entrance of Wangim Walk is opened and closed with by gates the opening hour is 6 am to 10 pm and can also be closed during poor weather conditions.

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Fishing is permitted but does keep a lookout for the designated helicopter flight path area where fishing is not permitted. For boaters, vessels are able to moor along Wangim Walk for the day to explore Geelong. Vessels are able to enter the protected area but cannot enter the Fishermen’s Basin boat berthing area or the RGYC Marina.

Things to do near Wangim Walk Geelong

Geelong is a massive township located 70 kilometres away from Melbourne with many shops, parks, piers, restaurants, cafes, and adventures. The town is home to roughly 75,000 residents making it a large township within Victoria. Some of the local attractions include the beautifully maintained Geelong botanic gardens. Which offers amazing landscaped gardens for the whole family to enjoy. If you’re after a bit more excitement then look no further than Geelong adventure park which has world-class rides and waterslides. Including the new Tsunami waterslide. There is also Serendip Sanctuary is not far closer to Lara which offers free access to Australia’s wildlife and gardens. The Geelong waterfront area is a lovely vibrant spot full of piers and great for walking, picnics and eating. There are also several local breweries, markets and art exhibitions.

Watch this video  fishing at Wangim Walk and Geelong Waterfront

Fishing at Wangim Walk

The fishing opportunities for land-based anglers here are spectacular. 440 meters of room to move around and a whole range of fish species available seasonally. Not to mention all the areas along the waterfront just before Wangim walk.  You can target Snapper ( pinkies ), Snook, Flathead, Salmon, Whiting, Snotty nose Trevally, leather-jackets, Mullet, Gummy Shark, Gurnard, and Eels. Click here if you would like to know more about how to catch snapper in Corio Bay.  We have caught fish all around this area and found good schools of pinkies, snotty nose trevally and snook from the very shallows of the waterfront, and at all parts of the 440 meter walk. We have also seen several massive bust-ups of salmon along the walk and closer to the yacht club.

If bait fishing great options include pilchards, raw chicken, squid and silver whiting. Paternoster rig works well with sinker options to suit your desired casting distance. This area also fishes really well with soft plastics, hard body lures and Blades. This has worked a treat for snook, flathead,  pinkies, flathead, mullet and even Trevally. A typical all-around rod setup will allow me to target a different range of fish and sizes. Usually 2 – 8 kilo class rod capacity, with a 4000 size reel. I’ll generally have line around 8 pound, with a nice strong leader. I prefer most spots around Geelong in the early morning. High tide usually sees a big run of pinkies in summer, occasional bust-ups of salmon and low tide generally produces a healthy amount of flathead.

Baits Geelong

• pilchard
• pipis
• silver whiting
• raw chicken strips
• prawns
• maggots
• squid
• mussels

Lures and soft plastics for Geelong

• Daiwa Bait Junkie 2.5 inch grub
• Zman slim Swimz
• Daiwa Baitjunkie 5 inch jerk shads
• Berkley gulp turtleback worm
• Savage Gear Fat Curl tails
• Daiwa Bautjunkie 4 inch grubs
• Berkley powerbait grub
• Gulp 3-inch minnow
• Daiwa Bait Junkie paddle tail minnow
• Zman grubZ
• eco gear ZX40
• Daiwa Double Clutch
• EcoGear SX40
• Squidges biotough grub
• Zman StreakZ
• Munroes 3.75 inch paddle tails
• Kietech swim impact fat
• Zerek fish trap
• Samaki Vibelicious

Targeting Flathead at Wangim Walk

Targeting Snapper at Wangim Walk

We encourage you to read our detailed guide on how to catch snapper. Snapper season locally starts around October and finishes after March. The big reds migrate inshore during this time of year because water temperatures have increased providing ideal spawning conditions. Dawn and dusk are generally considered the best times to be on the water. The most common snapper rods are 7 foot 6 inches in length with a weight class of 4-7 kilos paired with a 4000 or 5000 size reel spooled with 15-30 pound braid or mono and 40 pound leader. You can choose to fish lighter or heavier. Recommended bait options include pilchards either full or half, silver whiting, squid, garfish, mackerel and mullet. The best soft plastics are large jerk shads, whip baits, curl tails or paddle tails. Most are between 4 and 7 inches in size generally coupled with a ½ or ¼ ounce jig head. Some good options include Savage Gear Fat Curl Tails, Daiwa Bait Junkie Jerk shads & Berkley 7 inch turtleback worm, Zman curl tails.

Targeting Whiting at Wangim Walk

Whiting is a bread and butter species which are fun to catch on light spinning gear and tastes great. Whiting 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 feet 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.

Targeting Salmon at Wangim Walk

Winter is a great time to target salmon as they’re active and schooling up in big numbers. Salmon is a powerful sports fish that punches well above its weight. When hooked they produce strong bursts of speed, powerful runs, vigorous head shakes. Do keep an eye out for gutters which are patches of deeper water that Salmon will swim through in schools. These can be identified by the darker colour of the water.

When bait fishing pick a surf rod between 12-15 foot in length which allows for long casts with heavy sinkers and to keep 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 2 baits at different heights. You could also attach a surf popper above. Port Phillip Bay Fishing Guide

When lure fishing first consider what weight lures you are likely to be casting. We would recommend rods between 9-12 feet 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

Targeting Trevally at Wangim Walk

Trevally pound for pound is one of the best fighting fish. In certain parts of Australia surface popping for Giant Trevally is one of the bucket list fishing experiences that you must tick off. However, in Victoria, you will mainly be catching the much smaller silver trevally. Good bait options include blue bait, whitebait, raw chicken, pilchards, pippies, squid and mussels. Trevally will also take a range of soft plastics including worm and minnow imitations, small surface poppers, and small metal spoons. We recommend targeting trevally with a 1-3 or 2-4 kilo fishing rod coupled with a 2000, or 2500 reel spooled with 4-8-pound braid and equivalent fluorocarbon leader. If there are larger trevally in the area than you can go heavier moving up the scale to a 3-5 kilo class spin rod spooled with fine 8-12-pound braid and equivalent fluorocarbon leader.

Targeting mullet at Wangim Walk

This is a great location to mullet a bread and butter species that school up in big numbers. They are fun to catch on light spinning gear and a great fish species to introduce beginners to fishing. Mullet respond well to berley, so berley an isolated area with a mix of bread, tuna oil and chook pellets. Good baits include bread, dough, live maggots, pilchard, and prawns. remember that Mullet have small mouth so remember to cut these baits up into small pieces. You can also use soft plastics small minnow and grub style soft plastic with a slow constant retrieve. Scents such as S-Factor or Procure certainly help. Most mullet are quite small therefore a 7-foot rod in a 1-3 or 2-4 kilo class, paired with a 1000, 2000 or 2500 reel spooled with 2-6-pound braid and equivalent leader.

Here are some helpful tips on catching Mullet with soft plastics.

Eels, scorpionfish and Gurnards can be very common catches in these areas. Especially if night fishing. Always handle fish with care and don’t handle at all if you’re not sure what species it is.  I have seen people catch these and curiously hold to find out what type of species of fish it is. This is very dangerous and a small prick from one of its spikes will have you in a hospital with severe pain. So do be careful if you don’t know what type of species it is, then asks someone around you before handling. I have also had some mates have an encounter with hammerhead sharks. The freshwater areas such as the Barwon river hold a large volume of snakes, particularly tiger snakes so do take care in these areas.

Images of fish supplied VFA and DEPI. All images and videos shown on the Wangim Walk Fishing Guide Geelong Fishing Location Guide are Fishing Mad originals.

Thanks for reading our Wangim Walk Fishing Guide Geelong. If you feel this location guide is missing key information or needs any corrections made, then please let us know by emailing our team at enquiries@fishingmad.com.au with specific details in the email. Please also feel free to share any fishing pictures you have from this location with us. Thank you