Western Port

Welcome to the Western Port Fishing Guide. Western Port is the second-largest bay. Two major islands form Western Port including French Island which is approximately 170 square kilometers and Phillip Island which is approximately 100 square kilometers. The entrance goes out into the Bass straight. Western Port is a fascinating fishing destination with a labyrinth of islands and frequently changing depths and contours.  Navigating safely is quite tricky and some local knowledge is key to working your way through hidden sandbars, muddy banks, rocky areas and landscape changes. The fishing however can be brilliant with large squid, elephant fish, school fish, and gummy sharks some of the prized catches. And of course all your usual bread and butter species such as snapper, whiting, and flathead.

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western port land based fishing spots

There are many great land-based fishing options around Western port that will allow you to target gummy sharks, snapper and elephant fish all the way through to whiting and squid.

• Flinders Pier
• Corinella pier
• San Remo Jetty
• Rhyll Jetty
• Merricks beach
• Stony point pier
• Tooradin inlet
• Cowes Jetty
• Stockyard point
• Tenby point

Fishing Western Port

Western Port is the 2nd largest bay in Victoria and offers world-class fishing. It is a very tidal location thanks to strong currents that circulate the french and Phillips islands. This means that you need heavier gear than you would fishing Port Phillip Bay. A heavier anchor to keep you in position and often heavier fishing lines and sinkers to keep your baits in the right locations. Fishing Western Port successfully is all about making adjustments as the conditions change. Much of this is dictated by the current strength, tide, and depth that you fishing. One of the best rigs to use here is an ezi rig which will allow you to quickly change the sinker size depending on the current strength separated by a swivel and almost 1 meter of fluorocarbon leader opting between single or snelled hooks depending on what you’re targeting.  Sinker weight here is crucial depending on the tide and current strength. On slack tide often fishing with a 2-4 oz bomb sinker during slack tide and a 4-8 oz bomb sinker during peak tide. These rigs will work great for bigger species such as gummy sharks, snapper, and elephants but also for smaller bread and butter species such as whiting.

There is the annual snapper run between October and March. You can read more about fishing for snapper this season by reading our Snapper Fishing Guide this article contains lots of tips and techniques to help you catch a big red. Many of the fish species are seasonal so gummy sharks and salmon will be more active in the cooler months and snapper pinkies will be more active in the warmer months. bread and butter species such as squid and flathead can be caught all year round. The main boat ramps at Western Port include Hastings, Stony Point, Tooradin, Newhaven, Cowes, Warneet, Lang Lang, Grantville, and Rhyll. With frequent sightings of seals, whales, and dolphins. Western Port has an exceptional reputation for its fishing, particularly its whiting, gummy shark, squid, snapper, and elephant fish which all come into their own seasonally. There are plenty of options for boating, kayakers, and land-based anglers.

In Western Port, you can catch

• Gummy sharks
• elephant sharks
• school sharks
• whiting
• squid ( good size ones too )
• snapper
• flathead
• salmon
• gurnard
• snook
• mulloway
• bream
• trevally
• garfish
• leather jacket
• hammerhead sharks

Best Baits Fishing Western Port

Our bait recommendations at Western Port include fresh baits such as squid, salmon, and garfish. The are several ways to present baits including a slider rig, dropper rig, paternoster rig, or running sinker rig. The rig choice will be dependent on the species you are targeting and the conditions such as wind and tidal strength. Where possible fish with as little weight.

• mackarel
• squid
• pilchard
• pipis
• blue bait
• silver whiting
• garfish
• salmon
• prawns
• silverfish
• mussels

The video below shows how to catch your own fresh bait and convert that into some great catches of snapper and whiting.

Best Lures and soft plastics for Western Port

• Daiwa Baitjunkie 5 inch jerk shads
• Berkley gulp turtleback worm
• Savage Gear Fat Curl tails
• Daiwa Bautjunkie 4 inch grubs
• Zman slim Swimz
• Berkley powerbait grub
• Gulp 3 inch minnow
• Dawia 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

Tips for fishing Western Port

Soft plastics such as grubs, minnows imitations, and paddle tails work really well. Flathead and Pinkie Snapper respond really well to these. When chasing snapper upgrade to larger jerk shads in 4 or 5 inches. If you can find a school of snapper on your sounder then these will work really well jigged off the bottom whilst drifting over them. There are many bait options and you will need to choose a suitable bait for the fish species that your targeting. We have had success using pilchards, silver whiting, squid, garfish, salmon, scad, bonito, raw chicken, mullet, pippis, prawn. Often using a berley pot at the back of your boat full with pilchards, pellets, and oil are a great way to encourage fish to your boat.  Check out our full-length video on the best soft plastics and lures.

Rod, Reel and line setup for Western Port

There are literally so many options and it really depends on the species of fish that you’re targeting. For bread and butter species such as flathead and whiting a 2-4 or 3-5 kilo rod that’s between 6 foot 6 and 7 foot in length coupled with 2000, 2500 or 3000 size reel spooled with 6-10 pound line and equivalent leader. You can also use a similar outfit when targeting squid however you may choose to go to a slighter longer rod and a slighter heavier line and leader. When targeting snapper a rod between 7 and 8 feet in 4-7 kilo class is perfect. Coupled with a 3000, 4000 or 5000 size reel spooled with 15-30 pound monofilament line. Bait runners are an excellent choice for snapper fishing and should be an item you consider. When rigging for snapper go with single or double snelled size 5 or 6 hooks. You can fish these with a very small sinker or completely unweighted. We like to simply use pre-made snapper rigs which work great in this area. Often I will use pre-made rigs and simply run a very small size 1 ball sinker on the inside of the leader. This would also be a suitable outfit for targeting small gummy sharks. However, if you’re chasing a bigger model gummy shark then we would recommend a heavier outfit. Perhaps a 7 foot 10-15 kilo rod spooled with 20-50 line and equivalent leader.

What do I need on my boat fishing Western Port?

There are necessary items on your boat to ensure you are safe and can maximise your fishing opportunities. The first item is a quality sounder or fishfinder with GPS. Having a GPS is essential, it will help you navigate your way around and may be an essential item to getting yourself back to the boat ramp. I can attest to severe fog or changes in conditions where making it back would have been incredibly challenging without a sounder with GPS. A sounder is also key for finding fish and marking locations where you have caught fish. Here are some GPS marks that we have found over the years. Other key safety items include marine radio so you can call for help if needed, and working lights should you choose to fish at night or during dusk and dawn. Life jackets are essential for those on the boat, even if your boat is over the minimum boat size. Of course, don’t forget to have an active boat license onboard, a set of unexpired flares, and a working torch that floats. Snapper racks are essential, generally one on each side of the boat. A bait board to cut up your baits and berley for chumming. An esky with ice to keep your catches fresh. An anchor is essential and those lucky enough to have an electric winch to bring up the anchor have a big advantage. And of course, your family or some good mates to have an enjoyable day out on the water. There is certainly no shortage of flathead in Western Port

Kayaks and Jet ski fishing Western Port

It’s not just the boats that get to have all the fun. Fishing from a Kayak or Jet Ski is thriving. For kayakers, you don’t have to go too far out to chase flathead, pinkies, whiting, or squid. On occasions, you’ll even tangle with some big snapper. Especially if you have a larger and more stable kayak such as a 14 foot Hobie pro angler. I recall catching snapper up to 7 kilos on my kayak from Altona back in 2017 and 2018. Jet ski fishing is also growing in popularity and this is a great location to take ski-out fishing. On calm days you can zip across from one side of the bay to the other or on windy days you can stay in a little closer. Recent fishing jet skis are designed like a boat hull and handle exceptionally well.

Targeting Gummy Shark at Western Port

We would recommend targeting gummy sharks with a 7 foot 8-15 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 single or double snelled rig or a paternoster rig. You can use an Ezi rig attaching a sinker to the clip 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 Elephant Fish at Western Port

Elephant Fish share similar characteristics to a shark but have a unique elephant trunk-like snout that they use to feed on small fish. They do however have good fighting qualities and are much fun to catch on light gear. They are seasonal fish that come into select areas within Western Port throughout March and May to spawn. Elephant fish are not fussy eaters, and they will happily take a wide range of baits including pilchard, squid and salmon. Elephant fish has a strong sense and respond well to berley. You can target elephant fish using a 3-5 or 4-6 kilo rod with 3000-4000 size reel spooled with 8 to 12-pound braid. A running sinker to a swivel then 60cm of a strong leader to a circle hook or a paternoster rig with chunks of fresh bait.

Targeting Squid at Western Port

Squid is a frequent catch on the pier towards the front and mid parts of the pier. Just 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 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 15-pound braid. Squid jigs are prone to snags in this area, and we have found using slow sinking jigs in the smaller size 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 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.

Targeting Whiting at Western Port

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 Western Port

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, and 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 feet 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.

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 Mullowat at Western Port

Mulloway AKA Jewfish are a prized catch that sits on the top of many Victorian anglers bucket list. 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 legal size. Live baits are a top choice when targeting mulloways such as mullet, salmon, and whiting. Pinning them behind the neck to allow the bait to swim freely. Other staple dead baits can 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 which are designed to imitate a fish in its surroundings such as a mullet.

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 structure such as bridges and pylons. Try to present your baits and lures as natural as possible or use live baits. Mulloway can be caught at any time of the day, but are most active at the night, during peak tides and moon phases. We have found that lures are quite productive during the day and bait more productive at night.

Targeting Trevally at Western Port

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 then 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 Western Port

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.

There is no shortage of pest species which can be quite dangerous. These would include stingrays and toadfish. Flathead is the most common catch and you will need to be careful when handling them due to their venomous spines located behind their heads. Other fish with venomous spines that can be caught include gurnard and scorpionfish so do handle with extreme caution.

Always be careful when out on the boat ensure you take all the safety precautions and show mother nature the respect she really deserves.

I must also stress that often the biggest hazard is impatient people at boat ramps. This is especially disturbing when you have your young kids with you watching on. If everyone could show a little patience, and mutual respect to other anglers it would go a long way. Also, make sure you give each other enough space to fish safely. Too often during snapper season, you see a boat anchor right next to someone who has caught fish. Or other anglers getting aggressive because you’re near their marks. No one owns the water and everyone should treat others on the water with respect.

Map of Western Port