Its been a week of wind and rain, freezing mornings and most boats stuck on the trailer. But as we head into the weekend, its looking sensational. If you've got a spare day to get out on the water, I'd use it on this one!
The window
- Friday is the pick of the week. Light west-northwest early, easing to almost nothing by lunchtime and staying calm into the evening.
- Saturday is nearly as good. Light northerlies building to around 10 knots through the middle of the day.
- Sunday onward gets breezier. 12 to 15 knots northerly, then northwest and westerly into next week. Probably too windy for our little tinny.
- The swell is backing right down after a big few days, which should settle the water.
- The moon. Full moon Thursday night, so the tides are running strong. Fish feed harder on big tides but your drift speeds up too, so plan around it.
Calamari
The squid have carried the bay this season and the numbers are still excellent.
Where
- Southern end. Rye, Sorrento, Blairgowrie, Portsea and Queenscliff weed beds in 2 to 8 metres. The closer to the bay inlet you get, the better the squidding (typically).
- Check your water clarity before you commit. The swell has pushed a lot of dirty water into the bottom of the bay. A couple of ebb tides should flush it, but don't burn half a day on murky water.
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If it's still dirty down south, push up the bay. St Leonards, Indented Head, Clifton Springs, Swan Bay and around Mud Island all hold squid. Spot a good weed bed on the sounder, stop and have a drift.
- Over in Western Port, try Quail Bank, Sunken Island, Hastings and Stony Point, Tankerton, Tortoise Head. Again, it comes down to where you find clean water.
How
- Match jig size and sink rate to your depth. With bigger tides, the wrong sink rate means your jig is never in the strike zone.
- In tidal areas, fish the start and end of the tide rather than the middle of the run. The middle gives you a fast drift and fewer squid.
- Calm days plus slack water is the combination you want.
From the shop: Anti-snag sinkers help hold bottom on a drift without losing rigs and jigs to snags, and Squid jigs are on our list, so tell us what colours and sizes you'd like to see in stock!
King George Whiting
Whiting have been tough going lately, but these are the conditions that turn it around.
Where
- St Leonards. Plenty of fish, though a lot of them are on the small side. Keep moving, because a short shift often puts you on better models.
- Queenscliff and south. Quality fish.
- Clifton Springs. Patchy numbers, but genuine fish for anyone willing to work the area.
- Wedge Spit and Werribee. Holding some good fish and worth a look.
- Sorrento and wide off Portsea Pier. The odd quality patch.
- Western Port. Still a few solid whiting in the lower reaches around Flinders and Cleeland Bight where the water's a touch warmer.
How
- Late afternoon into dark has been the most consistent bite by a long way. Dawn produces too, but the last light session is well ahead of it.
- On breezier days, fish with the wind and tide running the same direction. Your drift is more controlled, your baits sit better, and it's a lot more comfortable.
- Once you find fish, stay on them. Small moves within the same patch beat running all over the bay.
From the shop: Our pre-tied whiting rigs and flasher paternoster rigs are built for this. Go the light line series once the water clears up and the fish get fussy. The Whiting Pack sorts you out in one go.
Gummy Sharks
Coming off the full moon with building tides and a run of northerlies, this is a good week for gummies and schoolies.
Where
- Offshore is more consistent this time of year. Gunnamatta, Cape Schanck, Woolamai, Coal Point and Cape Paterson. Saturday morning is the pick with the swell dropping.
- Inside the bay, Symonds, the South Channel and the West Channel all produce.
How
- Grab a few wrasse or salmon off the reefs on the way out for bait. Fresh beats frozen.
- Anchor up and let the tide do the work. More often than not the gummies come to you.
- Catch one and there's every chance there are more behind it.
From the shop: Paternoster rigs and Mustad 39951 circle hooks are the go for gummies. Circles do the hookup work for you while the rod sits in the holder. Pair them with heavier sinkers to hold bottom in the run.
Flathead and Offshore
The swell's backing off, so the outside is opening up again.
Kilcunda, Powlett River, San Remo, Woolamai Bay and Flinders Bank for flathead. There's still the odd offshore snapper mark producing as well.
From the shop: The Flathead Pack covers the drift, and our anti-snag pencil sinkers earn their keep when you're working close to structure. Chasing reds? The Snapper Pack has the lot.
Quick answers
When's the best time to fish for King George whiting in Port Phillip Bay right now? Late afternoon pushing into dark has been the most consistent bite. Early morning produces too, but the last light session is well ahead of it.
Where can I catch calamari in Port Phillip Bay in winter? The southern end, so Rye, Sorrento, Blairgowrie, Portsea and Queenscliff, in 2 to 8 metres over weed. After big swell the water clarity down south suffers, so push north to St Leonards, Clifton Springs, Swan Bay or Mud Island instead.
Do bigger tides help or hurt? Both. Fish feed harder, but your drift speeds up. Fish the start and end of the tide, and keep the wind and tide running the same way where you can.
Got a catch to show off?
Send us your photos and videos through our contact page, Instagram or Facebook. We love seeing what you catch on our gear and share them on the blog, socials and the YouTube channel.
We're two brothers with full-time jobs and not enough time on the water. That's why we tie our rigs ahead of time and sell them for less than the big shops charge. Grab what you need and get out there this weekend.
Tight lines.
Report compiled from local conditions and reports for the week ending 31 July 2026. Always check the latest forecast and Victorian Fisheries regulations before heading out.
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