These recent mixed conditions mean catches are improving which is great news.

There’s been some great fishing both offshore and inshore this past week by anglers looking for some saltwater species.

Port Fairy Charters has been getting some awesome gummy shark and school shark for their clients this past week.

As well as the shark fishing the guys have been getting stuck into some awesome reefies such as snapper, latchets, tarakihi and some tasty flathead.

If you’re looking for a great day out give Dan Hoey a call and book your seat on this professionally-run charter business on 0407 675 284.

There are whispers of a barrel tuna lost off Portland last week by an unlucky angler and with some nicer sea conditions that will allow people to get out in search of these giant fish, we should hear some more reports in the coming days.

It’s only a matter of time until the yellowtail kingfish show up and stick baits, poppers and sluggos begin flying through the air at cruising schools of fish.

These fish are one of the toughest and hardest to land due to their extreme power and fast recharge time between runs.

The Hopkins River has seen some awesome mulloway caught by anglers such as Mick Mahney throwing small soft plastics for bream.

The fish in the river at present are between five and 90 centimetres and are a real handful on the light gear.

However, bream fishing has been a bit hit and miss.

This is due to fish having a late spawning run and still sulking in deeper sections around Kinnear’s, Jubilee and Sandy Point above Jubilee Park.

David Baxter has been landing some beautiful fish to 46 centimetres on scrub worms fished in five metres of water.

The most impressive part has been the abundance of huge estuary perch.

These have been running up to 55 centimetres and taken by anglers using bait, plastics and surface lures.

The biggest fish goes to Beetle Bailey with a 55-centimetre, 2.4kg beast taken on live minnow under a float. That’s a whopper.

With the flow settling down and water clarity dramatically improving in the local rivers, redfin have become a more common catch for anglers.

Fishing the deeper pools and bends with soft plastics such as Berkley T-tails has been the most productive way to encounter a solid redfin either side of 45 centimetres.

Currently, the lower Merri has been the most reliable place to find these large reddies schooled up.

The trout fishing has remained hot despite the water clarity fining up and making fish that little more cryptic.

Scaling back lure size and fishing smaller hardbodies and plastics has been the preferred method to target these clear water fish.

Tim Vincent managed to land an absolute horse of a brown trout that weighed in at an impressive seven pounds.

Productive areas to fish include the Junction area of the Hopkins, as well as the lower Merri below Bromfield Street Weir.

Lake Purrumbete and Bullen Merri have been producing some great salmonid fishing this week.

Purrumbete has been the place to try if you are after a trophy brown trout.

Anglers casting or trolling along the weed edges have encountered browns in excess of eight pound on lures such as the ever-reliable Daiwa Double Clutch.

Bait fisherman have been doing well with live minnows suspended under a bubble float.

Over at Bullen Merri, rainbow trout and chinook salmon have kept anglers busy.

Fishing from either the boat or bank has seen plenty of action with Berkley Powerbait and cut pilchard being the baits.

Those trolling have done well around the Potters Point area of the lake.

Chinooks ranging across either side of the two kilo mark have been keen on belting lures such as Tassie Devils and Double Clutchs.