Mastering Winter Fishing in Port Phillip Bay: Tips, Tackle, and Targeted Species

Winter fishing in Port Phillip Bay is a fantastic experience. On this page, I’ll share a few valuable tips on how and where to target various fish species, complemented by a helpful video showcasing my techniques.

The key to successful winter fishing is staying warm and choosing the right days to fish. Despite the chilly weather, winter often presents calm and beautiful fishing days. To maximize your chances, I recommend using apps like Fish Ranger or Willy Weather, which provide long-range wind forecasts, helping you plan your fishing trips accordingly.

Ensuring your comfort and warmth is essential for an enjoyable fishing experience. Personally, I swear by thermals to keep me cozy underneath my clothes. Outtracked is a reliable brand that offers high-quality thermals, albeit at a higher price point. Additionally, my go-to item is my trusty Savage Gear Jacket, which provides excellent insulation and protection against the elements.

Remember, staying warm and comfortable enhances your overall fishing experience, allowing you to fully enjoy the wonders of winter fishing in Port Phillip Bay.

During winter, squid can be found in Port Phillip Bay. To locate good squid grounds, Broken Ground and weed beds are typically the hotspots. Utilizing Navionics and your own eyes to scan the water are the best ways to identify prime squid areas. If you’re interested in learning the basics of catching squid, check out our informative video.

When it comes to winter whiting fishing, the southern end of the bay is where you’ll have the most success. Areas such as Mt Martha to the Heads on the eastern side and Clifton Springs to the Heads on the western side are known to be productive. Some general hotspots for winter whiting include St Leonard’s, Queenscliff, Rye, and Sorrento.

Gummy sharks can be caught throughout the bay during winter, but the larger specimens tend to be found down south where the water currents are stronger. Fresh bait is key when targeting gummy sharks, so try using fresh squid, yakka, salmon chunks, or any other fresh fish. It’s important to ensure your bait isn’t spinning in the current to attract the sharks effectively.

On a recent outing, I managed to catch 10 squid and 20 whiting while encountering some pesky fish as well. In the accompanying video, I mentioned that the rock cod I caught are considered bad “news,” but in reality, they sound similar to snapper and indicate that you’re in a good area for snapper fishing, especially on broken ground or reefs.

To optimize your whiting fishing experience, it’s beneficial to understand how to read a tide chart. Fishing during the big tides is ideal, and the image below provides a visual representation of the different stages of the tides. Look for a significant curvature near the maximum tide level. Fishing the big tides generally yields better results, although whiting can be caught during both tides.

Explore the best time to fish for whiting in Port Phillip Bay by aligning your fishing trips with the optimal tide conditions.

whiting fishing, tides , best tides , whiting, read a tide chart

I would still go fishing on a small tide , But maybe would target some other Fish like squid or gummy sharks, on those Smaller tide’s .that’s the Time to Hit those Area’s where the tide Runs hard .. like edge of south channel for Example.

Garfish Are Plentyful in the bay over winter fishing ethier from a boat or off a Pier will be Productive. try to fish the low light periods , the Best time for Gar I Feel is from about 3:30pm to 6pm most Day’s as the Garfish seem to be Everywhere at the Moment. Fish 2 to 6m Deep

Tacke Used in Video Rod & Reel Rigs and Set up’s For PPB.

3x Shimano 6-8kg Sonic pro Rods with Shimano 4000 Sennia Spooled with 14lb Mono (Berkley ) for Snapper (snell twin Hook Rig) Hooks Reedy’s 187 Size 4/0 Leader Jinkia 40lb

1x 8-10kg Shimano Blue water Baitrunner 6000 30lb Braid( Ultra Rig Pre Tied Paternoster With size 7/0 ) For Gummy’s & Snapper.

2x 2-4kg Shimano Spin Rod | Shimino sienna 2500 Used for Squid & Whiting. with the Clip i mention in the Video.

1x 2-4kg Shimano Spin Rod | Shimino sienna 2500 with 12lb leader Jinkia for Soft plastic.

i Had About 12x 3.5 Squid Jigs Various Colours Brands are Ru , Yamashita , Shimano . Most producitive Colours on the Day was White & Redfoil.

Reedy's Rigs Fishing Tackle