The rivers running into Port Phillip have been producing good winter bream and some large mullet. If you’re planning on fishing your local river, the Werribee, Yarra and Patterson rivers have all been good. The odd mulloway has been caught especially in the Yarra and Patto. On the bream front, the Patto has been producing fish over a kilo along with mullet similar size.

Young gun Mike caught this nice fish and others fishing in his backyard on the Patto. Mike has been using yabbies to land the better size fish, with some bigger fish busting him off on light line around the pylons. Live freshwater yabbies or frozen shrimp have been the best baits.

Lure fishing the Patto has been effective for quality bream also if you’re putting in the time. Customer Jordan has been fishing small shrimp imitation plastics and sinking hardbodies with slow ‘flicks’ of the rod tip, making them move as natural as possible.

Using these styles of lures coated in gel scent he has been landing some nice fish up around the 40cm mark, fishing to small ledges and mud bank drop offs in the main river.

While you’ve got a bait in the water you’ve got a shot! Customer Aujin was fishing the river near the first floodgate in search of bream when he landed a nice pinkie snapper of 57cm. Fishing small baits of prawn he got the shock of his life when his ‘bream’ appeared red in colour. While these fish aren’t generally expected in the river, after a big clean spell of clear salty water they push into the rivers and coves in search of food. The rockwall section of the river produces smaller fish during these times, and further up the road the Yarra river is a real chance of fish like this or even larger at present.

Winter ‘snapper’ up to 4kg or so venture up the Yarra from Hobsons Bay and can be caught almost up to Church Street when the river is salty. Fishing from around the Bolte down to the warmies gives you a real shot at a quality fish, and even mulloway – especially when using fresh bait.