Fishing Frenzy

There's no dearth of waterfront recreational hotspots in Australia, but there are probably none better than those on the Port Phillip Bay fishing map. This is a huge bay locked in by 164 miles of Victoria coast. Anglers have direct access to this water body from many piers and marinas, including at Inner Melbourne (St Kilda), Altona, Werribee South, Mornington, Sorrento and Rosebud.

Despite its impressive size, the waters are quite shallow in most parts. The maximum depth of the water is about 79 feet. Over half of it reaches down to only around 26 feet, which is still very much navigable.

Port Phillip is well known for the annual crimson tide. This is the snapper run and the most famous fish migration down under that brings thousands of snappers within reach of anglers all over the coast. Snappers can be caught at any time, but the biggest ones tend to stick to the deep channels and can be caught from October through to December.

Anglers can follow the crimson tide, starting off from Mornington with the snappers and following the east coast. Within short order, they are all over the Melbourne coast at St Kilda and Altona, and then the outer harbor at Corio Bay. Snappers stay in relatively deeper waters during the day, and move closer to shore at night.

Other fish that can be caught include flatheads, whiting, bream, squid and garfish. A veritable feast can be harvested by finding the right place to fish above a school of whiting. Australian salmon and King George whiting move around near the coast and in shallow reefs, and can be reeled in from land as well.

The best places to fish on the port phillip bay fishing map shift from year to year due to changes in the reefs. But going by past records, the best place to snatch a massive snapper would be the Ansetts reef offshore from Mornington. A boatload of fish can be brought in even during November near Williamstown.