Victorian Bays

Bay Fishing

Bay fishing is different from fishing offshore or in rivers because bays are usually more protected from the open ocean. The water is often calmer, shallower, and influenced heavily by tides, wind, and changing water temperatures. Bays can hold fish all year round, but the way fish behave inside them often changes from season to season.

Structure

Many bays contain a mixture of sand flats, weed beds, reefs, channels, mud bottom, and shallow shoreline structure that provides a variety of habitats where they can find their prey species. To this end fish often travel through bays following the tides and their food sources, as opposed to staying in one place all day.

Tidal Influence

Tides are especially important in bay fishing. Moving water pushes food around and often triggers feeding activity. Some fish move into shallow water during higher tides to feed, then retreat into deeper channels when the tide falls. Wind direction can impact water clarity, wave height and strength. This often changes where fish feel comfortable feeding.

The tidal difference between Port Phillip Bay vs Western Port is pronounced. Port Phillip Bay has a narrow entrance that restricts tidal changes. Western Port with its wider entrance experiences, comparitively, large variations in tide height.

Bay fishing may vary depending on water depth and the geographic landscape. Some areas are suited to light tackle and shallow water fishing, while deeper channels and reef edges may require heavier gear. The same bay may fish completely differently, only a few kilometres apart.

Every bay has its own character. Water temperature, depth, current flow, structure, and nearby river systems all influence the fish species found there and the techniques that work best throughout the year.