All posts by WFS Admin

Who is WFS Admin? Over about 45 years I fished most of the Aussie mainland and Tasmania. I mapped Top End river rockbars, reefs and wrecks using early sonar mapping software. I published the North Australian Fishing and Outdoors Magazine (closed it when COVID took off), and still publish the biennial FISH FINDER book of fishing maps. I was Sunday Territorian fishing columnist for two decades. Perhaps more importantly, I have caught 20lb+ snapper off Adelaide's metro jetties :) Also have great memories of catching tommies, chow and slimies at Port Giles and Edithburgh with my dad, and fishing in England for everything from carp and grayling to cod and plaice. This site is pretty much a love job, so be patient with site issues. Fishos can help by posting useful comments, fishing reports and feedback. Fish on!

Can you use earthworms to catch sea fish? The answer is a definite yes.

In Australian waters, earthworms will catch black bream and whiting when baits of packet prawns are ignored.

Earthworms are commonly washed into marine waters during flooding, which is probably why marine estuary fish are familiar with them.

Or maybe earthworms just taste good.

In southern estuaries the freshwater congoli readily takes earthworms, and a fine way to catch big black bream is to catch a congoli, take off fillets, and use them for bait.

Of course, earthworms are better known as bait for freshwater fish such as trout and redfin.

Here’s how to make a worm farm, a great investment if you are a keen fisho.

Alternatively, see worm farm listings on eBay here.

Shrimp and yabbies are also great baits for freshwater fishing. Strict regulations apply to the type of gear used to catch them though.

Ebay sellers have a variety of yabby and shrimp traps, be sure to buy one that complies with local regulations.

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Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.

Fishing Tips

How to make a worm farm for fishing bait

19 April 2023 WFS Admin Leave a comment

Marine and freshwater fish eat earthworms.

In Australian waters, black bream and whiting readily take earthworms.

Freshwater fish such as trout, redfin, bass and yellowbelly love earthworms.

They are especially good bait when the water rising after rain.

If you are a keen fisho it is worthwhile making and maintaining a worm farm.

Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Choose a suitable location
Select a suitable location for your worm farm. It should be a shaded area protected from direct sunlight and heavy rain. The ideal temperature is between 15-25°C.

Step 2: Choose a worm bin
You can purchase a ready-made worm bin or make one using a plastic storage container or a wooden box. Make sure the bin is at least 30-40cm deep and has a lid with some air holes.

Step 3: Prepare bedding
Bedding provides a comfortable environment for the worms and retains moisture. Use a combination of shredded newspaper, cardboard, coconut coir, and leaves. Soak the bedding material in water and wring out excess moisture before adding it to the bin.

Step 4: Add worms
Obtain red worms or tiger worms, also known as composting worms, to add to your worm farm. These worms are ideal as they are surface-dwelling and consume large amounts of organic waste. They also wriggle a lot on the hook. But ordinary earthworms work too.

Step 5: Add organic waste
Worms eat a range of organic waste, including fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, and paper. Avoid adding meat, dairy, oily foods, and citrus fruits, as they can be too acidic or difficult for worms to digest.

Step 6: Maintain the worm farm
Regularly maintain your farm to keep it healthy and productive. Keep the bedding moist, but not waterlogged, by spraying it with water. Add small amounts of food waste regularly, rather than large quantities. Keep the worm bin covered to protect it from extreme weather and pests.

Step 7: Harvest vermicompost
After a few months, the worms will convert the organic waste into worm castings. To harvest this vermicompost, push the castings to one side and add fresh bedding and food. The worms will migrate to the new bedding, allowing collection of the worm castings, which are great for gardens. Bonus!

Fish your worms with a fine hook for best results. Worms work especially well during and just after floods.

Email corrections, additions, pictures or video here.

Fishing Spots

Aire River, Victoria

18 April 2023 WFS Admin Leave a comment

Aire River is one of several great fishing locations along the Great Ocean Road, south-west of Melbourne.

The river is in the picturesque Otways region, close to other fishing gems such as Apollo Bay.

The beauty of Aire River is variety, with river, estuary and surf fishing.

There is good bankside access to the lower river, with campgrounds on either side of the estuary near the estuary bridge.

The river’s catchment begins in the mountains, where there is annual rainfall of well over 1000mm.

This upper section holds brown trout, with natural recruitment taking place in the gravel shallows each year.

Fishing access to the upper river is difficult as there aren’t many nearby roads, and the topography is steep, with thick vegetation.

There are campsites upstream at Aire Crossing, and this spot produces brown trout, along with some estuary perch, grayling, eels and river blackfish.

There is about 11km of river below the Aire Crossing to the Great Ocean Road bridge and this can be fished by kayak, but there are rapids and falls along the way that require portage so it is not a trip for the unfit or unskilled paddler.

As well as trout, various galaxias, congoli, smelt, gudgeon, lamprey, rainbow trout, tench and Tasmanian mudfish have been recorded in the river’s freshwater section.

The lower tidal section of the river is where most fishing happens, with 9km of estuarine water available, and this section is ideal for canoes and dinghies except when floodwaters are flowing hard.

The lower Aire River is primarily a bream fishery, but there is often a good annual run of sea trout.

Estuary perch are a real chance, but are notoriously unreliable.

Bream are caught all year.

Yakkers can quietly fish the many bankside reeds for bream and perch with tiny lures or bait presented on light tackle.

Landbased fishos should use earthworms for bait as these will catch bream, estuary perch and sea trout, sometimes when packet baits are ignored.

In fact, the humble earthworm is an under-rated bait in estuaries, where all fish – including marine species – probably feed on them during and after flooding.

Small soft plastic lures can work well in the lower Aire River by casting from shore.

Juvenile salmon and mullet are usually about in the lower river and on the nearby beaches, with better mullet and salmon on the surf beaches in winter and autumn.

The sea trout usually run in the lower river in winter and early spring, with reasonable flow bringing the fish on.

Flathead and flounder are also caught in the river.

The bridge pylons are a good place to try for bream and flathead.

There is plenty of space for fishing from shore near the estuary bridge but holiday periods can be busy.

For those fishing the nearby surf such as Glenaire Beach, salmon and gummy sharks are available, along with occasional silver trevally and mulloway.

When the Aire River mouth opens mulloway are a better chance on the nearby beach.

The east and west campgrounds on the lower river mouth are close to bankside access.

The western campground has an unsealed ramp and a jetty, and the east campground has two unsealed ramps.

Facilities include toilets, picnic shelters, tables and fireplaces.

Lastly, there is plenty to see in the region for those who don’t fish, with some great bushwalks nearby.

Fishing spots near Aire River

Apollo Bay – the town has a great marina rock wall to fish, with sheltered boat launching in the port/marina. The nearby Barham River has trout, estuary perch, mullet, bream and small salmon. Read more about Apollo Bay fishing here.

Wye River – the estuary has mullet, bream and small Australian salmon. Occasional trout upstream.

Kennett and Grey Rivers – mullet, bream and small salmon in the estuaries, with the rocks around Grey River producing silver trevally, pink snapper, salmon and whiting when it is suitably calm.

Cape Patton and Smythes Creek – rock fishing, with some flathead and sand whiting over sand areas.

Pettitcoat Creek – the beach produces king george whiting. The south side of the beach fishes well just before low tide in suitably calm weather for snapper.

Skenes Creek – king george whiting on nearby grounds, occasional trout in the creek.

Wild Dog Beach – surf fishing for Australian salmon, silver trevally. Occasional trout in the creek.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for Victorian waters.

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