A Big thankyou to Dean for suppling this article to us from Rigmaster Tackle. Check them out at the link below.
Thanks Dean 
Big Snapper, King George Whiting to 55cm, Gummy Shark 20+kg, Huge Mulloway (Jew fish) and Elephant Shark all call the waters of Westernport home and provide anglers with some thrilling angling action at various times during the season. Many anglers are put off fishing Westernport because of the huge tidal range and the many sand and mud banks that dot the waterway. To dispel these fears and show what fantastic fishing can be had in this area. Westernport can be very productive for those anglers willing to learn their trade and spend some time getting to know the waters. However, to be a successful Westernport angler you need to use the right tackle, so let's start here!
Westernport Tackle:
The tackle used in Westernport depends on what one intends to target. Those who fish for whiting, flathead and similar smaller adversaries often use light rods such as a nibble tip, quiver tip, or a black queen in combination with a small thread line reel. They spool it with 6-8 pound mono line, but gel spun line has become very popular in recent times as it gives even greater sensitivity. A paternoster rig is the ideal set up and while hook selection is a personal choice anything from a size 4 to a 1/0 should be sufficient depending on what bait you intend to use and the size and type of fish on your hit list. Those anglers who wish to pursue Snapper, Gummy shark and alike find a different approach is needed. Rods should be 2 to 2.2 metres in length with a light tip so you can feel timid bite; the rod should also have a strong butt section so you can lift big fish from the fast flowing water. Line is an aspect of tackle that anglers have many choices in and 10 kilo mono is the most commonly used, but in the last few seasons gel spun or braided line have been a revelation for Westernport anglers as every bite can be felt and because there is no stretch. While gel spun and braided lines are very good they do have drawbacks these being the tangles and knots it causes as well as the price. It's not the cheapest line on earth, but it works very well and I believe the advantages far outweigh any disadvantages. The rig used to catch snapper is very simple to set up and is also used to catch Gummy and Elephant Shark as well as Mulloway (Jewfish). First a Sinker Runner is threaded onto the main line; next a high quality crane clip swivel is tied at the end of the main line. Next you need a trace at least one metre in length rating between 40 to 80lb. The use of snell knots on all hooks helps in two ways. Snelled hooks are by far the strongest knot. It also lays the hook flat with the trace line which is very important when presenting bait in strong tidal waters. If your bait is spinning you will not catch a fish. You want the bait to slowly waft in the current so it gains the attention of any predator that happens to be cruising around. The long trace also helps when fighting fish such as Elephant and Gummy Sharks, as they have an annoying habit of rolling themselves around the line when fighting. All that is needed now is to clip on your pre made rigs.
Please only use the highest quality main line, hooks and trace lines, and don't skimp on the swivels. There are some huge fish in Western Port that will destroy cheap tackle. A lot of fisherman say it must have been a big ray when it may have been that 10kg Snapper or 20kg Gummy, or worst sill 30kg Mulloway. These fish will take 100m of line before you know it
Don't fish too lightly, Don't use cheep tackle!, Don't let them bust you off
Hooks My personal favorites include the Mustard Big Red Long Shank and Bait keepers
The best types of sinkers used are the bomb, teardrop or snapper lead. It's a good idea to have your tackle box well stocked with an array of different sinker weights and pre made rigs ready to go, along with wire traces and squid jigs as you need to 'be prepared' for every possible scenario. A selection of lures is vital as salmon and tailor are often found smashing up bait on the surface; all you need to do is to keep an eye peeled for the working birds.
A good knife or two is handy as is a long gaff and a BIG landing net to help you land the fish. Once you have successfully landed a decent fish it should be bled and put in an esky of ice to preserve it for the table. Now that we have every aspect of tackle covered its time to choose a target of which Westernport has plenty. Here is a profile on the most popular Westernport target species and how to go about catching them. Below each section are some GPS marks as starter points to give you an idea of the types of areas these fish may be found other than those given here.
 Snapper:
Snapper would arguably be the most popular angling target in the southern states and what many people do not know is that Westernport is a great snapper fishery. The snapper enter the bay to spawn and feed in spring and most of the fish depart as soon as the first cold snap of winter starts. The snapper tend to spread themselves right through the port so it's a matter of finding the fish, but once a school is located then a lot of fun is often ensured! Using the tackle and rigs mentioned earlier the chances of landing a solid snapper are increased. Snapper are very opportunistic feeders being able to adapt to whatever food source is available so a variety of fresh bait is essential. The freshest frozen bait used is the famed pilchard. It is vital that the pillies are fresh because it's no good using bait that the moggy next door turns its nose up at! While pilchards are choice snapper bait, fresh baits of couta, garfish and calamari squid are better for luring big snapper. Fresh fillets of flathead, salmon and the smelly and often despised rock cod all work well as backups. Try a Salmon or Couta head when in a school of small Snapper. This is the best way to pluck the bigger fish out of the school. Remember too that a burley trail is vital for attracting fish to your mark. Creating a burley mix is not that hard since there are tons of ingredients you can use. Some of the more common ingredients are fish heads, brains, offal, pillies, squid, crushed pipi/mussel shells, bread, fish frames, pet food and chook pellets, top this all off with tuna oil. When a snapper takes the bait it will wolf it down and make a strong run for the bottom or reef so be ready for this tactic. During the fight the snapper will do a headshake that feels like a ray, so don't cut your line thinking you've got a ray. Once near the surface the snapper will take a strong run for the bottom this usually happens when the fish sees the shadow of the boat or the angler. Once a fish is tired and laying on its side it should be gaffed or netted and quickly hauled into the boat. Once boated and bled the fish should be placed on ice to ensure it's in top condition for the table.
Marks:
S38 30.225 E145 06.850
S38 29.560 E145 08.520
S38 20.846 E145 14.347
S38 24.250 E145 15.150
King George Whiting: King George whiting or KG is also a popular Westernport target, and they can be taken year round. Light tackle is ideal for targeting these fish. Whiting prefer shallow sandy areas with weed beds thrown in for good measure. A water depth of 3-7 meters is ideal but don't be fooled as they can also be taken in deeper water. Whiting bite very fast so good reflexes are a handy attribute! As mentioned earlier gel spun and braided lines are best used to feel the Whiting sensitive bite. The best baits for whiting are pipi, mussel. and strips of squid and "live bass yabby's" (nippers). A handy tip is to use an attractor such as red tubing or beads as the whiting seem to be attracted to these and can help to increase catches. Burley will help to bring the fish around and once caught put on ice to keep them fresh until filleted. Whiting is one of the country's great table fish. They demand a high market price so it is a shame to bruise the flesh through careless handling. S38 28.570 E145 01.709 S38 28.675 E145 02.234 S38 23.495 E145 14.090 S38 24.297 E145 09.270 S38 24.811 E145 06.555 
Mulloway or Jewfish:Over the past few seasons mulloway captures have become more common on the waters of Westernport. In point of fact Mulloway are now a fair dinkum Westernport target that can turn up any time, though more likely in the autumn months. Any gear used for snapper and gummy sharks will handle most school jewfish that range from 3-8 kilos but a 20-30+ kilo fish is always on the cards. Mulloway is nocturnal so fishing at night will increase your chances of hooking one. The best bait for mulloway is small live salmon followed by live or very fresh squid baits. Pilchards, garfish and fresh fish fillets will also work. School size mulloway are the best to eat while 'soapies' (fish of under five kilos) don't taste flash as their name suggests! The bigger models tend to be dry and flavorless. Marks: S38 25.061 E145 22.752 S38 23.619 E145 23.631 S38 22.701 E145 24.605 
Gummies and Elephants:
The Gummy Shark is often taken by those 'fishing for Snapper, but many anglers are deliberately targeting these hard fighting and good eating toothless terrors. Most gummy sharks taken weigh between 4-10 kilos, but they are taken to a massive 20+ kilos. Gummies fight hard and will accept baits of striped tuna, pilchards, squid, mackerel and fresh fillets of fish like Salmon & Silver Trevally fillets are the best. Some anglers have a bit of trouble trying to distinguish the gummy from the school shark, but the gummies have white spots and no teeth while the school shark has no spots and lots of sharp teeth. It's not that hard! If your still not shore just stick your finger in its mouth (no don't). Both sharks are superb eating. The elephant shark is the seasonal ugly duckling, taken during the autumn months. Elephants won't win a beauty contest, but are popular with anglers because they are good fighters on light tackle and pretty nice eating. In fact, they taste a bit like Gummies. The elephant is always attracted by burley and is not fussy about which bait is presented. It will take pilchards, tuna fillets, squid, pipi and fresh fish fillets. One word of warning about elephants -they have a sharp spine on the dorsal that can inflict some serious injuries. So take care when landing them! A tip for Gummies and School Sharks is a good hard hit or two with a solid blunt object on the tip of there nose will slow them up in a big hurry!
Marks:
S38 25.200 E145 22.600
S38 25.442 E145 21.959
S38 25.278 E145 24.361
Bait:This is easy! FRESH FRESH FRESH Get up early on a Tue to Sat morning and go to the Melbourne Fish Market. The best time of year is Oct to Feb this is when the bait fish move down from warmer waters, not only is it cheap but it's fresh!! The market is open from Tue to Sat at 5.30am sharp you must get there before then as it is a mad rush when the gates open and by 7.30am its all over. They charge $10 entry fee and leave your credit card at home cash only. The Melbourne Fish Markets address is 140 Footscray rd West Melbourne. You could ask your local Sea Food shop to get you bait from the market. Or you can catch your own. Get a Big deep freezer, freeze your bait in sealed bags or containers and pour "salt water" over your bait. Yes this is the big tip! Fill the container or bag with sea water and your bait will stay fresh for well over 6 months. Freeze your bait whole. When you defrost it, it will be just like it was the day you froze it. Take it out the day before you go fishing. Now the best bait: Squid, Salmon, Silver Trevally, *Pilchards, Silver Whiting, Tommy Rough, Eel, Pike, Couta, Pippies, Muscles, Small Green Prawns etc. When you get your bait from the fish market you can only get what they have that day. But you can bet that this is what the fish are feeding on at the time. *Pilchards are hard to get fresh and must be used or frozen with in 24 hours. Often they are frozen on the boat or come from WA frozen. Frozen is fine just put them in sealed bags. If you can get them fresh then freezing them in salt water will give you the best bait there is for most species. Get a yabby pump and keep it in your boat for low tide. The best time is the start of the run in tide to pump yabby's, use them live. If big sharks are your thing like Mako and Seven Gill, here is something I bet you didn't know-Live Elephant fish is the best bait there is. You will need to go out the entrance into the deep blue to find these. A Big thankyou to Dean for suppling this article to us from Rigmaster Tackle. Check them out at the link below.
Thanks Dean
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