Frankston Pier

Frankston Pier has always had a good reputation for snapper and seasonal garfish, and since November 2012 it has had a secret weapon: an artificial reef of about 100 concrete modules sitting roughly 40 metres off the end in 3 to 4.5 metres of water. Underwater video showed the bare sand turning into algae-covered reef with juvenile snapper, leatherjackets and calamari within a year. The reef now attracts flathead, snapper, leatherjackets and salmon, while silver trevally hang around the pylons. It's a popular spot for fishing and swimming, and Kananook Creek meets the bay right beside it. Frankston has spent years smartening up its waterfront, and the pier, reef and all, is the bit that actually holds fish.

A long cast from the end reaches the reef — fish a running sinker or paternoster with pilchard, squid or silver whiting for snapper and flathead, and expect to lose a few rigs to the modules. Small baits on long-shank hooks around the pylons catch leatherjackets and trevally. Garfish come to a float and fine berley in season. Squid jigs worked toward the reef edges pick up calamari. The reef was built for anglers; the leatherjackets moved in first and have not left.

Snapper and pinkies (28 cm, bag 10 with no more than 3 at 40 cm or more), garfish (combined 40), flathead (27 cm), leatherjackets (combined 20), silver trevally (20 cm), calamari (squid combined bag 10) and salmon (21 cm). Skates and rays can't be taken within 400 m of the pier, and toadfish must be returned. The reef is the reason most of these fish stay within casting range.

The reef is about 40 m out — a 9–10 ft rod makes the cast far easier. Jumping and diving off the pier is prohibited. In the bay's intertidal zone, bait collection is limited to worms, bass yabbies and cephalopods. On summer evenings half of Frankston heads down to the foreshore, so the end of the pier is often the only spot with elbow room.

The pier is on the Frankston waterfront, beside the Kananook Creek mouth and the Frankston foreshore, with cafes and the city centre a short walk away. Parking is in the waterfront car parks, busy in summer. The deck is flat and family-friendly. Dogs must be on a lead.

Frankston faces west-north-west into the bay. Westerly and south-westerly blows push chop onto the pier and colour the water, which often brings snapper on; easterly and northerly days give clear water for garfish, calamari and leatherjackets. Dawn and dusk tide changes are the best windows, and the summer sea breeze roughs it up in the afternoon.

Wet decking and spray in westerly blows — take care at the end. Swimmers use the water beside the pier in summer, so cast away from them. Boats use the Kananook Creek mouth nearby. Handle leatherjackets and toadfish carefully and return toadfish.

About 100 concrete reef modules sit roughly 40 metres off the end of Frankston Pier, in 3–4.5 m of water, deployed in November 2012. A long cast from the end reaches them.

Snapper and seasonal garfish are the pier's reputation, with flathead, leatherjackets, salmon and calamari on the reef and silver trevally around the pylons.

Yes. A long cast with a 9–10 ft rod puts a bait on the modules 40 m out; budget for snags.