Indented Head Boat Ramp Jetty

Indented Head sits on the Bellarine's eastern shore between Portarlington and St Leonards, and the inshore waters around here are extensive seagrass and broken ground with sand patches — amazing for calamari, whiting and flathead — with Governor Reef just offshore. The small ramp jetty gives land-based anglers a short platform over that ground. It is a quiet spot, which is either its charm or its drawback depending on how much you like company.

Work the end of the ramp jetty and the beach either side on the higher half of the tide, when water covers the seagrass: squid jigs over the darker grass, small baits on a paternoster in the pale sand patches for whiting with a light berley trail, and soft plastics hopped across the sand for flathead. At low tide the shallows by the jetty get very thin — come back when the water does. If the squid are not home, the pelicans will still watch you with interest.

Calamari, whiting and flathead, with pinkies a chance after dark when the water is up. Squid (including calamari), octopus and cuttlefish: combined bag 10. King George whiting 27 cm and 20. Flathead 27 cm and 20. Snapper 28 cm and 10, no more than 3 of 40 cm or over.

This is a working boat-ramp jetty: give launching crews right of way and keep lines clear. Port Phillip Bay berley is capped at 10 litres, and in its intertidal zone you may only take marine worms, bass yabbies, squid, octopus and cuttlefish. Rays can't be taken within 400 m of the jetty.

The ramp and jetty are on the Indented Head foreshore, with ramp parking that fills on good boating days. The jetty is short and flat. Bring what you need — the shops are back in town.

Faces east across the bay; easterlies put chop on it and westerlies leave it calm. Shallow seagrass means the higher half of the tide fishes best. Clear water after calm days suits the squid.

Wet jetty boards get slippery. Watch boat traffic at the ramp, very shallow water at low tide, and the submerged intake pipe beside the ramp that will happily keep your sinker. Wear a lifejacket on any wet jetty, wall or rock (AS 4758 level 50S or greater, children Level 100 or greater).

Yes, but it is a boat-ramp jetty, so give launching boats priority.

Calamari, whiting and flathead over the inshore seagrass; pinkies are a chance after dark on a high tide; the bigger snapper are out in 10 m-plus by boat.

Yes — the seagrass beds are prime calamari ground. Fish clear water at dawn or dusk. The bag is 10 combined squid, calamari, octopus and cuttlefish.