Venus Bay Beach (No. 1 Beach)

Venus Bay is the long Bass Strait surf beach inside Cape Liptrap Coastal Park, running roughly 25 km from the Point Smythe sand spit at the Anderson Inlet entrance south-east toward Cape Liptrap. The town's numbered access points — No. 1 to No. 5 Beach — are how everyone describes where they fished, and No. 1 Beach, with the surf life saving club and the biggest car park, is the default. Which number fished best gets argued over at most barbecues in town. The beach is a salmon beach first and foremost: shallow, with a few defined gutters, and in winter the salmon run through them in schools big enough to cause genuine bust-ups. Sharks, flathead, snapper and whiting fill out the list. The surf is also famous for pipis, which means the sand at low tide is often busier with buckets than rods.

Arrive before the tide turns and spend ten minutes reading the beach. At No. 1 Beach, locals look first at two gutters in the central area, either side of the main beach access ramp; elsewhere, look for darker, flatter water between breaking bars. Bait anglers fish a paternoster with a big star sinker and two whole bluebait or half pilchards, often with a surf popper above. Lure anglers cast metal slugs long and wind fast when the salmon are up. The recommended window is from the incoming tide to the peak of high tide, when the salmon push into the gutters — the beach is shallow enough that the bottom of the tide can be almost unfishable. Berley in a mesh bag staked in the wash helps hold fish if you plan to stay put.

Australian salmon are the reason most people fish Venus Bay, with winter the peak and schools sometimes running right into the shorebreak. Gummy shark are taken on fresh baits, more often after dark, and flathead sit in the gutters year-round. Snapper turn up in the warmer months — the season in this part of the coast runs roughly October to April — and King George whiting are occasional visitors to the calmer gutters. Victorian limits: salmon 21 cm, 20 a day combined with herring; gummy shark 45 cm partial length, two a day combined with school shark; flathead 27 cm; snapper 28 cm and 10 a day with no more than three 40 cm or over; King George whiting 27 cm and 20 a day.

The beach can be weedy, so set the hooks higher on the paternoster to keep baits out of the drift. Pipi collecting is a big deal here and has its own tighter limit: between Point Smythe and Arch Rock, including Venus Bay, the bag is 2 litres whole or 0.5 litres shucked, collected by hand only — no rakes, spades or other tools. The VFA tests Venus Bay pipis for toxins, so obey any closure signs. Berley is capped at 10 litres within a nautical mile of the coast. Fish outside the flags when No. 1 Beach is patrolled in summer. The rocky gutters at the ends of some access points hold fish but eat tackle; bring spare rigs.

Venus Bay sits at the end of the road from Tarwin Lower. No. 1 Beach has the surf life saving club, sealed and gravel car parks, toilets and a gravel ramp down to the sand that surf club vehicles also use; No. 2 to No. 5 Beach have their own car parks and tracks over the dunes. The access points are part of Cape Liptrap Coastal Park. The walk from car park to sand is short but involves a loose gravel ramp or soft sand, so it is not suited to wheelchairs. The township has a general store and the Venus Bay Angling Club on Fishermans Road. There are no fees.

The beach faces south-west straight into Bass Strait and catches every swell going. A moderate swell defines the gutters; a big one turns the whole beach white and unfishable. Wind can get up quickly here and builds strong rips and large waves. Light northerly or north-easterly winds are the best days; strong south-westerlies blow it out. Because the beach is so flat and shallow, tide height changes the fishing more than most beaches — the run-in to high water is the time.

Strong currents and rips run along this section of coast, and the surf can build fast when the wind gets up. Do not wade out to cast; keep the water at your knees at most and never turn your back on the waves. Watch children closely — the beach has strong rips. Bluebottles wash in on onshore winds. If you drive to a remote access point, tell someone where you are going; phone coverage along the beach can be patchy. A lifejacket that meets AS 4758 (Level 50S or greater) is worth wearing on any exposed rock gutter in a big swell.

Yes — Venus Bay is one of South Gippsland's best-known salmon beaches, with winter the peak. Fish the gutters from the incoming tide to high water with bluebait or pilchards on a paternoster rig, or cast metal slugs when schools show.

No. 1 Beach is the most popular: it has the surf club, the biggest car park and two gutters either side of the main access ramp that locals fish first. No. 2 to No. 5 Beach are quieter and worth walking to find a better gutter.

Yes, within the rules. Venus Bay and the rest of Cape Liptrap Coastal Park from Point Smythe to Arch Rock have a tighter pipi limit than the rest of Victoria: 2 litres whole or 0.5 litres shucked per person, by hand only, with no rakes, spades or tools. The VFA tests the pipis for toxins — obey any closure signs.

No. 1 Beach is patrolled by surf lifesavers during summer. The other beaches are not patrolled, and strong currents and rips run along the coast, so fish and swim with care.