This Bellarine event will reel you in – hook, line and sinker!

Hooked on Bellarine Festival flies back into the region.

Whether you love seafood in the recreational sense or in the eating sense, Hooked on Bellarine is the event for you. Returning to the Portarlington Safe Harbour Foreshore this Sunday 26 October, the event honours the peninsulas position in driving the fishing and boating industry.

Hooked on Bellarine

When: Sunday 26 October 2025

Where: Portarlington Safe Harbour Foreshore

Keep up to date with what is happening in and around regional Victoria here.

 

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Taking place from 9am – 2pm, the event is a free offering aimed to boost the fishing industry through education, eats, and entertainment. Perfect for families to enjoy, Hooked on Bellarine also coincides with the monthly Portarlington Market run by the Lions Club at WG Little Reserve, just a short stroll from the festival. Together they will have Portarlington marked as the place to be.

As hosted by Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) Hooked on Bellarine is designed to attract both fishers and seafood lovers. You’ll find free ‘come and try’ fishing clinics for kids and adults, and pop up stalls selling aromatic paella and locally produce including the award-winning and famous blue mussels which too will be available for purchase. You can also learn about the vibrant and flourishing marine ecosystem of the peninsula through an aquatic ecology sessions from OzFish. It’s all to showcase the diversity of marine activity.

Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos say the festival highlights the peninsula as a fishing and boating mecca on the doorstep of Geelong and is an easy drive from Melbourne.

“Hooked on Bellarine is the ultimate family day out for fishing enthusiasts with plenty of activities and displays,” he says.

Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant says of the annual event, “I’m delighted that Portarlington is hosting the Hooked on Bellarine Festival for 2025, bringing our community together, supporting the next generation of anglers, and showcasing our famous blue mussels to visitors and locals alike!”

Hooked on Bellarine further boasts a dynamic program of activities both on shore and off. For seasoned anglers, the Fishing and Outdoor Swap Meet is the perfect market place for donating, trading or taking home fishing and camping equipment, and the VFA Education Team will be taking the kids under their wing, fostering the next generation of fishers with fly fishing demonstrations, and casting clinics, whilst enticing them with giveaways and selfies with VFA’s ‘Pinky the Snapper’ fish mascot.

Also on land you will find the Women in Recreational Fishing and Boating Network leaders offering up valuable tips on how to improve catch rates for Bellarine species like King George whiting, calamari, snapper and gummy shark whilst the VFA Science team will get technical with anatomy displays and research information. You can also try your technique with the fishing simulator, or check out the kayak and boat displays and pop-up tackle store.

A project close the Bellarine’s heart, Shuck Don’t Chuck shell recycling program, and sustainability initiative Rig Recycle will be on site to motor along their missions. Community will also come together as local angling clubs congregate on site.

 

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For the foodies, be delighted by the food hub with a range of local delights on offer and be serenaded by local live music as you munch away on the delicacies of the sea. Dive further into the food making process by attending the seafood cook and filleting demonstrations and learn recipes to try in your own kitchen. You also have a chance to learn about aquaculture and the controlled cultivation history of the region, whilst sampling the areas renowned barramundi and abalone.

Its a huge event for the fishing community of the Bellarine but also a big drawcard for visitors, attracting close to 5000 patrons every year. With the ferry from Docklands to Portarlington alleviating travel stresses, there’s no excuse not to make the trip.

Hooked on Bellarine Festival complements the Victorian Government’s $96 million investment package to improve fishing, boating, piers and aquaculture, as spearheaded by the Victorian Fisheries Authority.

To learn more about Hooked on Bellarine, and to book a spot in a free fishing clinic, visit www.vfa.vic.gov.au/hookedonbellarine