So what's happening at Lakes Entrance

[re-tyred]

Thought I better give a bit of a round up of what is happening here.
The answer is lots.
I was away in Tassie for a Cpl of weeks so didn't get out till Tuesday this week. Decided to see if there were a few flatties around to the west of the entrance, offshore. While they are a bit slow a couple of hours produced five good keeper all around 35-40cm. Lots of little ones about. I had heard there are KGW in the lake around nyrimelang bank. By the time I arrived back inside the entrance the tide was flooding. Had a quick flick next to the entrance for Salmon but zero. So up to look for KGW even if the tide was wrong. First cast and I had a 35cm, then nothing, after half an hour I headed home. Still a good feed for the two of us.
Today the weather was good again and being my birthday ( as if I needed an excuse) I headed up for another KGW try. Again one fish then nothing.
So back outside for a few flatties. ???? just undersize. Gave it an hr and managed one size fish. Headed back in and stopped to look around the entrance for salmon. Had a couple of casts. Then I noticed the tell tail dark patch right in next to the rock groin. Tide was absolutely roaring in making it very difficult to get close without being sucked back into the entrance channel. Quick flick and crap I am hooked up, must of hit the rocks. line is paying out as I try to manoeuvrer, hang on was that a tail shake? And again, then this rocket takes of out of the water. Massive salmon, a bit of a tail dance and it is off and I am being swept up the channel. Ok back for another go. Same result but this time I don't lose it till it is right next to the boat.
Deep breath get back in the spot cast, and bang onto a freight train going the opposite way. Madly going for reverse to try and not get swept into the channel, the fish does a couple of launches into outer space but stays hooked. People on the rock groin are hooting and cheering. Along side and it dives, I am swept into the whirlpool around the entrance but fish boat and I are spat out into the channel just as I get the net under it. By this time I am in a sweat and the adrenalin is pumping. So back again. Well after half an hour I had six, including wrestling a seal for one. Lost easy six more. Left them still biting .
Back at the ramp I checked out what others are catching. Well some really good size gummies coming in from down the west on the beach. Quite a lot of flatties and a few snapper from the western grounds. There was around 50 boats out offshore with most coming home happy with their morning.
Quite a few people having success on the KGW too. reports of 6-10 fish around the 35cm was common.
Looking good for the xmas tourists. PS I take a size ten shoe Foot is 28cm. salmon is easy twice that

[CannonsJS]

Great report! I'll definitely be getting out for a fish in the coming week.

[skronkman]

My mate hit up the whiting in the lakes. Said they were thick but all undersize. About 20 boats on them too. Nothing big and after 30 odd fish and lots of moves he came home empty handed. He reckons the small whiting are the ones that can swim through the nets. The big ones are all netted. Good report retyred, thanks.

[re-tyred]

My mate hit up the whiting in the lakes. Said they were thick but all undersize. About 20 boats on them too. Nothing big and after 30 odd fish and lots of moves he came home empty handed. He reckons the small whiting are the ones that can swim through the nets. The big ones are all netted. Good report retyred, thanks.

The ones I caught where 30cm+, didn't see any small ones. Are you sure they were KGW he was catching? There are plenty of school whiting in the Lake. They are much smaller but excellent eating. Professionals don't net Reeves channel or Nyerimilang bank. Way to much tide it would carry their nets away. Nearest place they would net would be Pelican Island off Nungurner. Only two ever chased fish in that area. The rest are crabbing and prawning or further up the system. They will all be gone by April anyway.
The KGW numbers are mostly due to habitat and unfortunately this has been mostly destroyed by shifting sand banks, swans and European shore crab. There needs to be some proactive restoration and building of new habitat up past Nyerimilang towards Nungurner and Metung. More stable area so not lost by shifting sands. Shell bed reefs and shallow intertidal zones need to be constructed in the area.

[skronkman]

I believe he fished nungurner. I’m not sure if they were kgw, might have got my wires crossed when he just said whiting. I’ll ask him again. Your theory that they were schoolies sounds quite likely.

[re-tyred]

I believe he fished nungurner. I’m not sure if they were kgw, might have got my wires crossed when he just said whiting. I’ll ask him again. Your theory that they were schoolies sounds quite likely.

Very thick up there at Nungurner in the 10mtr channel. Also offshore along the beach at times. Just need very small hook and piece of prawn or squid. Bit of burley and once they start not hard to get 20. They are excellent eating. Just scale and knock the heads off and cut the ribs/gut cavity out. Quick fry up and eat them like you would garfish. Fork under the meat at the tail and lift the whole piece off leaving the bones behind. You need about 10 to make a feed.

Eastern school whiting, Scientific name.Sillago flindersi

[bucaneer]

Thanks for the report re-tyred, I find it encouraging that some salmon have shown up. I lure fish Bunga beach regularly but they have been hard work so far. Almost exactly to the day 12 months ago, I got my pb salmon at Bunga, a beast of 73 cm, ( about 4.7 kg ). I think water temps are a bit lower this year and as yet no bait schools in the surf gutters, but any time now they will be there.

[re-tyred]

Yeah these were on metal lures. There is a gutter along the beach , starts next to the eastern rock wall and runs all the way to the dredge out fall pipe. You can walk up there from the footbridge or get a boat over to the flagstaff jetty. Best time is after the change of the tide when the current is running in the entrance. They were there most day December January last year. Yes water temp has been a bit slow this year but just touching 18c now. These were whoppers. 3+kg fish. they were hitting it like freight trains.

[bucaneer]

Yeah these were on metal lures. There is a gutter along the beach , starts next to the eastern rock wall and runs all the way to the dredge out fall pipe. You can walk up there from the footbridge or get a boat over to the flagstaff jetty. Best time is after the change of the tide when the current is running in the entrance. They were there most day December January last year. Yes water temp has been a bit slow this year but just touching 18c now. These were whoppers. 3+kg fish. they were hitting it like freight trains.

Thanks re-tyred, I will go for a walk soon and see if I can find them. They sound like the weight class I was onto last December at Bunga
Cheers, Andy