McLoughlins Beach

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fisho999
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Re: McLoughlins Beach

Post by fisho999 » Fri Apr 29, 2022 7:17 pm

sweetstarneon wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 5:26 pm
Hi pinkz

Thanks for posting the info about mcloughlins beach (varied dates and times).

Your posts have persuaded me to consider a one day fishing trip to this part of the world tomorrow. Never been there, so don't expect too much fish catching.

I was wondering if someone can give me some help on the following;

1. If i was so lucky to catch a fish, where are the fish cleaning tables in the area (see below re area that i am contemplating)

2. Best place to have a meal in the area (dinner)

3. Is there any squid around now - should i bring a squid jig

4. Narrowed places to try to 7 places - mcloughlins beach, mann beach, robertson beach, port albert pier, alberton and taraville

I am a land based fisho. Thoughts on where i should try (ranked) based on current conditions, appropriate tide (eg: high or low tide) and fishing methods would be appreciated

Thanks in advance for your help
hey, port albert is a must go. chuck any bait out anywhere with any rig and you'll catch fish :wt: :ft: . fishing the pier is best.
soft plastics and jigging off the pier. light to medium jigs. walk alone the shore and chuck plastics and hardbodies.

Pirkz
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Re: McLoughlins Beach

Post by Pirkz » Thu Dec 01, 2022 12:03 pm

It is said that a change is as good as a rest ( although Mrs P wouldn't necessarily agree with that one), so with that in mind I headed down to McLoughlin's yesterday for a threesome with the usual suspect (offsider) plus one...And just to be clear - 3 up in a boat that is!. Nice warm day in Paynesville almost encouraged me to leave the extra jacket behind with just a hoody over the usual T . Arrived around 10 am after a preliminary pie and tactical team talk at Lake Gutheridge in Sale, to be met in MCL by grey skies and a stiff cool for breeze which stayed with us for most of the day, so was glad of the extra layer packed. Outgoing tide for the first 2 hrs and then the reverse. Wind versus tide throughout the day, due to our locations, meant fishing across the tide which was handy with 3 up in a 4.5m open decked Bluefin boat. Fished our usual flatty spot within 5 mins of the jetty for a single keeper (45 ish) along with a large Raymond (second one hooked, sighted and lost - oh dear never mind) ) and multiple other species - all returned even though some may have been size. As Low tide approached, the weed increased and piscatorial activity slowed so we moved to spot B - just another 5 minute motor -basically to the end of the main channel, followed by a right turn. Berley'd up with a variety of products, including cat food, would you believe, and spent a very pleasant and most productive couple of hours catching mainly salmon around 40cm on both Sp, hardbody and bait (anything!) - either kept tight to the bottom using a drilled sinker straight through to the hook, or squid strips on the same rig on the retrieve. Triple hook ups were common with each of us using a different method at the time. Also a couple of KGW ( biggest going 42) along with numerous small flatties, yet more salmon , a lone Pinky Snapper around 40 (returned) several Mullet, some nice Trevally up to 42 and a few tailor (one kept). Disappointingly larger keeper Flathead were obvious by their absence, which was a bit of a shame, (for me at least) , as thats what I was specifically targeting - being spoilt for Salmon and KGW back home around the Paynesville & Flannigan's Island area now that summer has arrived (said tongue in cheek). Surprise of the day was that small KGW offcuts from previous filleting activity were a very effective bait, accounting for numerous fish. Shipmates didn't want any fish so transport and subsequent filleting down to me. All fish pictured bar the lone flathead (tonight's supper) were donated to a local elderly couple in Paynesville who are on my KGW gift list and have a particular soft spot for Salmon (and anything else with fins!). All up a good day with probably over 100 fish boated. Fish, nature, scenery and banter were all on parade today - so that'll be one to remember. Back to some KGW action in Wollaston Bay tomorrow ....just hope Mrs P isn't reading this......
PS Ray was given a bit of a cuddle as I've limited grip in the hands at times these days - unless hard cash is involved :-D
Edited to add a Trevally pic and a Helo with a sonar thingy underslung which was probably doing survey work and moved around the channels and us all day
Tight Lines
Pirkz
Attachments
IMG_1959[128].jpg
helo survey.jpg
IMG_1933.jpg
FISH30NOV MCL2.jpg
ray1.jpg

Lightningx
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Re: McLoughlins Beach

Post by Lightningx » Thu Dec 01, 2022 8:07 pm

Nice write up! Enjoyed the read.
Sounds like a top day on the water with plenty of fish!
Cheers 👍🏻

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Re: McLoughlin's Beach - 30kph - A light breeze ?

Post by Pirkz » Wed Jan 11, 2023 8:52 am

Fridge drawer marked KGW was full and the advertised forecast was good (or so I was told) so MCL and flathead it was to be yesterday. Didn't bother checking the weather as Offsider assured me it would be a 'light winds' balmy summer's kinda day... puuurfect for this old cat! But, as a qualified Met Observer in a previous working life I was (and still am) well aware of the fickleness of weather forecasts..so to pack or not to pack the water proof jacket..? that is ...or rather was, the question. I went with 'pack' as you can never trust the MCL weather. Driving down life was good - wife at work, dog in his basket , and me off for another piscatorial adventure with my mate to one of my favourite parts of the world...and flathead for T. Mulling over what boat to buy next, with money I didn't yet have, I was only half listening to the ABC weather forecast segment, but my ears pricked up when I heard the rather cheerful presenter say ' And for Gippsland light winds throughout today reaching 30kph in the afternoon'....30 kph ?... Light ..?? WTF ! Bloke obviously doesn't fish.. Anyway I've got some domestic chores to complete today so will keep this short(er). Car park was rammed - must all be offshore ( as not many subsequently spied afloat in the channels), and we launched around 10 am (gentlemen's hours) at low (ish) tide into rain showers and a stiff NE/Easterley. Yep saltwater face wash from the spray once into the swell ,so 30kph felt about right! Where's that jacket? Outgoing weed was an annoyance and the water looked 'milky' and not very fishy. So expectation was adjusted downwards and despite fishing a few of the favourite Go To spots , and even with multiple moves here there and pretty much anywhere to get out of the wind and choppy swell, after 3 hrs fishing we came away with only 3 keeper flatties 44-47cm, and 2 mullet (not related). A pretty meagre catch, but at least the sun came out, and mate doesn't take fish home (which is handy), so enough fish for T for me for most of this week. Noted at the ramp that a couple of Tinny based, early birds had done well though - one bloke had 27 ( not a typo) flatties on the filleting table and a couple of pinkies added colour, and another reported 12 for the day - some 50 - 60cm from a spot we had seen him in earlier inside one of the side channels ( now in my Navionics app)! Pilchard was their bait of choice. The long drive back to Paynesville gave me time to ponder the (rhetorical) question for this summer.... Is the 300km round trip and $70 of gas really worth it for a few flatties when I can pop across the back of Raymond island at the moment for reasonably consistent sport with good bags of chunky monkey KGW and save 2 hrs of my life travelling and $50? Not sure at the moment as I do enjoy the mateship and the scenery down there, and after all, there's more to fishing than just fish.... Right?- So the juries out till the end of the summer. Woolaston tomorrow though as the neighbours have been asking when they can expect their next fish supper and the wife is thinking of putting a lock on the fridge as I keep giving too many away - her words not mine!
Tight Lines
Pirkz

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Re: McLoughlins Beach

Post by by53 » Wed Jan 11, 2023 9:19 am

👍 A feed of flatties would be a good change to the KGW. Be good if the swell eased up so we can get out over the bar and fish comfortably. The KGW fishing is getting crowded at the W spot. Noticed a heap of boats around Frazer so am wondering if they are on there as well. Cheers

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Re: McLoughlins Beach

Post by Andrews » Wed Jan 11, 2023 6:24 pm

Great post as always mate, a couple of flatties for dinner never hurts!
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Geoffski
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Re: McLoughlins Beach

Post by Geoffski » Wed Jan 11, 2023 10:15 pm

Great Work Pirkz always enjoy your report!

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Re: McLoughlins Beach

Post by Chilli » Wed Jan 11, 2023 10:27 pm

Good report and entertaining read

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Re: McLoughlins Beach

Post by Lightningx » Thu Jan 12, 2023 12:04 pm

Nice report pirkz!
Those flatties are a great size!
Enjoy the feed 😃
Cheers 👍🏻

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Re: McLoughlins Beach- Again

Post by Pirkz » Tue Jan 17, 2023 7:43 pm

Headed off to MCL today with Offsider. Followed the usual routine highlighted in earlier reports and hit a quiet ramp around 10am with the tide just beginning to ebb. Same coloured water as last visit along with quite a bit of weed. Offsider only loaded 6 of the 'usual suspect' rods (so a spare hole in the rack) and I made do with 3 , the homeless 2 of which were just lobbed in the front of the boat! Plan was to fish a channel only accessible at high tide for flatties using mainly bait for an hour or so then move back to deeper water and more familiar grounds. Fish on straight away using pillies and bluebait on the bottom. Stayed an hour for 10 fish ranging from 37 - 42 and one at 47. Moved a couple of times and ended the day with 15 all up with 5 keepers, around 38 returned, as in reality there's not much meat on the smaller ones. Todays data point for a potential piscatorial pub trivia quiz question - the 47cm one gave 2 x 100g fillets (skinned) about the same as a 38cm KGW. Got a call half way through the day to say that a fellow fisher and mate had just bagged out in Woolston Bay. Bday tomorrow (and Mrs P has taken a day off to enjoy my company ...ha ha) so the KGW thread and Woolston Bay will have to wait till Thursday for my undivided attention. Pork n pasta for T as all 'fished out' after one (long) day.
Tight Lines
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