KGW Gippsland Lakes

Pirkz
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Re: KGW Gippsland Lakes

Post by Pirkz » Sun Dec 11, 2022 4:15 pm

I know I said that I wouldn't ..but I will. Wollaston 1.30 to 3:30 today. Breeze got up though, boat swang and waves increased to just south of a whitecap. But persisted with a float n prawn combo. Slow action. Coupla moves resulted in 12 with 7 kept as the others were only just out of high school - around 30 cm. Salmon and mullet also came out to play unless bait was hard on the sand. Last 30 mins I stashed the float gear and used a light running ledger for a couple including the biggest of the day at 40. Others all around 36 ish. 2 other boats moved around a bit so probably a hard day in blustery conditions. Lost what looked like a PB after a 5 minute tussle. It took off like a train and kept going and is probably in Loch Sport by now....bugger!
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Re: KGW Gippsland Lakes

Post by Geoffski » Mon Dec 12, 2022 8:41 am

Pirkz wrote:
Fri Dec 09, 2022 12:39 pm
Geoffski. OK See pic
But basically a longer lighter rod say 9ft min. Float is an old UK sourced item balsa body and stick type insert (easily home made though)buoyant enough to hold a 1cm sq piece of prawn -but not so buoyant that the fish feels too much resistance on the bite. Float is attached to 3-4kg line via float rubbers i.e small pieces of tubing top and bottom of the float , although this float has an eye on the bottom for additional stability on the line. Line threaded through rubbers then attached to a small clip swivel and a commercially made size 6/ 8 circle hook with snood on attached - allows easy change of end tackle i.e hook size via a clip though not normally necessary - but useful if toadies come out to play! Very simple rig. Quite coarse though as the last bit of line is thicker than the mainline. If the bites were fickle I would just tie a hook on to the mainline and forgo the swivel. In Uk most of my youthful lake/ river fishing was done with 4.5m rods and a large selection of different floats depending on conditions, using lines as light as 1kg and hook size down to a 22 which would still hold fish of KGW size easily if played properly. I found that these KGW (rip) were very bold on the take and the float slid under quickly after a few taps. By striking up the hook was invariable set in the top lip - easy to remove and being a circle wouldn't drop out if the pressure was taken off the line. Depth setting was random but set above most of the weed though easily adjusted. Only the second time Ive used float for KGW but shall persevere as a lot of fun. Basically float fishing water any depth say 2-3 m is quite effective if it aint windy - then you would need a different float (long antennae) or ledger as per normal. I also berleyed intermittently with bits of prawn incl the squashed up heads and noted parts of the heads in the guts of the bigger specimens. Hope this helps. Was just about to go out again but the lawnmower has won today!
Edited to add a size 16 hook and a home made float
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Pirkz
Hi Pirkz
Thanks for the detail, very interesting rig - I look forward to giving it a try
Cheers GT

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Re: KGW Gippsland Lakes -Woolaston Bay V

Post by Pirkz » Sat Dec 17, 2022 3:16 pm

Christmas shopping or fishing today? No brainer as I, being a last minute sort of guy, like many blokes Im sure, normally do my shop Xmas eve. So a bit of Same but Different today. Only a light breeze forecast, so fancying a change, launched at Paynesville yacht club - good jetty, no sand , only 1 other trailer today and and its actually 1km nearer to X marks the spot. Plus, Im a little bored of repeatedly spending 8 minutes of my life transiting the Northern shore of Raymond Island if the truth be known, (and now it is). So with multiple fish promised to the usual suspects, I headed over to Woolaston at 10am and decided to fish a random spot not on any previous marker. Anchored up in 1.8m with a bit of weed showing and a light ripple on the water. Float rod , prawn, cast, bite, strike - game on . And to me at least, its always that first bite that's the most exciting, as you never know if there will be fish in a particular spot. Half a dozen mixed size fish 30-43 in quick succession and then constant bites at random intervals. Gave the flowing trace rig a go when a cuppa was needed , and bugger me rod, quickly arched around a few times with 40cm + specimens on the end (larger prawn bait used for better fish I found) So 2 hrs,2 cuppas and 1 Mars bar in, time to call .. well time! Bagged out - Plus 5 @30 ish , a trevally, coupla salmon and a few pan sized mullet all released. Left em biting. Next task was to try out my brand new descaler bag recently purchased from a Port Lincoln shop via Fleabay. Not cheap at over $100 but it did a bloody good job - as advertised - and it was pretty full! Thought that I was towing a skier before getting it up on the plane! Plan to head out again tomorrow at a gentlemanly hr - 9 ish - Old Quintrex Fishabout with a burgandy canopy if anyones about - Billy no mates today as not another boat in sight.
Pics of some of the descaled seniors -the other 14 were all adopted - and the bag
Festive Tight Lines
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Re: KGW Gippsland Lakes

Post by re-tyred » Thu Dec 22, 2022 5:37 pm

Well did a few hours at daylight till 9am at Wollaston bank. Started slow. Moved a few times. Found a patch of big one. Managed to pull 3 40cm + out of 7 hookups. The other 4 broke me off. One just as I had it at the net. Big run on one, I thought I had hooked a salmon or a kingfish. No chance on a size 10 hook on 6lb. So I re spooled with 15 lb when I got home. Break-off was right at the hook each time. I am guessing a combination of getting chewed on by crabs and Toadies plus very small line.
Total bring home was 7. Smallest 38cm
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Re: KGW Gippsland Lakes -Woolaston Bay V

Post by Lightningx » Fri Dec 23, 2022 6:50 pm

Pirkz wrote:
Sat Dec 17, 2022 3:16 pm
Christmas shopping or fishing today? No brainer as I, being a last minute sort of guy, like many blokes Im sure, normally do my shop Xmas eve. So a bit of Same but Different today. Only a light breeze forecast, so fancying a change, launched at Paynesville yacht club - good jetty, no sand , only 1 other trailer today and and its actually 1km nearer to X marks the spot. Plus, Im a little bored of repeatedly spending 8 minutes of my life transiting the Northern shore of Raymond Island if the truth be known, (and now it is). So with multiple fish promised to the usual suspects, I headed over to Woolaston at 10am and decided to fish a random spot not on any previous marker. Anchored up in 1.8m with a bit of weed showing and a light ripple on the water. Float rod , prawn, cast, bite, strike - game on . And to me at least, its always that first bite that's the most exciting, as you never know if there will be fish in a particular spot. Half a dozen mixed size fish 30-43 in quick succession and then constant bites at random intervals. Gave the flowing trace rig a go when a cuppa was needed , and bugger me rod, quickly arched around a few times with 40cm + specimens on the end (larger prawn bait used for better fish I found) So 2 hrs,2 cuppas and 1 Mars bar in, time to call .. well time! Bagged out - Plus 5 @30 ish , a trevally, coupla salmon and a few pan sized mullet all released. Left em biting. Next task was to try out my brand new descaler bag recently purchased from a Port Lincoln shop via Fleabay. Not cheap at over $100 but it did a bloody good job - as advertised - and it was pretty full! Thought that I was towing a skier before getting it up on the plane! Plan to head out again tomorrow at a gentlemanly hr - 9 ish - Old Quintrex Fishabout with a burgandy canopy if anyones about - Billy no mates today as not another boat in sight.
Pics of some of the descaled seniors -the other 14 were all adopted - and the bag
Festive Tight Lines
Pirkz
Very nice session mate!
That bottom one is very fat :) some nice fillets off that one 😃
Cheers 👍🏻

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Re: KGW Gippsland Lakes

Post by Pirkz » Fri Dec 23, 2022 8:10 pm

No pics but fished Sun Mon Tues over in Woolaston Bay (there's a pattern here) and today Fri. Scores on the doors - 1 , 12, 20 & 20 + (6 returned). Short story short - plenty of fish about. Liaised with re-tyred via Navionics app markers and came up trumps again today - 14 fish on the float in 40 mins is pretty bloody good. Anyway bagged out in 90 mins and threw a load at 32 back and had a chat with 2 other fishos fishing in 1.5m about 100 m away from me. Both bagged out on mussel. So if its KGW your after this festive season get your craft over to Woolaston Bay.
Tight Lines as dinner is served - KGW bread crumbed tonight - of course.
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Re: KGW Gippsland Lakes

Post by Pirkz » Fri Dec 30, 2022 1:30 pm

Absence ( or is that abstinence?) makes the heart grow fonder...or so they say.So after a week landlubbing decided on a fish today.And yep the passion to wet a line is still there. Out at 8 am back around 12 ish. Joined a small Armada dotted around Woolaston Bay though anchored away from the crowd. First 2 hrs were flat calm, no tide and no bites other than a tenacious March fly ( RIP) . By the sound of anchors being lifted and dropped probably a slow day for all. Bit of muliti tasking needed - so eyes on the float and ears on the phone. Managed to complete the purchase of a car for the missus using her hard earned money of course, and then spent 30 mins talking to my Bro in UK with video on as its the closest hes gonna get to seeing blue sky till about May over there.Social intercourse complete decided on a move just as an Easterly kicked in. Random spot in 2.1m .Bit of tidal movement and at last the float sailed away....40 cm KGW. Action quickened for an hour then died.Ended the session with 8 and 3 @30 ish returned.Prawn squid, float and running trace did the trick ....for an hour at least. Wont fish again until next year.
Tight Lines for 2023
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Re: KGW Gippsland Lakes

Post by re-tyred » Mon Jan 02, 2023 10:59 am

Started the new year today. Went early due to hot weather and tourists. Caught nothing from 5-30am till 8am. Shifted 5-6 times around the shallow bank in Woolston bay. Finally on the north side in 1.8 MTRS. Zzzz off went the line. Only a 33cm KGW. Ten minutes nothing, starting to think I will be going home with my tail between my legs. Then down goes the rod and out goes the line. The big fish can really put up a fight in shallow water. It zipped back and forth taking line on the runs. Soon had a 41cm on the deck. This was followed by 6 more, then one that escaped off the hook as I tried to net it. Went quiet for 20 minutes then on again. By 9.30am I had a dozen and decided that would do.. Mussels, prawn and squid all worked. Few Toadies and one bream returned. Sliding rig and floating rig both caught fish.
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Re: KGW Gippsland Lakes

Post by Pirkz » Mon Jan 02, 2023 1:20 pm

Nice catch re-tyred. Can concur re the productivity / attraction of Woolston. Fished NYE - similar story - nowt for 3 hrs then a hotspot found when a bit of tidal movement kicked in close to your previous marker SE in 2.2m. Within an hour had 17 with a few returned. Actually ran out of bait as I only took my last 9 prawns and a couple of old squid with me just to get out on the water. Last 3 were caught on the same old piece of dried squid peeled off of the engine cowling would you believe such was the bite rate. But all good things come to an end and the last fish swallowed it so despite searching the boat for anything to use as bait decided to call it quits. Also went out yesterday NYD to Woolston but not till mid arvo. Windy but fishable. Fort King ramp was rammed and I had to walk 100 yds up the carpark just to park (a new record), but the actual jetty was empty as most were early birds and were no doubt Offshore. Fished here, there, and everywhere it would seem, and almost gave up for a donut when the last move 3 hrs in - around 5 ish - came up trumps ; large sandy area in 2 m on the North western fringe of the bay . Actually had a white marker there dropped no doubt by an Old School owner who cant use modern apps/ & tech on phones to mark his spots ( I sometimes catch up with him afloat)! Anyway bite kicked in for an hour and I came in with 7 up to 40 ish and about a dozen toadies (returned - bloody nuisance) on prawn. So a good start to 2023. May need to venture further up the lakes back to the Metung area if only for a change of scenery. May go out later today subject to Domestic clearance.
Tight Lines All.
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Re: KGW Gippsland Lakes

Post by re-tyred » Mon Jan 02, 2023 3:12 pm

Haha yes I have met the bloke who drops a float. He went crook at me once for stealing "his" spot. Fact was I returned to a mark I had fished a few days earlier and there was a float there.
Last year the fish moved to the western side of the red marker late January. So about a mile further west.
There's nothing . . . absolutely nothing . . . half so much worth doing as simply messing around in boats.
Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows (River Rat to Mole)

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