Lakes Entrance report - Australia Day 2022

[Joker91]

Hey all

So I would say the lakes entrance fishing trip was a very successful trip to my standards.

The main goal of this trip was to to get some prawns. And I did it!!! Yes they were tiny and just good enough to be used as bait, but it was bloody good fun trying to get them. I would highly recommend you try it at least once if you haven’t done it. There was a crazy amount of crab that we saw at night which their body would have been the size of your palm. As I am not aware of what is considered good eating size for crabs I just let them be.

So with the prawning out of the way, I attempted my first time surf fishing with this new rod that I was given recently. Fortunately it came with a made up rig already (paternoster) so all I done was put some fresh pilchards on and off it went. The rod was in the water for about 5 minutes and I got for my first salmon!

I felt like it was the first fish I have ever caught and just like that, I was hooked on the surf fishing. Over the coming days I got a few salmon, flat head, silver travelly, gurnard, wrasses, and a couple of smaller fellas that I am not sure what they were.

It is safe to say, that I plan to do a much more surf fishing but am currently still in the research stage of understanding best overall rig set. Any advice on leader weights, type of hooks and size would be much appreciated and rig set up.

As for the prawning, the time I went the prawns were all still small the locals were saying that the waters have been a bit of of wack so no one was catching, so I would like to go when the catching is actually decent.

But lakes entrance really is a beautiful place with heaps to offer. I would like to try more fishing in the estuary next time and maybe go for the breams and whiting. I have it a small crack, but was not successful.

[Sebb]

Well done man, good on you.
Definitely a beautiful place. My biggest salmon was caught there years ago.
Did you fish the eastern beach?

[Joker91]

Yeah they were all caught on the eastern beach with only the gurnard and wrasse being caught at red bluff

[hornet]

That first picture looks like a tailor ?

[Joker91]

That first picture looks like a tailor ?

Looking at the Vic fishing app, it does look like a tailor. I am really struggling to get a solid grip on the different species of fish. It’s shocking, I been doing this for so long now and still can’t pick many of the species.

[Sebb]

Yea I think it's a tailor. Smaller scales, flatter body.
Did you serrated knife looking teeth? If yes, it's a tailor.

[Pirkz]

Good job. Thanks for the report. Maybe consider flicking a metal bar type lure for the salmon some time when conditions allow, as its a lot of fun in the surf - as you can use lighter gear. Only need to cast 10-30 m and if the sambo's are about they'll take a lure. And yep ,Lakes and surrounds are beautiful and relatively unspoilt piscatorially speaking- us relocated locals (all the way from the UK in my case !) are lucky that's for sure with so much fishing on our doorstep. And unlike some other Boards, this forum is a mine of useful advice and information.
Tight Lines
Pirkz

[Lightningx]

Well done mate!
Some nice fish there
Cheers

[fishnut]

As long as you're having fun and getting a couple good stuff