stokecarper12

A tough day in some respects, the fish were really finicky, due to fishing for them a bit and the cool down of the weather since the weekend maybe. Twitchy lifts on the swingers, resorted to touch legering. I had 17 carp to 6lbs and lost 5, with a few other runs missed. I fished to the island with 2 rods, very twitchy, drop backs on one rod. I had 3 fish on that. Nothing on boilie yet again. I have not fished the nicolson, i have been up it in the kayake, they sound like amazing fish and a really good catch. I wish the mitchell could throw up catches like that as it is at the end of my road. Hopefully get a day the weekend after next. Going to go the river as there are defenitly doubles in there as i have seen them. I have not used my pod over here yet or my 13ft 31/2 test curves imx's. No need at the moment.

I'll sort some photos, i have not got a round to sorting out photos online yet. Only fish of 7lbs though and some of the lake. The top end looks good, but it is a good cast out and very weedy. I don't know much about the other lake as i have not fished it yet. There comes a guy round at night and he says someone has caught a forty from there, i am a bit sceptical about that. I think 20lbs would be a big fish. I have caught about 80 fish and lost quite a few and only 2 fish felt big boilie. I'll keep you posted going tomorrow for a day session, but very windy over here at the moment.

Went to the river today had 6 fish to just under 8lbs and one lost so a good day on the leger. Some big fish a round so hopefully bigger fish to come.

26 fish today to 7lbs and 7 lost. 1 run on bolie nothging there. Hopefully a big fish soon, alot of fish a round and really windy day with some r4ain, maybe fishing nights is the answer.

I had a better days carping today. Just had a quick trip 5 to 6 hours as no more time spare. I fished to the island and to some sedges closer in i had 20 runs or so. Hooked 18 fish and landed 12 to 7lbs or so, which my best number of carp from this water. It was cooler today and more overcast with a good wind blowing. There was quite a few carp a round. I lost a double figured fish on bolie off the island. My first run on bolie for a while i got the fish 2/3 of the way in then the hook pulled. Which was a gutter as runs of the better fish are few and far between at the moment. Have to try and get more time to fish more to track down one of these big carp. hOPEFULLY MY LUCK WILL change and the hook will stay in. Most carp on sweetcorn over maize on a simple rig.

Been fishing twice over th4e last few weeks on the lake i have mentioned before. I fished after work until 12 fishing an island and sedge area i had 1 run only on boilie 2 hours in. The carp felt a good fish and put a good bend in the rod i could not move it off the island. Eventually after much of a fight the fish came away from the island and snagged me halfway out in a unseen snag. I wnet out in the kayake and found the line attached to a branch as well as a thick green leafed weed which has really sprung up these last few weeks with the summer weather. I managed to get over the fish and get it out, but with the branch it made it hard to play the fish i stopped it twice reaching the island on the final time of running out. I got it back near the net i would say it was a round doubles it was hard to tell from the glimpse i saw of the gold in the water. I could not get it near the net and then it run and the ord sprng back, the joys of carp fishing 2 and halfs month to kook one decent fish and it came a way. I was hoping for more runs, but i had nothing else for 10 hours. I went back last saturday and fished in the rain, i covered and area the last time i fished i had over 20 runs. I had to wait near dark thre was 15 fish over my baits but they were taking flies, there was some fish moving a round the sedges though and head and shouldering. I had, had 1 run on maize, but missed it, so i chnged to the float and worm. I had 3 or 4 bites, but just could not hit the fish and i spooked alot of fish. So i went back to normal sweetcorn on the hook and a light free running leger i had 5 fish in a row on dark up to 6lbs, very long and lean. I had to go early, but still it was good to catch even though all the fish i saw on the top and caught were still small. I have not seen a fish of double figures yet swimming a round, i hope there is some beytter fish in. I have been going a morass area to see if i can find any better fish to fish for the other night they had let the sluice gates open there was 100 carp or more stacked up like sardines underneath where the water was coming out and more than 200 in the bay. None were bigger than 7lbs, there is the odd fish over 10lbs i see occassionlly 3 or 4 bigger fish 12 to 15lbs o0r bigger the probl;em is they move a round alot are silt feeders and are always in the most inacessible areas where the snakes would be. Other than that not done much else on the fishing front. I am going to have a go at a river for big eels and carp. Do most rivers need a lot of prebaiting to get the carp going on the bottom on baits like maize etc? have people found.

Went carp fishing on friday night after work until early morning. IT IS the first time i have fished this lake in 3 weeks due to work. I fished to some sedges which grow out from the island and out to the other end of the island. I fished boilie over a few boilies and maize i did not have a touch on this rod the other rod over about 4 kilos of maize i9 had 3 runs. Mainly fish picking up the maize and dropping back, i think the fish were really small and could not pick up the lead up. I missed a few runs and hit one fish a carp of 1lbs so not agreat night really. Going to go on saturady so hopefully i will do better then. Not tried photos out due to problems with my computer, defenitly try soon. For now dreaming of a 15lbs + carp.

went fishing last night after work on a canal arm of the main river in sale. Im covered about 3 kms of river walking and looking for carp. I saqw carp taking flies by a bridge area but there was way to much weedand shopping trolleys and other rubbish. I had a fish come right under my feet and start feeding. I found quite a large group xcarp moving through upstream i put worm out on the float i9 had a take straight away i lost this fish trying to hold it off a margin overhanging tree the hook pulled. After ythat the fish went really cagey and they would just pull one worm off and go and then they moved on. The frustration of carp or aware carp.

I do know what you are waffling about. I use 2's hooks and 4oz leads. Location is the key i am fishing a round the lake as i know they all a rond the lake, there must be an area where some of the bigger fish hang out. How do you attach photos on here as then i could show you some of the lake. I have had problems using the img and url tabs. I think tyhe river could provide the big fish it is just finding them like all areas.[/u][/url]

Not done loads of fishing recently a few days i was going to go fell through due to wrok etc. I fished a morass area near sale the other week there was carp all around and i just float fished worm i could not buy a bite. The fish just seemed to be feeding on the scum of the water, or to put it better probally soem kind planketon, it reminded me of when fish are totally obessed on daphnia back in the u.k. I had fish go right under the float i tired a load of spots, but to no avail. I have not checked out the thompson river yet, from ewhat infomation i have got it could have the potential for for a 20+ in certain areas. I fished lake gutheride from first light until tea time. I covered the island using maize and fished boilie over a few kilos of maize in an open area 80yds + out in 4 feet of water. Where the silt gets deeper, but there was hard patches around these areas. I had to wait until 1 to get a run, even though early morning there was alot of carp on the surface, i think this could be the besttime to stalk from the kayake for bigger fish. I had 5 runs to maize connecting with 4 fish 2 came away tryting to get to the reeds, the fish seem ton have very soft mouths, may be due to their silt feeding habits. As i have lost a lot of fish, even though i am using good hooks. I landed 1 fish of 6.12lbs not a monster, but the best i have had from this lake so far.The other was 2lbs. I had 2 drop backs on bolie, but did not connect, i think they were small fish messing a round with the bait, as i had line bites as well. It is still hard to sort oout the better fish, defenitly moving over to maize and boilies have give me more confidence. I am trying 24mm to 30mm to keep the small carp at bay. Other than that nothing else to report.

I don't know lake gyatt could have a few decent carp in you just don't see them show alot as the water is so murky. I fished lake gutheridge on tuesday in the windiest conditions i have fished in for ages white horses and all that. I fished the ytop end near the leisure centre and fished 2 area about s 60 and 80 yards out with peanut and sweetcorn and walnuts. I had 5 runs all to the peanut/sweetcorn rod the weed was horrendous like a plant type of weed. I hooked 4 carp but only landed one about 5lbs, i dropped 2 off near the net, not a great day. I have not had a run walnuts fished over a few kilos of sweetcorn. I am going to make boilies and give them a go i have bought some maize i just have to make some up now. I need hard big baits to get through the small carp. I have hooked over 50 carp in the last 8 sessions and none of them have felt that big. It is hard not seeing fish jump or haed abd shoulder or crusie a round to assess the size to move onto them, i guess the joys of australian carpin. hopefully get a day this weeken or early next week.

from what i have peiced together from an angler i spokee to alot of time there is carp in the thompson and the bcak arms to over 24lbs. HE also said he caught a carp of 40lbs on one of the lakes, i agree wellington is way to big i fished a few times from a kayake the only good area would be up on clydebank morass when the carp are in there in the spring. Read tony davies patrick global trotters book he fished that area and the mitchell and tambo river abot 12 years a go and had fish 28lbas and saw fish to 40lbs. BUT things have chnged on the mitchell i have been here3 for the lzst 12 months using a kayake and in have hardley seen any carp against 6 yaesrs there was loads in the river. I don't no if they have mnoved or there has been a natural fish kill ie disease which does tend to happen at times. IF YOU NEED any more info let me kno0w i am just starting in the araea really ythere ias alot of water a ropund here and not alot of info aqnd alot of small carp and boats at the moment and yes i was fishing lake gutheridge and the canal at sale sale port i think it is called.

I am talking about lakes in sale and other areas i fished a round there. Why do you ask? I think at the moment until i see some big carp i am sceptical about the size in the lake. I fished for the last month and have seen one fish over 10lbs jump and nothing else and have caught over 30 fish and lost quite a few and nopne have been that big. I guess it is the way in ozz alot of small carp and a few big fish in some lakes. I will percivere as it took alot of time sometimes to catch decent fish back home.

Fished yesterday mid day to 12 last night. i covered an area where there is the island down to where the duckas get fed. The thinking behind it that there might be some half decent carp a round that area. I fished the float driting worm and corn down opn the wind and put it in likely areas. I fished the other rod over towards the island towrsd a big bed of bullrushs. I used a big amount vof corn and fished wlanuts over the top. Using a biog lot of nuts on the airrig seems to stopped the small fish as i had no runs on these all day. Shame no big fish though. I had 4 carp last night after 8 when i could see fish swirling on the surface and knocking the sdeges about. i had 4 carp to 6lbs , which is not brilliant but the fish are getting abit bigger. I lost 1 decent fish which pulled off when keeping it off the snags. I am defenitly going to start to use maize and bolies as the corn is taken off thre hook in no time. On the lakes you fish do you see uch carp activity ie cruising, jumping out head and shouldering etc? Last question for the day i am having trouble putting photos on the site how do you or ewhat do you press use to down load photos? \ I have tried clicking img and all that happens is the img comes in this box? Any thoughts woyuld be appreaciated.

Fished lillydale lake for 3 nights tea time to af6ter dark. Tried st5alking from the kayake and walking the banks looking for carp or any fish. I hooked one fish the first night, but it came a drtift, proballycarp or a trout, it did not feel massive. I legered last night fishing over beds of sweetcorn between the 2 islands and float fished to where i could see loads of bubbles off fish feeding. Despite fishing until late i had no action. I did not spot any carp in the nights i looked a round, other anglers said they caught them, but only small stuff. I found 2 to 4 feet a round the islands and about 8 feet inbetween the islands. It screams decent carp to me as any water i think time is needed and to either night fish or fish mid week, because of the amount of people. pUT some bait into day at sale and at the river so i will go back there in the week and try different areas and bigger baits. Thanks for the info on lake glenmaggie, i think the potential is there for a big carp, but there is alot of water.

Not been fishing since friday night. Been and baited the river still nothing really big a round. I went and had alook at a morass area last night, there was some carp a round, but not many as they have drained alot of water from one area to the other. The decent size carp i saw have moved further out, where there is to much reed to see them or fish for them. Going to go to melbourne the next few days so hopefully i will have a day on lillydale lake, i just need to find a quiet place a way from some of the crowds as it does get mad on there.

I have been to the lake twice this week and have had mi9xed results. THE first visit i fished a new area covering the margins and the island further out near some sedges. After the amount of runs and bites i had the last time i fished i changed baits yto drilled out peanuts and popupped with cork balls. There was a lot of fish coming out of the water for flies, but these were small fish, even though the water is very shallow you do not see the fish cruising up and down. The other rod i fished sweetcorn and worms on the hook legerd and float fished. I eneded up with 8 carp and a couple lost the biggest going 5lbs. There were a few other anglers on who had carp near to where the birds/ducks get fed regularly, they did not put them back. The carp were no bigger than i was catching so really i was not in the wrong area. The next session i fished on wednesday i moved further up to cover a large area of sedges and reeds and to also to fish far out to cover an area where i had see fish lying up and cruising and to where a local angler who fishes for carp had told me he sees bigger carp later in the evening. I fished 4 walnuts drilled out popup on a air rig fished over a few kilos of sweetcorn, i did not have a touch on this rod. so at least it kept the smaller carp at bay. On the other rod i had 2 carp and lost 2 the two landed were really small. I had a good look a round the lake and the other lake to find some fish i did not see hardley any or anything big. Friday night i went and had alook and fished an area of canal off the main the river, i walked 3 kms of canal to where the river comes in. I saw carp but nothing bigger than 6 to 8lbs mark. The guy i was talking to at the other lake had said he has had carp to 24lbs from this area. There was alot of boat traffic i had and saw a few fish and had a few bites on the float, but landed one small carp. I will go back to this area because at least you can see the carp and what size you are fishing for which will make it good for stalking fish. Today i wnet and had a look at a lake call lake glenmaggie does anyone know anything of the carp otential of this lake? I am still sourcing ingredients for boilies to try and combat the smaller carp abit. I'll put photos of the lake next time.

Thanks for the recipe sounds abit like the boilies i used to use in the early nighties. Been around amorass area today and i have been watching carp to 20lbs head and shouldering a round, i just don't know if i can fish this morass as it is a ramsar site. It does not say anything on sign that i cannot, but i don't really want to be chucked off by a ranger or something any thoughts on the rules of these places? This is the best area around here other thawn the lake i have started to fish. Donkey chokers when i fished a lake in the past were 40 to 50 mm and i still had tench on them, easy to make a batch of bolies though. Where do you get your soya flour from?

I've been back to the lake to fish 3 times in the last week or so. I have had mixed results fishing various areas of the island and the sedges/reeds on the other side. I lost a good fish the other night it made it into some willow roots and i could not get it out, i am not going to fish so close from now on and i am locking my rods up. I have taken 16 fish in the last 4 seesions, but the biggest has only been scarping into 5lbs mark. I have fished at range to the island to cover the reeds and island at the asme time the problem is at this range i have been getting small dropd backs and have been picking up carp of the 2lbs range, which is very annoying. I have tried baits like peanuts and that has not stopped the small fish, has anyone any ideas. I have put a lot of corn in, but tonight it drove the carp crazy i had over 25 runs and landed 9 carp and lost 5 and they were all pretty small, even though the action was fun. I have had a good plum a round from the kayake and have found no more than 5 feet and up to 6 inches of silt. I think may be a stalking and looking for the bigger fish approach might be in order. I spoke to a guy tonight, and he said he had had carp to 40lbs, he seemed genuine and mentioned some good spots on the lake. Tonights session has made me think and i have to revise my approach to how i am going to sort out this lake. The potential is defentily there, it is just finding the fish.

Went the lake in sale on sunday i was going to fish dawn until after dark, but because of work commitments i only did 5 until 10p.m. I fished a swim which covered an area facing the only island in the water. I plumed around from the kayake there opnly seemed about 21/2 feet a round the isalnd with 4 feet in the channel mid way out. I fished sweetcorn on the float and legered. I had 2 carp 8.30 onwards on the float they were only 3 to 4lbs, but it is a start. I saw one fish jump out off the end of the island which was double figured+ i put a bait on that and had a small common. I tried fedding mixers or floaters in on the wind all evening, but had no response at all. I am defenitly gfoing to get some maize and bait this lake, it has areas of silt/mud up to 6 inches or more. So pop ups are a must. I think may be a harder bigger bait might sort the bigger fish out. Hopefully i am goinhg to fish tomorrow, so i will keep you informed.

Thanks guys for the advice, i must admit i have never used maize. I used to cook up big amounts of chickpeas, blavkeyed beans, tiger nuts and hemp. I asked or wnet to the local grain store feed merchant during the winter and asked for hemp i guess they do not do it over here. Molasses is a great liquid to put to bait i used to use it in or with trou pellets with either blackcurrant or scopex for flavour it was agreat fish puller on many lakes. I amdefentily fired up to give the lake a go now. I have got all of my fishing gear over here and bought 3 13ft 3/12 tc rod hutchinson rods with me for bigger lakes with baitrunners etc. I will keep you posted i think because the lake looks quite shallow a simple bolt rig for free ruuning air rig with a pop up a foot or so shoule do the business. Or even fished under a float and keep feeding bait in.

Thanks for the replies, when you say the lakes holds fish to 30lbs do you mean the one at Sale? I have looked a round lillydale off and on for the last few years. I have seen fish bow wave across and presumed they were carp i have only seen carp and other fish come out. Hopefully check out the lake at sale soon at least with a kayake, i will beable to look a round and find some depths and fish. I have never used bolies over here i use sweeetcorn and bread sometimes. Got fish well onto sweeetcorn now on the river, so i will have to give it a go. The only down side is there is nothing big amongst the fish.

Great the site is back up and running. Thanks for that, i really appreciate this vital link to finding carp waters and reading other peoples account to carpin. I have been baiting for carp for the last few weeks tonight there was 5 carp and an eel over my baited area. The only down side is the bank is super steep, so it will need to be fished from a kayake. I came back from melbourne on sunday and a had alook round a lake in sale. It screms carp to me it reminds me of elesmere in cheshire. It must be 60 to 100acres and has one island in it. Other than knowing there is carp in through looking at victoria fishing site that is the only info i have. The water is quite shallow and only really fishable for about 2/3rds of the area of the lake. My question is does anyone know of any decent websites that have guides to waters in a bit more depth. I am going to ask a round the tackle shops, but i don't know how much info i will get as carp are not the number one fish to talk about. Does anyone know much about lillydale lake in Melbourne area and if there are any carp in there. Hopefully i will get out towards the end of the week and catch some fish.