ACT - Lake Tuggeranong

[ozphoenix]

Hey Guys,

 

Just wondering if anyone can give me advice on good areas around Lake Tuggeranong?

 

Also, is it too far in to winter to be fishing for carp? If not, do you have any recommended times?

 

Thanks,

Oz.

[steve_bok]

Mate anywhere around lake Tuggeranong is good, I'm yet to find a stand out spot, I usually catch a few where ever I try. Near where the water enters the lake between the spillway and the bridge is a good place to start.

 

OR maybe try out the front of Maccas, there might be some carp that feed right through winter on the chips and stuff that gets thrown in.

 

I find Tuggeranong doesn't fish very well in winter, quite poorly actually, but come around September it really starts to pick up. I've had a lot of blanks out there in winter with very little success so I tend not to try there in winter much these days, but don't let that stop you trying there.

 

If you really want to catch some Burley Griffin seems to fish well right through winter, it's slower than other times of the year but you can usually count of a couple. Sometimes you get more bigger fish out in winter too.

[ozphoenix]

Thanks Steve.

 

Yeah, I just spent a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon, and another couple on Sunday afternoon with no joy - although I did get a minor strike on Saturday but nothing on the hook. Just using some sweet corn and basic running sinker rig.

 

On Sunday I tried a bit burleying but that made no difference. Even got all my bait back across the two days other than on one cast.

 

Mind you, later in the day I did go for a walk right up the northern end (one the east side) and the water was very still and it looked like some activity was about - but unfortunately it was time to head home.

 

But from what you're saying, I guess I should leave Tuggeranong for now and have a play out at LBG. hmm... just be good to land something...

 

Cheers,

Oz.

[admacdo]

I've been told that the spillway and inlets produce feeding areas and that outside McDonalds is favourable as previously mentioned.

My most productive fishing anywhere was at the inlet of Isabella Pond. After any rain, you can float single corn kernels into the main part of the pond on 1kg line in with the inflow. It was in warmer weather, but the "let the food come to you" principle should hold firm in the cold as well.

 

I just realised that I should be able to do that even better with a fly line.

 

Now I've got something to try out. I think that I'll be shot on sight if the fly fishermen catch me presenting corn on a fly line though..

[ozphoenix]

Thanks admacdo. I've often thought of giving Isabella Pond a go (used to live near there) but never have.

 

When you say:

 

"at the inlet of Isabella Pond"

 

Do you mean the inlet into Isabella Pond itself, or from Isabella Pond into Lake Tuggeranong?

 

thanks,

Oz.

[steve_bok]

Plenty of people using fly to catch carp around the place.

 

I've actually seen people getting them on fly at lake Tuggeranong off the weir where the inflow to the lake itself is... This guy I was watching hooked 4 in about 30 minutes, only landed one though.

[admacdo]

Thanks admacdo. I've often thought of giving Isabella Pond a go (used to live near there) but never have.

 

When you say:

 

"at the inlet of Isabella Pond"

 

Do you mean the inlet into Isabella Pond itself, or from Isabella Pond into Lake Tuggeranong?

 

thanks,

Oz.

 

Damn. I had the point marked with google maps but obviously didn't insert it.

But terminology should give it away really. One end would be the Inlet, the other would be the outlet....

 

I've also caught carp on fly steve. But with bead head Tom Jones.

I've got bread flies but have never used them.

 

If I bait with real corn, it's really crossing the line.

[citycountry]

How deep is Tuggeranong? In winter during a prolonged cold snap carp can hang at the thermocline ie mid water-ish depending on a lot of things of course( thermoclines confuse me!). If you want to try something different you could try zigs at half depth to start, progressively getting higher till you get a bite? It is funky UK stylie but could get a result. Especially round those inlets and overflows you talk of.

[admacdo]

Lake Tuggeranong isn't that deep for the main part. Around Tuggeranong, a convenient way to gauge depth is with how much of the shopping trolley you can see exposed....

 

Thermoclines confuse sonar as well, which is handy if you're in a sub trying to stay away from the men flying around with expanding bait.

 

I was thinking of what would happen to the storm water coming into the inlets as it would be of a different temperature to the standing water. I don't know if it would be warmer or colder at this time of the year though. Still, I expect that the carp would act like trout do. Sit in the calm parts and wait for the food to come past. Then just nip out and grab some.

Like Bears beside a cycle path....

[citycountry]

You mean Drop Bears!

 

[admacdo]

HEY! Keep that quiet. I'm trying to convince English carp anglers that drop bears are a myth.

You'd be amazed what you can find in perfect condition out in the scrub under suitable trees. Lots of camping gear, bicycles etc. I'm hoping for some carping equipment.....

[citycountry]

Hehe!

[steve_bok]

Yeah I think you might be on the money with the thermocline (I struggle to understand it fully as well). I've heard a bit about thermal refuges in deeper sections of some types of lakes when the water flips and the cold comes to the surface, and the remaining warm water sinks to the deeper sections. I think this might well be the case in Tuggeranong.

 

It can be a tough lake to fish at the best of times, good size carp in general, and you can normally count on getting a couple for your efforts but it's really hard to get a big haul, sometimes you get lucky.

[admacdo]

Cold water sitting on top of warm water is a physical impossibility as long as there is gravity.

 

You'll never find warmer water sinking.

 

You'll find changes in water layers due to their proximity to energy sources causing the layers to mix and reorganise, but you won't find wamer as you go down.

 

You'll find non linear changes in temperature with depth and variations, but not negative ones unless you find a thermal plume. And that's an energy source. Outlets from power stations can be interesting places to fish. And illegal in some areas of NSW lately too...

[citycountry]

What are you chattin' on?! Illegal to fish near power station outlets? Is that somewhere in the ACT?

[admacdo]

Nothing that can be considered power stations near water outlets in the ACT.

There was an article in the paper within the last few weeks about anglers targeting small bream that were schooling in the warm outlets of power stations in NSW. The fisheries inspectors were waiting for them..

[citycountry]

Ah gotcha, I know near where I grew up in CQ they used to fish near the outlet of a power station for big barra. Produced monsters too!!

Bream are certainly getting bashed of late. 'Oh,we've got a species we haven't completely annihilated, lets make it the next big sportfish and do the job properly!'

[steve_bok]

I'm no expert but you should do some reading on 'stratification'. The bottom can be the warmest place on the lake.

 

Water is at it's heaviest at 39.2f, so sinks to the bottom, anything colder than this sits on top once all the water is 39.2f. Hence why water freezes from the top down.

[admacdo]

Well, there you go. Applying oceanic thermocline issues to lakes is a mistake. It would be interesting to see if we have enough water mass and temperature differential here to get those effects. All the info is about much deeper lakes.

Plus we don't get iced up which creates a thermal barrier to a certain extent.

 

Which is good. Ice fishing kinda sucks as an idea.

[ozphoenix]

Thanks guys!

 

From what I'm reading, probably should leave Lake Tuggeranong at the mo' and move to LBG. Also, at some point I should give Isabella Pond a bash.

 

But most importantly, if going for either of those accept the carp will be lazy and let the food go to them (so maybe a running sinker not the best rig for that).

 

Cheers,

Oz.

[citycountry]

So you are using sweet corn? Do you use a hair rig or on the hook? Do you prebait? Have you tried stinky maize?

 

As to your presentation running rigs in winter are good as fish don't feed as aggressively. So baits presented with as little resistance as poss will be more likely to be picked up. If you hair rig, a bit of yellow foam(or buoyant fake corn) sandwiched between two kernals will help the bait fly into the carps mouth.

 

Bit more on maize-

https://forum.carp.com/article44.html

 

They're not lazy just with the colder water temps their metabolism slows down hence less need to feed so often. They will also feed in regular time windows, depends on location but find that time and you've got a better chance of a bite; even on harder winter waters.

 

Good luck, and keep us posted!

 

Ben

[ozphoenix]

Thanks Ben.

 

Yup, sweet corn. Nope, not hair rig but on the hook (or shank at least as per http://www.canberrafishos.com/Articles/Improving-Your-Carp-Results.pdf) - never given the hair rig a go (keeping it simple to start). By prebait do you mean burley - in which case yes. Stinky maize: now that's a new one to me.

 

Hear what you're saying on the metabolism etc. So yes, be good to know the time window... I guess maybe in the afternoon they're probably spent their day doing any eating they planned on, so maybe I should be trying the morning for starters.

 

Thanks again, and I'll keep ya posted.

 

Oz.

[admacdo]

Since we don't have boilies just yet, (Although the ingredients and other bits and pieces are being assembled today) my fishing buddy and I have been using a modified hair rig.

 

Any old hook on the bottom of about 15mm long. Bait it up with whatever and then putting the second hook on the line with the knotless rig.

 

What is important is that the hook have an inwards turned eye. (Towards the point.) I've settled on a Mustad viking or 540 hook in size 10. Available from BCF in Tuggers or Fyshwick.

 

Once you've tied your bottom hook (where a boilie would normally be threaded and stopped) get your other hook and thread the line from the back of the hook through the eye.

Slide the hook down so that the bend sits just above the bait hook and the line is along the back of the top hook. Have a look at how the eye of the hook has been closed and then wrap the shank (and line) of the hook about 7-10 turns (going away from the direction of the split in the eye for reliability sake if you're a pedant)

 

Once you've done your turns (and this is the important bit that makes the rig work extremely well) take your line and thread it back through the eye of the hook FROM BACK TO FRONT. That creates the dogleg which makes the hook turn and catch.

 

Since utilising this rig, every single fish we've caught since has been on the top hook.

 

If you can't visualise the tying of it. just watch this youtube demo.

After they tie the boilie loop, they tie the knotless rig.

 

[techo]

Ok....

 

Fry fishing. In front of macca's. With Fries. Mind teh ducks/coots/swans/insane people.

 

Thermoclines exist. That's why they have a name.

 

..and its called Isabella Pong, not Pond. Try upper stranger Pond (flows into Isabella Pong, which flows into tuggers weir which flows into lake tuggers) Watch the pelicans for fish location, and the fish there are very shy.

 

Lake Tuggers skate park by the boom hard against the weeds will get you 20's.

 

That rig works. A knotless knot across the shank (30 degree angle to hair) lower down also does a good job.

[stokecarper12]

A basic line aligner air rig is really all you need over here as the fish are fairly niave.

 

I have found on some lakes using the hair and say 4 to 5 bits of maize3 and cork balls to pop up the bait can be to much. I was getting quite a few drop runs and fish just picking up the maize, i found when fishing closer in straight on the hook and to touch leger to be the best, or to float fish and not hit the first pull. Unitl the fish has got the bait down its gob a bit more.