Gippsland carping

[stokecarper12]

Not fished much over the last few weeks due to work comittments and other things.

 

I went the weekend before last and fished most of the day and ended up with 14 fish to 6lbs and lost a few as well.

 

The weather was everywhere on the day, as we had ahad alot of rain in the week the water level had come up and the water was quite murky.

The wind was everwhere one minute blowing from the bank out to some of the reeds/sedges and then turning a round and blowing straight back into my face.

This made bait placement tricky and trying to get free bait ie floaters to drift out was nearly impossible due to the wind piking up and sending the floater baits everywhere.

 

Some of the fish have started to wise up and were just grabbing hold of the bait making a mere quiver on the float and then letting go.

 

I managed 6 fish and lost one on the marginal rod, which i have been baiting for a good while. The water is very shallow and the fish spook very easily and then take ages to drift back into the swim.

 

By changing my baiting strategy to baiting for 3 to 4 days on the trot using less bait each time. Instead off putting in 2 big loads twice a week, this first policy seems to have given the fish more confidence and seeing bait most days has given them the confidence to visit the area more often.

 

Instead of getting there heads down twice a week and then [censored]ing off.

I am still having problems presenting a bait to the fish on the marginal rod though, it does not seem to matter if i fish a foot on the bottom, or right on the bottom or mid depth or even boucing the bait along the bottom the fish sppok on the float and don't always take the bait successfully.

 

I have tried legering this spot, but it makes no difference, i get the odd pull on the tip and the carp lets go. I know some are line bites even though i sinbk the line to the bottom and on ocassions i sink the rod tip to the bottom.

I have to fish the line to the left of me on a right angle as i cannot cast direct becasue of a big sedge reed bed.

 

On the next trip i only fished a few hours due to fishing after work. The conditions were not perfect and fishing was frustating i managed 6 fish and lost 1, but just could get the fish going. As the wind was everywhere and i could not any floating baits out.

So i could not get the fishes confidence up by them taking more bait over time so the fish were wary. What few fish were a round. Fish were taking beetles which there is a vast amount at the moment in this area.

 

I have started to use pocket rockets to bait up with at more range than a catapult can get the bait out. I am using these smaller rockets as they less disturbance when actually fishing to the fish. It does seem to disturb the fish as much and they are soon back in the swim the down side is they do not deliver alot of bait and normally and to get the distance to where i am fishing i need to attach a lead to get the rocket out there.

 

I lost fish of 10lbs mark on the first of these sessions two rod lengths out, it is the bihhest fist i have hook from this venue.

 

I have looked at a few rivers this last weekend with the thought of fishing them in early spring. Hopefully by then the water levels will be going down and the rivers will be a little clearer and i can see the better fish.

 

Bait rockets and catapults used.

[stokecarper12]

Basic rigs ling aligners and popped up maize i use on a few venues with 2 to 4.oz leads.

 

 

I fish this either straight off the lead or a couple of inches above the free bait.

[stokecarper12]

Long time or it feels like a long time since i last put anything down on the screen.

 

I fished for the first time last sunday only for the afternoon as my time is limited at the moment.

 

For 2 nights after work i had baited 4 or 5 kilos of particles and the conditions were perfect the wind was running from behind out to where i fish. Buy sunday a big gusty wind had got up and was doing it's best to blow me off the water.

 

I percivered, but i could not get any bait out by catapult and i had left my bait rockets at home. Normally i drift out bread and mixers on the wind and get the carp going from down stream and from some of the more snaggier areas.

 

On this day it was not to be. I made the best of it and cast out every 5 minutes with a heavily waited float with the line sunk and the rod tip on the bottom. To keep the float out longer, i managed one fish on the is set up fishing a foot under the surface.

 

On the near side rod, where i had baited for two days i fished, mashed bread, chickpeas, oats, boilie crumb, maize and other particles. On a 5 swan shot float i could only just hold bottom.

I reverted to float legering with a 5/8.oz leger and fishing the float at 3 feet with 8 inches on the bottom. This seemed to do the trick as the float held in the silty water and the bites were brilliant sail away bites. Which i did miss a few and pull out of one fish after a tug of war a round the post.

After finally getting the fish a round the post the fish made one last lunge for the post and the line went slack.

I ended up with 6 fish on this rod with the smallest i have from this water ranging from 8.oz to 5lbs.

 

I had one final fish on the other rod, which picked up the float buried it and took line off the reel like i had a hooked a log in a flooded river.

This fish ran like a tiger everywhere and took my rod right over, i thought i had hooked my first double from this water.

 

It was not to be and i got the fish near the net is was a fish of 5lbs, it must just have liked to fight hard.

 

I have baited the last few nights, different spots and a new pool i am going to have a go off.

 

I am finally going to get back on running water on sunday for the first time for months and have a go for a bigger carp hopefully.

 

Hopefully good reports and bigger carp to follow

 

tight lines

 

andy

[stokecarper12]

I've been around a few rivers and big lakes this afternoon after work.

Mainly to look at shallow morass type areas to see if i could see any carp moving in before spawing. I did not see one fish not to mean they were not there. Just that the weather tempreture has gone down from 24 to 27.oc last week to 16.oc this and with two none stop days of rain on wednesday and friday and the battering winds it must have put the carp down a bit.

 

I baites a few patches on a river the water was up, but not really high. Hopefully the bait will draw something in, a full day at it tomorrow will see.

 

for now tight lines

 

 

andy

[stokecarper12]

Certaintly not a great rod bending day on the river. It felt like a ghost town, no fish moving or rolling.

 

I had one run this morning after spodding a kilo of particles out the carp was a light coloured fish of 2lbs.

Other than twice the float ran across the surface and i struck into nothing and one slight drop back that was it for day.

 

A windy just no rain which was good. I am going to try down stream next time as the area i fished looked fished and i have a feeling the fish could have had some stick to get my drift.

 

Has anyone caught over the weekend?

 

tight lines andy

[stokecarper12]

Trying to get down finally what i have being doing fishing the last month or so.

I have done a lot of fishing due to work commitments. I fised a few weeks a go on a big morass area off a big peice of water.

I searched this bay area 100acres+ using a kayake to look a round. I did not disturb one fish. After covering a lot of water, i only put a float rod in for a few hours, a round a few likely areas. Fishing worm for no bites.

 

The week after i fished a river, but looking a round most of th areas had obviously been heavily fished. I did not see any carp a round these areas. I looked further down the river, but most areas were the same, the tracks had 4x4 marks on them and camp fires and scales everywhere.

 

I found one area which was more overgrown, there was some carp about i float fished and trotted down worm. I managed 10 carp, but nothing really big.

 

Melbourne cup day i went and had alook at a few ponds and lakes as well as a few rivers. The day was pretty dull, so i could not see any fish, but found a few really good pegs. So hopefully when i have a bit more time i will fish these areas.

 

Last sunday i fished a new lake which is 10 to 15 hectares in size. i managed 8 to 10 bites on the float. Fishing in 3 feet of water. I only hit one fish a carp of 4lbs. I saw some other fish a round, nothing big. I thinki thi9s lake has got the potential to throw something decent up. It is hard to fish as the access a round the lake is very limited and some of the bigger fish i have seen have been at range.

 

I think single hookbaits and a good chuck and big pop ups will be the order of the day.

 

I have baited this lake twice this week, so hopefully i can get a few hours in onthe weekend.

I had a look a round a few lakes today, there was alot of carp milling a round feeding on the the edge of rocks on the weed. I spotted carp to 8lbs and nothing really over this. Hopefully when the full summer comes this lakes water level will go down and push the bigger carp into to the silty rocky areas to sift on the silt giving me a chance to stalk the bigger fish. Or else there is just to many small carp to work through.

 

What i need is more time to fish. tight lines for now and hopefully next time i will have some photos of some big fish hopefully.

[tewkes]

Hey mate,

 

Been ages, work and weather have it hard for me to get over there. Taking 10 days over Chrissy with the familly over in Golden Beach. Thinking of trying to get some big numbers from there. We'll hopefully have more luck catching up then. Need to get some confidence up oin the ol' boilies, figure it's a good place to hone my skills!!! What are your moveents over that time?

 

Paul

[citycountry]

Cracking read as always mate, sounds like you are really covering the ground down your way. I take it most of your exploration is by kayak? Love it that you are just plugging away, my kind of fishing. Keep at it mate, I'm sure the carping gods will shine on you soon!

Take it easy,

Ben

p.s. just looking back over your posts...I am loving those tiles man...groovy!

[stokecarper12]

Been looking a round a fare bit, but not really seeing a lot of fish. Or the size i am after to fish for. I have been out on the mitchel a bit, but saw no fish a round, but the weather has been a bit up and down.

 

I went out today to bait up and have a look at a few lakes one was quiet and only a few carp showing at range the other lake there was lots of carp showing.

Mainly in pods eating all the new weed, which had come up in the last few weeks. As well As well as looking a round all the sedges, the water levels are slowly starting to drop on these lakes bringing the acerage down a bit. Giving me more chance to get to a bigger fish. Not a great photo, but i have a new camera so i am just learning it. A pod of carp

[stokecarper12]

Not fished much other than last weekend i managed dinner time to dark on a new stretch of river. I fished a beautiful classic looking swim under a big old eucalyptis tree and float fished the other rod to an overhanging tree.

The river had quiet a bit of water and push on it. So bigger leads were the order of the day.

The first i fished i managed 1 bite on the float and a bang round on the leger rod, which led to nothing. I saw one fish crash way out into the river and another fish head shoulder in margins right by my float.

 

I tried another swim further up and float fished in 7 feet of water. The other rod i covered the far margin with even a 2.oz bomb, i was struggling to hold the bottom. I cast out and bounced the bait under a tree canopy, which looked a banker for a bite; but nothing happend. Other than a massive thunder storm, the worst mosquitos i have known for ages and seeing a snake zig zag across the river and into the reeds under my rods. To top the day off after getting a hard cast under the trees a boat came along with a water ski guy on the back at 2 million kms a hour, which [censored]ed any chance of fishing. I am not running back to this stretch of river quite yet as you can gather.

[stokecarper12]

Fished today the first day all week with no rain or thunder. The tempreture has been up the last 3 days over 30. So 22 to 24 and overcast and a good wind was great feeding conditions today. I fished a new area and river today and finally after getting through the under growth i found a decent swim i had looked at few months a go.

I legered down a margin into 6 feet of water near to overhanging trees and a good weed bed out from the margins. The other rod i float legered and fish up in the water. After feeding out floaters.

I did not fish to dark as really, i had had enough and really the small fish had moved in and i can always fish it again.

 

Finally after a lot of months and a 100 + carp or more i managed a double today. Well 2 at 10.0lbs and 10.7lbs, so i am hoping that i have found some bigger fish finally. I also managed a fully scaled off the river the first i have had off a river not massive, but makes a change from a common.

 

I think today will take some beating for a while in all i landed 16 fish to 10.7lbs, with thew bulk of the fish been a pound to 4lbs mark. I pulled out of 7 fish with 3 fish running me right across the river, i saw fish they were 6 to 7lbs.

 

10.0lbs carp on the leger

[stokecarper12]

 

Carp 10lbs other side

 

 

 

 

 

Carp 10.7lbs on the float

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fully scaled off the river

 

 

 

[nails]

Nice one Andy...a little cracker of a Mirror hey...and congratulations on the doubles as well...So they are in there hey..With the bio-mass being so big you will allways have the same problem of trying to winkle out the bigger fish...your having a great time so keep at it I say...Cheers

 

ATB

 

Paul

[stokecarper12]

I have fished two days this weekend, with both been afternoon to towards dark.

 

Today i fished the river near to where i fished last weekend. The conditons were pretty6 good with and air tempreture a round 25.oc and quite overcast, but with a good gusty wind. This really made presentation with the float very difficult. So i ended fishing float leger on the bottom. With the rain this week thew river was up at least a meter or so. The wind was in the total opposite direction to last week, which made putiing floaters out hard and really i could not get the freebies out to where i wanted them to attract fish in.

One this rod i had a few lifts on the float, but nothing really to strike at. On the leger i sat for 5 hours, with only a few tremours on the rod tip.

I then a small a mount of fish ain a half hour spell. With 4 fished landed the biggest going 3 lbs and lost 2 fish to hook pulls. Which were the better fish of the day.

 

Saturday i fished where i had been fishing over the winter i had baited areas in the week and fed out floaters. With a good wind blowing from behind me out into the lake. I manged to present floaters on the top and under the float as well as float fish on the bottom. I fished until dark and had the best days carping in terms of numbers over here. landing 37 carp to 9.8lbs, with quite a lot of fish in the 5 to 7lbs bracket.

I also lost 13 fish, through hook pulls trieing to hold fish off the sedges and 1 fish getting the other side of a reed bed and getting stuck.

 

I think unless i fish a lake stuffed to the hilt with carp this number of carp will take some beating as really i did not stop putting bait out and changing presentation like a matchman for 8 hours. So today i have a very stiff back and an aching right arm.

 

As the carp really fought hard and did not want to get landed. The fish wer in good condition. I bettered my personal; best off that water to 8.12lbs and then 9.8lbs. I am still hoping for a double off there or a twenty.

 

At the end of tonight i had a decent carp on the river head and shoulder over my legered baits. I put bait out and sat there, but the fish moved up stream. I would have put floaters to it, but the wind was to strong coming into my bank.

[stokecarper12]

CARP from saturday 8.12lbs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carp 9.8lbs

 

 

 

Not the best of photos low light and the flash kicked in.

[stokecarper12]

I fished last weekend on the saturday. I spent from first light driving a round looking for areas to fish on the various rivers i am looking at, at the moment. Access is a real issue as some quiet areas of the main roads either have no features or are so reed and sedge lined so far out. You just cannot get into the water to fish the area. One of the rivers was upm and looked more like drinking chocolate, which i did not fancy.

 

One area i had looked at a few months a go, which i really fancied has now been bollared off. So there is no parking near it and you are not allowed to park any where near walking distance to it.

 

i settled on an area further up stream, which was actually 3 to 4 feet from the week before. The area was or looked good on the far margin as there was alot of overhanging trees and a small weed bed and 6 feet of water. With there been 8 feet of water in the middle, with quite a muddy bottom.

The margins there was old stumps, a sedge bed and a overhanging tree.

 

I float fished on the bottom, lying on the bottom by a foot. I fed maize, mashed bread and seeds and fished bread and sweetcorn on the hook.

I bait rocketed maize over to the far margin a bout a kilo or so. + legered maize over the top. For the first 5 hours i had, had 1 bite on the leger rod and saw a few small carp top out.

 

Towards 5p.m some carp moved in and i started to get bites on the leger rod. I got plagued by false bites and lifts on the float. Some which i missed on the strike. It was just one of those frustrating days, when things don't really come together. I managed 10 carp to 4lbs and lost 7 carp and missed a million false bites.

 

The only fish to raise my spirits a nice mirror a rarity.

 

 

 

 

I did not fish sunday afternoon as planned today i went and took the map and we3nt and had a look a round various areas a round the river up and down stream. To try and find some new areas to fish to catch that elusive twenty.

 

For now tight lines

[nails]

It,s only a matter of time Andy before you nail a big one...You know the bigger ones there it,s just a matter of time..do these fish take off the top??..if so you could be just a matter of targeting the bigger ones..at least you can get to see what your chasing and target the fish accordingly instead of just fishing in hope..worth a try...Cheers

 

ATB

 

Paul

[stokecarper12]

Some fish take off the top. On this particular area it is hard to get them going. I regularly feed bread and mixers down stream and follow it down to see if anything takes.

 

I am looking at having a go at two of the lakes the rivers feed into. The only trouble is they are massive.

 

Defenitly bigger fish in the river, i have heard of carp to 24lbs off a good source. Just there is alot of river and many inacessible areas. I am just trying to find some quieter areas the boats are a bit of problem at the moment. Fishing nights would be the answer, but at the moment that is not possible.

 

I have seen some eels a round the last few weeks, so i might have a go for them.

 

I have been reading tony davis patrick book, tonight on when he fished in Australia, for some ideas.

 

There is on some more detailed maps quiet a few reservoirs up from sale terralgon way, they could hold some good fish. So many peices of water and not enough time to fish. The story of a fishermans life.

 

At least i am still catching, just need to try and land more.

 

tight lines

 

andy

[tewkes]

Hey Andy, I'm in the area over the next ten days, give me a call if u have some time to catch up! I just baited a lake with 200 baits hope I can get something for my efforts!!! Paul

[stokecarper12]

I am or in melbourne over christmas or until boxing day early. If i get back in time i will go have a go on a lake i have been fishing local.

It is not a sit behind bed chair lake, more on a walk with rods an d a bit of tackle and bait in a bag.

 

See what your plans are may be a day on gutheridge would be good or the river, lets us know.

 

andy

[tewkes]

Hey mate, back out on the lake nut this time I'm trying near the toilets casting out toward the fountain. Had a few nibbles and one massive run but nothing on the bank. Line bites seem to come and go but consistency is low. I might head out tomorrow if you are around. I'm here for another week so I have plenty of time still. Hope u had a good Christmas, Paul.

[stokecarper12]

I came past there today at 1.00p.m or so, but kept going. I will try and get down to you. HAVE ago from or go to the road side up to where the sedges are. Fish a rod to the sedges and keep putting the maize in you should catch well off there. I did 26 fish there earlier in the year. Defenitly more cover close in is the key on there. I am work tomorrow afternoon i might come up for a walk in the moring if you are defentily on. let me know and where you might be

 

cheers

 

andy

[stokecarper12]

Not fished for the last 2 weeks, due to work and things. I went the end of last week and fished a lake i have not fished for a good while. I fished afternoon to dark and landed 15 fish to 7lbs with most fish under 4lbs.

I lost 2 fish in the reeds and 1 at the net, with 3 fish lost on the initial hook up. A good nights fishing really.

 

I fished sunday on an area of river, i caught well from the week before christmas. I fished late afternoon until afternoon for not a knock. I saw 1 small fish come in the swim to take some flies, only a bout a pound or so.

The only fish i really saw were way down steam where the sedge type weed, has really grown up in the last 2 weeks. The water level was the lowest i have seen for a good while. So defentily time to find other areas of river to fish. The only trouble been trieing to gain access to these areas.

 

What are the rules on going to peoples land over here. I had heard you could walk down the river from above and fish the river. As you have access rights to 2 metres back from the river. Or something to that effect, does any one know? Or could shed any light on this.

[stokecarper12]

fished wedensday night a new lake. I managed to put 2 sets of tackle in a close in bow. So i had to go in for them. I saw a few carp a round. A lot of carp out to where i cannot get any bait to at the moment. I thought i had found a 40lbs carp. Until the carp came nearer and it was a pod of carp at least 10 smaller carp.

 

I put a few kilos of mix bait and hopefully will get a few afternoons to nights this week, fingers crossed.

 

A picture newyears afternoon or sunset after a big fish.

 

[stokecarper12]

Hello to everyone,

As normal i will say i have not fished for a good while, 5 weeks to be exact. I went out sunday on a new lake i have been looking at for the last few months. I had baited other areas on the lake and had seen carp feeding on the bait.

For the first few hours i fed a line of floating bed down on the wind towards the far bank into the sedges. Fish were coming up and investigating some of the bread, but not lots of it. I put floatant on the line and fished bread straight on the hook. On the top and underneath a bubble float. I could not really buy a bite on this set up. A couple of carp came up and nudged the bait, but not with great zest.

 

I then tried feeding 2 areas with maize and other seed baits and float fishing over the top. I had bits after a while, but i just could not hit them. I bought the float further up in the water so the bait was just on the bottom. The presentation was hard, as a strong wind was blowing straight into my face.

 

Over the next 2 hours i managed to hook 7 fish and lose 4 of them. With the hook pulling and on one ocassion; the carp dropping the hook into the reeds. After keeping the bait going in and feeding another area. I changed the float to a leger rod, with a 1/4 o.z leger on. To just hold bottom. On the other area i float fished about a bout 6inches on the bottom. I managed to get the fish going and started to mount fish up. It was bit like match fishing.

 

In the end i managed 36 fish with the biggest going 9.1lbs, 8.8lbs, 8.7lbs and a few a round 7lbs. The stamp of fish was a good average and i hoping this lake will produce a bigger fish. I saw a fish roll last week when baiting up and it looked a big fish. Fingers crossed, hopefully one will come along.

I have been looking at a new river, but i have not got a round to putting bait or having a go yet.