[PoddyMullet]

G Day Paddlers, With a weekend visit to Lake Tyers (East Gippsland, Vic) under the belt with few fish to show for it...I was wondering about ya thinking on closed but swollen estuary systems that hold a heap of fresh water. I was told by a weathered looking boat ramp gnome that a recent influx of additional fresh combined with a system that hadn't opened to the ocean for 4 years meant conditions would yield big estuary fish if ya got really lucky...but in general very quiet fishing. Unfortunately proof was in the pudding (2 lethargic mid size Tailor for the weekend), and I'm now a believer in gnome logic. Any thoughts :?:

 

[Peril]

Poddy, I've been told that the lagoons up this way fish very poorly with a build up of unflushed fresh. Certainly this was the case for Sydney's Narrabeen Lagoon. It was also hit by a build up of fine weed that fouled all of the fishing gear.

 

[Mushi]

Haven't really fished first hand much in a system like this, but i'd say when the system finally gets open to the sea it provides a pretty big source of stimulation. One of the more obvious things is the physical movement of water your going to start to get, with the newly added tidal/draining movement. I guess it's like a lot of fishing situations, where a bit of tidal movement is preferred to the dead top or bottom of the tide.

I'd also say the leaking into the sea of fresh, and often discoloured water is going to bring the fish that were outside the system in for a look-see and feed.

In a swollen system the saltiness is going to be diluted even more than normal. Maybe this is a bit of a turnoff for estuary fish more at home in slightly salty conditions. Just some thoughts. Like hear peoples observations and ideas too

 

[Mushi]

Haven't really fished first hand much in a system like this, but i'd say when the system finally gets open to the sea it provides a pretty big source of stimulation. One of the more obvious things is the physical movement of water your going to start to get, with the newly added tidal/draining movement. I guess it's like a lot of fishing situations, where a bit of tidal movement is preferred to the dead top or bottom of the tide.

I'd also say the leaking into the sea of fresh, and often discoloured water is going to bring the fish that were outside the system in for a look-see and feed.

In a swollen system the saltiness is going to be diluted even more than normal. Maybe this is a bit of a turnoff for estuary fish more at home in slightly salty conditions. Just some thoughts. Like hear peoples observations and ideas too

 

[Dodge]

I was told by a weathered looking boat ramp gnome that a recent influx of additional fresh combined with a system that hadn't opened to the ocean for 4 years meant conditions would yield big estuary fish if ya got really lucky...but in general very quiet fishing.

Poddy

Being another old gnome I agree with your bloke, and quote the following example.

Years ago in Port Macquarie, as the local AFCA rep I had to do the paperwork for a huge Aust record flathead, it came from Lake Cathie [south of PM] which had been landlocked for years at the time.

The only salt was in giant cyclonic seas at full moon high tides, the sea might access for an hour over the sand buildup, until the tide dropped; nothing then until the similar situation occured.

Fishing was generally slow while these conditions existed, although prawns seemed unaffected, and further what fish were caught were nearer the sand blockage, rather than further up the lake.

Locals ignored the area, it was generally tourists fishing because it was a pretty location

 

[PoddyMullet]

Peril, loving the troll I know what ya mean about the weed problem...and it usually fouls me up overtime at Lake Tyers which results in me working deeper holes and areas of the system that I know. I'm way too one dimensional and don't adapt with SP's/bait/fly I know, but the paddler part of my brain is a loud bastard that pushes the angler part of my brain around and throws it to the floor like in one of those American wrestling matches. Back to the water level rise (I seem to have hijacked my own post), in this case it was recent (since Easter) and weed didn't seem an issue. Maybe in spring/summer it would have bloomed a bit more.

Mushi, the impact of salt dilution on fish activity was one explanation I was thinking about. Is there anything in biology (that ya know of) that documents this? Re the leakage into the ocean stirring things up...I think it may start to occur soon but they'll probably open the system artificially and cut this process short. The surf fishos at the mouth didn't seem to be enjoying much luck. Apparently the professional netting of the system ceased about 3 years ago...and it hasn't opened for 4 years. A good exchange should help it no end. It could be an estuary to keep an eye on and take some sickies when it does break through...the odd mulloway also goes mullet chasing inside from what has been reported. It'd be nice to put a ticket in tatts for one of those while fishing a really active system. Up for a Spring road trip?

Dodge, good to see gnome's have a union formed in these tough times. Any memories of how big the flattie was? :wink: