[Squidder]

Grant and I arrived at the Bull at about 7.15 and were trolling by 7.30 - there was a light northerly wind which picked up considerably later on in the day. I started off trolling clockwise around the lake, and I was about half way to Potters Point when my rod which had the 9cm Daiwa Hyper minnow started to bend a little....weed I thought, and reeled it in to discover a suicidal 20cm long chinnok salmon on the end. That was all the action for the time being, I worked plastics around the point for a while, then grant trolled over and we decided to head back to launch site, where we had spied Philip arriving. We chatted to Philip while he set up (and a very nice Hobie setup it is too), then a very strange thing happened - Grant and I walked back to our beached yaks, and Grants paravane with Clown pattern tassie devil had a small chinook salmon on it - bizarre since the lure was stationary in the shallows! We think that the fish may have hit just before we beached the yaks.

The three of us then headed for the northern shore of the lake, to join the 10 or so stinkboats already there. We worked plastics around the boats, it was quite a novel experience to be fishing in 45m of water only 100 metres from the edge of a freshwater impoundment! :shock: Philip picked up a small chinook on an sp, and he also waved his fly wand around, very professional it looked I was finding it tricky to get the plastics to the bottom and keep them there. I picked up 1 more chinook of 28cm on a 3" gulp minnow in smelt before we decided to call it quits....I headed to Joanna Beach, about 50km west of Apollo Bay, dreaming of the Chinook/Aussie salmon double.......it was not to be however, the beach was quite full and I had to take up a poor position in a sideways wash, and despite seeing a few others on the beach land fish I didn't get a touch.

It was a good and interesting trip, thanks to Grant and Philip for the company, and to Philip for pointing out some of the nuances of impoundment fishing. I'm keen for a another one soon. I think Grant has some photos of the days proceedings.

 

[hoit]

Thanks for posting the trip report Jason. It was a great day on the water despite the near freezing conditions. On the drive down through Colac the Outback was telling me it was 0 degrees outside. :shock:

My catch was weird. I stopped 50m from shore and wound in the paravane. Because I had a long leader on the paravane I threw the lure back into the water so it wouldn't get tangled and paddled to shore. The lure was still hanging out the back in the water and I certainly didn't notice any fish on it when I staggered out of the kayak. Did I mention it was cold.

After chatting to Philip for 15 minutes Jason and I returned to kayaks and Jason spotted the Salmon hanging off my lure. Now I may of caught the Salmon on the 50m troll to shore or SharkBait may of caught it as I was chatting to Philip.

The question is am I still a virgin Does it count if SharkBait caught the Salmon without my intervention. Only serious replies please. :wink:

Regards
Grant

 

[Milt]

Nic one fellas, shame you didn't catch many fish, but I'm certain the company made up for it all despite the cold.

Milt,

 

[Davey G]

brrrr. that 2nd pic looks cold... :shock:

good onya boys for having a midwinters go.

 

[PoddyMullet]

Nice yakkin da Bull gents. Congrats on the Chinooks, Grant it's probably a very select club that can claim their first fresh yak catch is a Chinook (no doubt in my book your catch counts). Well done, and ripping Pentaxing to boot . Squidder, hard luck on missing out on the salmon double...ya could manage a Chinook/Atlantic/Aussie salmon hat trick if ya got real, real, big time lucky. Bloody keen to even give the double a lash, that VK must have thought it was at Bathurst :shock: :wink: PhillipL, the Hobie fly magic looks the goods, I'm looking forward to catching up and pickin ya brains over with the long wand stuff

 

[PhilipL]

Thanks for reporting guys.

We got a bit of everything on Saturday - it was cold and windy first thing, but by late morning, the wind had died right down and the sun was out in force. We were on the lee shore by then with everyone else on the lake. We could pick fish off the bottom but they were in 45+m of water and (from what I could tell) all looked small. Glad everyone got a look in as well. Grant, you're initiated in my books too.

Jason, was hoping to hear of the salmon double. Would also be keen to do another trip: I've been there on good days and its a beautiful water with potential for great sport - praying to the fish gods for less wind and more cloud cover.

Grant, those pics look a treat as usual. I'm starting to build up a nice little collection. BTW, you realise them fly pics are for you Rob.

 

[PoddyMullet]

Phillip, those fly pics are much appreciated. Out of all the "action" shots, the fly getting waved about comes up trumps for mine. Stick a yak in the frame and it gets even better 8)