Inverloch day out, QB weekend

Vargs
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Inverloch day out, QB weekend

Post by Vargs » Sun Jun 11, 2017 12:48 pm

Headed down to Inverloch yesterday to try for salmon, whiting and flathead in the day and gummies that night.

Started by pumping nippers at the end of the caravan park. Went well even though the tide was up. Using a sieve with a pool noodle worked really well. Launched from the main ramp (if you are going to pay ramp fees there you need exact change in coins only so I had to head back to the petrol station to get a ticket), all good.

Headed down to Stevies gutter but there was just lots of small flathead and a few toadies. Went out to the main channel where it meets Stevies and the flatties got a bit bigger to just legal around 28cm. Got a couta on a hard lure that I was working for salmon but dropped off just as I got it to boat. Also had another one jump out of the water chasing the lure just as I was bringing it in.

Moved down to near the boat hire channel on the way to Mahers landing and got a couple more flatties and a trevally. We used some small fish (around 10cm) as bait and hooked up twice but busted off both times. Also busted off on my whiting rod using nippers.

How to people set their drag as I assume I must be making a mistake? Should I put in the rods with the bigger bait and then release the drag so much there is almost no pressure and then tighten once the fish is on? I am not used to targeting larger species so could use the advice.

Stayed down near the boat hire after dark using trevally fillets looking for a gummy but it was pretty cold and there was no action except for sand crabs of which we pulled up quite a few. Have never used the boat at night before so heading in was pretty slow.

Good day overall even if not that successful as the little flatties at least keep you busy. If anyone has tips on what I should be doing with the drag settings and my technique on targeting any fish (and hopefully not rays) that are big enough to take a 10cm bait I would appreciate it. I still have a lot to learn.
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Lightningx
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Re: Inverloch day out, QB weekend

Post by Lightningx » Sun Jun 11, 2017 3:06 pm

Nice report.
Good feed of flatties :thumbsup:

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Re: Inverloch day out, QB weekend

Post by purple5ive » Sun Jun 11, 2017 3:23 pm

Nice work.
Set the drag so you can pull line off without much effort.
Don't touch it after that. It's the easiest way to explain it.
Once you have a feel of how much you need you can play around with adjusting it on the fly

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Re: Inverloch day out, QB weekend

Post by mazman » Sun Jun 11, 2017 3:38 pm

There's quite a few things to consider when setting the drag but I would start out thinking about.
-Strength of the rod, will this drag setting break my rod.
-Breaking strain of line, will the line break prior to the drag giving line
These two are fairly easy to set by either having a friend grab your line and gradually loading up the rod or by tying your line to a solid object that won't chafe it.
-Can I let the fish run; what type of structure is there and how close is it.
-Do i need a certain amount of drag to set the hooks.
This is certainly not an exhaustive list but should help to increase how much you land

Cheers Alex
Youtube channel:Hawkesy Fishing

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Re: Inverloch day out, QB weekend

Post by Vargs » Sun Jun 11, 2017 4:18 pm

Thanks for the advice. I will loosen it right off and see if it makes a difference. Most of the place I go do not have lots of snags so I can give plenty of line and it will not matter.

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Re: Inverloch day out, QB weekend

Post by Nude up » Sun Jun 11, 2017 4:46 pm

Nice feed of flatties great read

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Re: Inverloch day out, QB weekend

Post by Vargs » Mon Jun 19, 2017 10:39 am

Had another day out for a few hours on Saturday afternoon. Session could have started very wet but luckily for me an eagle eyed observer on the jetty noticed that I had not put the bungs in just as I was going to push the boat of the trailer. Back into the car and up the ramp, bungs in, back we go for second try.

Weather was great, not much wind and nice and sunny, incoming tide. Went to try the area known as the "Snags" for the first time but the current was too strong. Moved down to near the entrance to Stevies gutter.

Had nippers and pippies and from these got the usual evleventy million little flathead, bit at least they keep the kids happy as there is something happening. We got a 45cm couta, a couple of small salmon from this. I also got a couta on a silver spinner and then a Taylor from a couta fillet. Nothing big took the bait this week unfortunately.

Two guys on the jetty each got a very good sized salmon using spinners. Locals have been telling me that salmon numbers have not been big this year in the inlet but that there are good numbers from the front areas outside the inlet mouth. Seems very rough out there in the wave area though so need to pick your days.

The big catch is out there somewhere, I'll just have to keep trying.
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Re: Inverloch day out, QB weekend

Post by Lightningx » Mon Jun 19, 2017 10:43 am

Nice work mate.
Hope you get that big catch soon :)

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Re: Inverloch day out, QB weekend

Post by Raulfc7 » Mon Jun 19, 2017 10:50 am

Great read well done
"Do good when you remember, and what you forget will be revealed to you; and do not surrender your mind to blind forgetfulness."

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Re: Inverloch day out, QB weekend

Post by Vargs » Tue Jun 20, 2017 1:31 pm

As a follow up.
I have read pretty mixed reviews on whether couta are any good to eat so I fried one up. While the flavour is OK they are boney bastards, even in a fillet. So they are either bait or back they go from now on.

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