Cornacarpio's Eclectic Estuarine Escapades

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Cornacarpio
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Cornacarpio's Eclectic Estuarine Escapades

Post by Cornacarpio » Sat Jan 28, 2017 7:27 pm

Feeling rather disenchanted with my trips to Cherry Lake (CL) of late, I FINALLY decided to get on my treadly and head in the opposite direction - towards the salty stuff. I have no idea how to fish the salt - what rigs to use or even what bait to use. I didn't even know what fish I was targeting. My first stop was straight under the Westgate Bridge. I basically was using the same set-up I would for Carp: a running sinker rig with a slightly bigger hook. 'Chicken Giblets' were the bait of choice. There was a few fishos there but not a lot was happening. I stayed for about 20 minutes before packing up and moving slightly upstream, from where 'The Punt' takes off from. Again, there was a few fishos around, but not much again. I gave spot no.2 a go for about 20 minutes before moving further up-river until I got to the spot affectionately known as the 'warmies' where it was shoulder-to-shoulder with fishermen along the rocks. I muscled my way in - to the only spot I could - and sent my Chicken Giblet out as far as I could (about 20 yards). Just as I was thinking of packing up and going home and wondering of I should have gone to CL instead, there was a discernable bend in my rod. I couldn't believe it, I raced over to my rod and on the end of it was a nice little flatty. Not the greatest of fights, but I was super excited to get my first saltwater fish...ever! (Maybe not quite true - I may have caught one or two when I was a junior, but it certainly was my first one in over 20-odd years). This certainly piqued my interest in saltwater fishing after what was looking like a pretty quiet day. About 10 minutes later, a bloody big container ship was passing through and then my rod really buckled over. I grabbed my rod and fought what seemed like a 'huge' fish for about 10 seconds before it snagged me. I would have loved to have known what it was. I gave it about another 20 minutes after that before packing up and leaving.

All in all, it was a pretty good day. I was delighted just catching something in the salt. And although I am a total newb in the salt, this little adventure has inspired me to give it a bit more of a go. I was getting a bit stale going up to CL and catching carp-after-carp on the same bait and rig everytime. While the flatty didn't exactly get my heart racing like a big Carp does, I hear there are plenty of (big) fish in the sea....
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My First Flatty!
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First spot for the day

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Re: Cornacarpio's Eclectic Estuarine Escapades

Post by Lightningx » Sat Jan 28, 2017 7:49 pm

Nice report CC!
Congrats on your first salt water fish!!!
The flattie is a beauty as well :thumbsup:

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marckyg123
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Re: Cornacarpio's Eclectic Estuarine Escapades

Post by marckyg123 » Sat Jan 28, 2017 9:33 pm

Great report mate and congrats on your first salt water fish! :super:
There are definetly big fish in the salt mate :thumbsup: keep us posted cheers

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Re: Cornacarpio's Eclectic Estuarine Escapades

Post by sloth » Sun Jan 29, 2017 6:56 am

Well done :-D

About time you came to your senses ;)

You should give soft plastics or hardbody lures a go - plenty of entertainment to be had locally. Easy way to start is just use the same running sinker rig but put a gulp sandworm on the hook then cast and slowly drag it back in along the bottom - you'll cover a lot more ground and find more fish (and snags).

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Cornacarpio
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Re: Cornacarpio's Eclectic Estuarine Escapades

Post by Cornacarpio » Mon Jan 30, 2017 9:43 pm

I have already lost more hooks, line and sinkers here in 3 trips than in the past 3 years Carp fishing...and I only have one fish to show for it :(
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Re: Cornacarpio's Eclectic Estuarine Escapades

Post by Fish-cador » Mon Jan 30, 2017 10:50 pm

Use live bait on that walk way at night or any place nearby and you have a big chance of landing the big silver shadows.

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Re: Cornacarpio's Eclectic Estuarine Escapades

Post by Cornacarpio » Tue Feb 14, 2017 8:04 pm

So far I have upheld my 'promise' to 'never' return to Cherry Lake again. The past week has seen an increase in arsenal in my tacklebox - soft plastics, hardbodies, hooks and sinkers and a decrease in $$$ in my bank account, for very little return - until today.

As I was scabbing some food in the Footerscray market today, walking past every fish and crustacean known to man, I thought, "stuff it" I'll buy a handful of Aussie Prawns for fishing purposes, since the chicken giblets no longer seem to be doing the job. I seemed to have a little trouble conversing with the Asian vendor who seemed to be saying "Tast-Ting, Tast-ing". "No, I don't want to taste the raw prawns thanks" I was thinking to myself until I figured out she was saying "fish-ing fish-ing" prawns for fishing...

So after a fishing week of soft plasticking, and throwing some hardbodies around, it was time for a 'sit-down' session at the Warmies. I sat and waited and waited. The mob beside me were reeling in fish, of various species, left, right and centre. After about an hour I was feeling like a complete and utter failure. Everyone seemed to be catching fish except me. Then finally there was a twitch in my rod. I picked it up without striking, not wanting to rip the bait out of the fish's mouth. When there was increasing tension on my line realised it was time to strike. I was delighted to land my very first Bream! I was so excited,I wanted to jump up and down and do cartwheels and tell everyone how I skillfully stalked and landed a Bream, and that I was a master of saltwater fishing, but then I realised how ridiculous that must have been to the people fishing next to me who had probably caught 20 of them by now. So I played it pretty cool by doing a few low-key fist pumps and only taking about 5 photos before returning it to the water from whence it came.

After that the Police - or what I thought was the Police - showed up. It was a couple of Fisheries officers and they were checking everyones catches and licences. I have virtually been fishing all my life and this is the first time I've ever been asked to produce my licence. I said so to the officer and he said 'where do you usually go fishing'. 'Cherry Lake'. 'Yeah, we don't get to Cherry Lake too often' he said. When the time came, I didn't actually have my licence on me, and I had a little trouble finding it on my phone, but a quick background check did confirm that I did have a licence. I was a little worried when they were approaching because I wasn't sure if there was separate licences for Fresh and saltwater fishing, but that is evidently not the case. (As a sidenote, I decided to buy a 3-year licence last year before the price hike kicked in).

I texted my Dad to tell him I had caught my first ever Bream and then he told me what a f**kwit I was for throwing it back (not really, I believe it would have been 1cm under legal size) and that he wants me to bring him up a Bream next time I come up. "But it will be from the Maribyrnong, do you know what's in there" I said. "I don't give a f***. If it can live in there it's alright to eat". Who am I to argue with my Dad. Challenge accepted. Bream from the 'nong next time I head up to Stawell. While he was on the phone, my rod twitched - ever so slightly. So I threw the phone down and attended to my rod. On the end of it was a nice little Pinkie. Again, I wanted to jump up and down and tell everyone what an awesome (saltwater) fisho I was, but thankfully I only did that in my head. When my Dad called back I apologized for hanging up and that I was "busy catching Snapper" :)

Although I wasn't quite as successful as the anglers beside me, after a rough week on the watercourse, I felt I had a good day. First Bream, first Pinkie, and first time being asked for my licence! I was surreptitiously observing the people beside me (bait/rigs/casting distance etc) and am mildly confident of another successful outing next time I hit up the Warmies

1 X Bream
1 X Pinkie

:fish22:
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My first Bream - no prizes for guessing the location!
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My first Pinkie!
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Re: Cornacarpio's Eclectic Estuarine Escapades

Post by sloth » Tue Feb 14, 2017 8:59 pm

Excellent stuff mate - on a roll now. As long as your dad's not pregnant reckon he'll be fine with a breambo or two for tea ;)

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Re: Cornacarpio's Eclectic Estuarine Escapades

Post by Lightningx » Tue Feb 14, 2017 10:19 pm

Nice work mate :thumbsup:

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Re: Cornacarpio's Eclectic Estuarine Escapades

Post by davek » Wed Feb 15, 2017 4:34 am

Good work CC, :a_goodjob: cheers davo
It's an exhilarating feeling catching a fish
But it's an even better feeling releasing them

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