Fishing Victoria Forum

Hi folks,
Too much work and not enough fishing is a bad mix, so I decided to spend an extended w/e hitting up the crater lakes (bullen merri and purrumbete), for some "trolling therapy". Fair to say the fishing was tough! I tried quite a few tricks from flatlining to downrigging down to 90ft, using tassies, bibbed minnows, and combinations with flies and placcys, but the fish weren't really interested. I couldn't tell you how many tiddly chooks I caught, and although the newly released fish can be annoying at times, they let you know you're doing something right, along with breaking up the time.
Bullen Merri was a bust, but I didn't have any pillies or glassies with me which can make all the difference with the chooks. Not to worry...
Purrrumbete was a tricky one. Only very small bite windows at the moment. Usually you can use the downriggers and get interest all day, but not this trip. A few stand out browns that I know were caught were 7, 8, and 9lb. Good fish. I was lucky enough to bag a 5.5lb brown, which was the only keeper for the trip. I was rapt to put it in the net, but it isn't quite that 10 pounder. Maybe next time
I strongly believe things will pick up very soon as that water temp climbs a few degrees. Currently sitting at 11 degrees. It won't be long!

Nice...it beats my PB by about 4cms! When you say the current water temp is 11 degrees, I assume you get a measurement from your fishfinder? If so, that would be at the surface I guess and it would be a lot colder down below where your lures run?
cheers
Jim

Nothing wrong with that brown
Are they good eated at that size ???
Only ever caught small trout
Cheers Gra

By "water temp" yes I'm referring to the reading of the surface temp from my sounder. The temp would definitely be colder further down the water column. I reckon though that it's not necessarily a matter of the higher temps providing more comfortable conditions for the fish, but more so a kick along with the food chain. A bit of sun/warmth at this time of year gets the bugs and insects moving, which get the minnows moving, and in turn the predators fire up for a feed as well. Just a theory...

A feed from a fish that size probably tastes better than a small panny. You can't go wrong with great fillets like these

That's a nice fish mate,do you think they taste better because of the salt content in the lake because l caught a similar size one in Lake Wendouree last summer and to be honest it was only average eating.
Mind you l am no chef
:cheers:

Nice fish!

Nice brown trout :thumbsup: