Fishing Victoria Forum

sloth wrote:Always enjoy your posts - each one feels like a little adventure

:thumbsup:

So you're still alive then...?

Well I'm back in the urban jungle and went down the creek to catch a Carp I did!

While I was there a shag was doing the rounds. Eventually it bobbed up and had something in its mouth. I assumed it was a small carp, but on closer inspection, it was a reasonable sized yabby! The shag actually had a bit of trouble trying to eat it, and spent the best part of 5 minutes trying to devour it. While this was going on, old mate with his SLR captured the shot, although in his haste of following the shag around on the opposite side of the bank, I'm sure he scared all the fish away too, so I had to move to another spot where I eventually got a bite, and then a hook-up.

While there are definitely similarities between fishing the Wimmera River and Gardiner's Creek, there are also some pretty stark differences! (Mainly dogs and people. And ducks).

+1

2017/18: 36 (1535)

Their recreational value, therefore, must be weighed against the damage they have caused, particularly when highly competitive angling clubs have competitions to catch them. And this provides a clue to why the Victorian Fisheries Division was unsuccessful in eradicating the species.

Successful Fishing in Australia, by Geoff Wilson. First published in Australia in 1994 by Gary Allen Pty Ltd, 9 Cooper Street Smithfield NSW. p.67

Nice one!
Well done :thumbsup:

Headed out in the heat today to try and slay some Carp. I didn't have to wait long before I spotted a large school and one of them readily accepted my offering of homebrand bread. This was unlike when I headed out yesterday, and any Carp I spotted were unresponsive to my immaculately presented bait. I was in for a good day I thought - right weather for it at least. As is common in the creek, my single catch spooked the school of Carp away, so I had to try another spot.

A passerby alerted me to a spot where he had seen several Carp. They were in the spot he mentioned, but they didn't want a bar of my bread. I had to work a bit harder for my second Carp - which turned out to be a nice little mirror - moving from spot to spot and trying a combination of float and unweighted bread. I got him (on a float) some time after the cool change approached.

All in all, it wasn't a bad way to spend the afternoon. Certainly beats sitting in front of the air conditioner all day...oh wait, I don't have one!

+2

2017/18: 38 (1537)

Fished for Food and Bait

To eradicate or endanger any species you must first create a demand for some product attributable to that species. Actually, a small commercial fishery for carp was established in Victoria in 1971, catches being taken by electro fishing techniques and traditional gill nets. These fish are still being marketed as fresh fish for human consumption, as bait for lobster fisherman, and processes for pet food in Wodonga. While commercial harvesting of carp is encouraged by the Fisheries Division, demand is doomed to remain small unless the flesh finds favour among the rich and famous.

Successful Fishing in Australia (1994), by Geoff Wilson p.67

Nice work mate.
Great pics :thumbsup:

Ok so all you fellas whinging about carp making the water muddy, can you show me a picture of the "crystal clear" river murray after the locks were completed?
I've scoured the net asking many people without success even the admin on "total native fishing" promised me one? ....still waiting !!

Herpesriver wrote:Ok so all you fellas whinging about carp making the water muddy, can you show me a picture of the "crystal clear" river murray after the locks were completed?
I've scoured the net asking many people without success even the admin on "total native fishing" promised me one? ....still waiting !!

So you think carp don't have any effect on water quality? You clearly have never seen a carp feed before.

Herpesriver wrote:Ok so all you fellas whinging about carp making the water muddy, can you show me a picture of the "crystal clear" river murray after the locks were completed?
I've scoured the net asking many people without success even the admin on "total native fishing" promised me one? ....still waiting !!

It was probably never crystal clear but if you have a look at the carp free Lysterfield lake you can see what it might have looked like. More a duck **** green rather than milky coffee brown, and clear enough for weed beds to thrive in 4m of water.

You seem to be scratching around for reasons to oppose the eradication of carp.

After having a horrid time trying to catch a carp in suburbia last week, I headed to the western part of the state - more specifically Taylor's Lake (near Horsham) with my Dad to slay a few carp! Conditions were perfect, with the sun out and more importantly, hardly a breath of wind all day.

Unfortunately, for my Dad at least, I committed an unforgivable faux pas by 'forgetting' the yabbies (it was an honest mistake - I thought I packed everything), but I remembered the corn at least! My Dad got really grumpy after about only an hour when our rods were going berserk with little carp, and he wanted to go home, but said I could stay on the proviso that I drive into Horsham and get him more smokes and beer. So it was an easy choice to make - I took an hour off fishing to get my old man his 'necessities'. And I must say I'm glad I did - ended up with about 35 carp all up (caught more in the fading sunlight after the pics were taken - yes, I know pics or it didn't happen!), with 2-3 specimens in the 50cm+ range. And I even caught one of those Redfin things (on worms).

It was a great day out, even if my Dad was a little grumpy. We have another trip planned tomorrow when we're going to use 'proper bait' to catch a 'proper fish'.

Side note: I bought another trusty Shimano ix4000 off the internets during the week and dusted off an old reel-less Catana I've had sitting at my Dad's place that I haven't used for years. Did the job wonderfully.

+25

2017/18: 63 (1562)

Taylors Lake, p33

During the 1990s it has become noticeable that large numbers of European carp are breeding in the lake. In a summers afternoon fishing, it is common to catch 20 to 30 European carp up to 3kg in weight.

From Fishing Wimmera Waters (1997), 3rd edition, Gary Knight, Sportfish Australia Publications Pty Ltd, Glenormiston Rd, Noorat Vic, 3265, p.33

Lucky you remembered the corn!
Nice work :thumbsup: