lakelad

Absolute legend @Welster, thank you for the photos, and your comment on what worked and what wasn’t so good are appreciated. I’ll have an in-depth look tomorrow and plan the extra pieces I need to install my tank.

Great feedback guys, much appreciated! Yes I put some links there, probably have given this way too much thought! But if it makes fishing better for years to come it’ll be worth it. So the top sprayer goes above the overflow/ water level like a fish tank filter spray bar? I can see how that would oxygenate the water, not a bad idea, but also the bottom entry on my old drum works well for circulating water bottom to top. I’m mounting this over the outboard well so I could have multiple overflows, what’s the best fitting to tap out for overflow, or are you suggesting it’s purely some holes and gravity? Will read that other thread, I hadn’t read it just found the photo when googling bait tanks and it looked good.

Hi All, I've got a bait board/live bait tank to install, this one, and I also got the kit they sell (photo attached) for bottom draining with bilge pump etc. not sure on the best arrangement to plumb this to keep fish alive and make use of the bits they provided. I should note did email Prowave who make these, and they offered to help during business hours via phone so I can't fault them, but the week got away on me and I'd like to install on the weekend. My thoughts on how it goes/questions: The bilge pump sits on the bracket on the back of the boat It looks like I need to drill out the black plastic fitting for the pump so the water shoots up the bracket via the stainless tube and goes into the pump? Or not? The right angled fitting is for water in from the pump. Does this go down low for the best water flow or towards the middle of the tank? The drain is the more flush mount plastic fitting, but how do I plug it, maybe I need to buy a valve for the hose, or maybe this doubles for overflow using the pipe? For overflow, perhaps the drain doubles and they jam the pipe into it, and pull it out each time to let water out, but this seems a little crude I might be missing something? This setup on raider looks good, with water going in mid tank. My current live bait drum has the water going in the bottom and that seems to work well, but the old drum is bigger and cylindrical which would effect the water flow vs my new smaller square unit. Appreciate your comments on my assumptions/questions so I can keep those slimies and squid alive longer! Cheers! *Whoops, wrong area of forum, how do I move this??

Good to see you got the vibe back! Other species for slooooow fights I've had are the burleypottamus and the anchoroper

I'm also keen to see what's working on the beach for other raiders, I don't beach fish often and grew up with the general consensus of getting a kmart beach rod and using pilchards on gang hooks. This works for a mixed bag of salmon, tailor, small sharks etc. That said, I have had some success with nuclear chicken coloured soft plastics around 4 inch and metal slugs with trebles with tailor and salmon.

Great well written report @kiwicraig, and a nice Gummy - the DPI say it's rare to get them over 1 metre off Central NSW. @kyngfish, Fishing World put out a good article recently on Gummy tips http://www.fishingworld.com.au/how-to/how-to-catch-gummy-sharks

Nice catch @pauls, what type of bait setup or lures did you catch these guys on?

Thanks @jeffb5.8, lots of info there. Looks like hoop nets are OK for Lake Mac, total of 4 allowed, just not a rigid frame style. These look suitable: https://www.hookedonline.com.au/4-x-new-wilson-ready-rigged-wire-bottom-marron-net

Can you use witches hats and/or hoop nets in Lake Macquarie?

Not sure anyone used traps @kingie chaser? @hookerbrucecaught those crabs and says he used a crab line, and stalwart is asking how to catch them.. @stalwart - I too am keen to see what a crab line is, I suspect a chunk of fish/mullet or simialr on gangs and net them at the boat?

It’s been a year since this last post, however still an important topic for local Lake Macquarie fishing folk. I don’t see an issue with crab traps, I grew up seeing the commercial fishing in the 90’s and the large amount of fish and by catch they caught regularly. The lake is healthier than ever and there’s plenty of fish around, although they have eluded my boat recently ?. I’ve actually been running traps, I didn’t know they were illegal in the lake.. I got them from a local Lake Macquarie Boating Camping Fishing shop and labelled them legally etc. guess I’m lucky I haven’t had a call from regulators? The shop should have told me or had a sign up.. most of their market would surely be lake users.. this has to be part of the problem, or maybe the dpi is supportive and it’s a little money spinner for both I agree with Rick, common sense rules should apply. Lake Mac isn’t Sydney harbour, plenty of lake, less users, plenty of crabs (I dive a bit and see loads). Hand lining for them on gangs is overkill. Will get some witches hats.. before they get banned for environmental reasons ?

Nice work @Squ!rt, a couple of other good spots are Blacksmiths beach (off Awabakal st), Blacksmiths Northern break-wall both sides work depending on wind/swell and further around Swansea heads on the southern side off the rocks, a few good spots as you go towards Caves for land based fishing (rock hopping, not for large swell days!). Google maps is a good idea, these are all well known spots, no secret spots on Google though!

RUI squid jigs get a good rap for bang for buck, they're on fleabay for $11 with free postage. A mate recommended them to me they work well for him, I ordered 5 of the 2.5 last night for the lake so will try them and post back how they go vs my yamashitas. Different colours were available, will be good to have in the kit. That's a good deal at dinga, especially with free shipping @nutsaboutfishing.

I'm planning on jigging for squid more, and in preparation for this I have found the below yamashita chart useful (for all brands of course..). Apparently this is research backed although you can't help be a bit skeptical of whether they're trying to catch squid in the water or humans in the shops.. In my tackle bag I actually have the exact Yamashita's Billmack posted above but no luck for me on them yet.. however they might get more use now after seeing those beak marks! I've got a mix of cheapy's and Japanese ones and will be trying these out over the warmer months and getting more time on the water, both have worked for me in the past however there seems to be more feedback in forums of the quality jigs working better in the quiet periods. I have found the underwater lights bring the squid in well, but at times I've had trouble catching them on jigs and fish spikes, I will try smaller jigs next time. Let us know what worked for you!

Nice report Pickles, have you got any 'must do' tips on squidding, what's your fishing technique and jigs used? I've been meaning to give it a crack off Swansea.

Nice flatty, I take it that was dinner? I usually keep an Aussie Salmon or two if they're on and cook them up. They get a bad rap but I like them fresh on the bbq or in the more traditional fish cakes with potato if I have fussy friends coming over!

Thanks for the replies fellas. Didn't know leaving the fish finder on makes a difference, bit of a catch 22.. I can only find conflicting evidence online so will give it a go off when anchored up anyways and cross my fingers at the same time

First time poster, have been reading the content on here and thought I'd share my movements, help fellow locals and hopefully pickup some tips myself as I need them! I've fished on and off over the last few years, and played in the lake and ocean all my life, but recently got the bug again. Although this trip didn't help fuel the fire with no decent fish caught, but was a nice day on the water non the less. Went out yesterday around mid day, stopping at known reef North of Belmont where I downed my fresh fish and chips for lunch. Before tucking in to the grub I dropped some burley mix (pellet style fishing branded from big-w) and I dropped a pilchard on gang hooks and two bream lines with squid (BP frozen variety..). Although I could see a few small and medium fish on the Lowrance (I'm using the fish icon, haven't learnt to read the fish finder as yet), after an hour with the only bites being mine on the fish and chips I moved on. Second spot was a well known local location for a sunken barge, plenty of fish on the finder, but all I managed in the next hour was a couple of 20-25cm squire and a single yakka. I put the yakka in the live well for later and moved onto the channel/lake drop over for a browse. After having a look on the sounder I didn't see anything worth stopping for, it was approaching 3pm now so I decided to cruise with lures out over Belmont bay for Tailor. As I was trolling Belmont I spotted some birds diving towards Toronto and on the way there I got a smaller Tailor on a Yo Zurri Crystal Minnow deep diver 110mm or 130mm in size. I had a ball sinker before the swivel as I use that rod for livies fishing also, then 1m of 20lb leader. The tailor went in the live bait tank for later that evening (for the record it was legal..). I also has a rapala x-rap deep diver out the other side (blue top/silver bottom with black spots), no sinker, but no attention for the rapala. I have found the yo zurri reliable, this was it's second use and last time I got a bonito offshore, it was next to the Rapala with neither on sinkers last time. This is a small sample size, but so far I'm a fan. Even though the birds were diving they were covering a large amount of water and never where I was, I was conscious not to cream through the middle so tried to keep to the edges. With the tailor avoiding me well I snuck off the the original reef area North of Belmont for sunset. I threw out the yakka and Tailor, each on two size 7 or so octopus hooks, and a couple of bream rods with mullet and waited. Over the next few hours I caught lots of squire, a few tailor and had the fish finder showing loads of fish most of the time (small/medium and large icons). I was burleying with last trips remaining mullet, salted pilchards and pellets, perhaps the fish were there or the sounder was giving false hope. Either way no legal fish of any variety found my hooks and after the yakka went open mouthed and I cast my overhead not keeping my thumb on it creating a tangle (which I still haven't looked at ) I left the tailor for "one last cast" and headed in about 7. Overall a nice day on the water, fish and chips and some sun, however compared to the warmer months I haven't caught much at all recently (Water was 14.5-15 in most places I covered). I know there are loads of fish, the lake is very healthy, I'm a bad Lake Mac ambassador on the fishing forum I see loads of fish heads at the cleaning tables! Would love some tips on techniques and spots in Lake Macquarie (I usually put the boat in at Valentine or Swansea) that can yield a feed at this time of year. Feel free to PM me any local tips you don't want plastered on the internet for ever