Eels In Homebush

[PPSGT]

Not so much a fishing report as an observation report.

Went for a walk from the office today around one of the lakes in Olympic Park.

Saw a heap of shags working the pond, so thought there must be some fish in there.

Waited a while, and as the disappointed ducks circled around looking for bread i didnt have

two massive eels surfaced (right near the no fishing sign) either looking for bread or ducks.

They were about 1.5 metres long and about the thicknest of a 1.25 coke bottle, one was motley green and one was silvery white.

Also it was full of bruiser carp in the 20 - 25 kg range, big and fat upto a metre long

With those beasts swimming around you wouldnt want small children falling in there....

Got back to the office, and spent the afternoon thinking of the practicalities of fishing in my suit during lunchbreaks, and where the fishing rod would fit under my desk. It takes 15 minutes to walk there and 15 minutes to walk back, What if i hooked a big one on the light tackle and the fight took longer than

30 minutes? What bait could I store in the work fridge? By the time i got through all that thinking

it was 5 pm so I went home... and yes, like many people on fish raider, I am a fishing tragic.

Give me a muddy pond and the hope of a bite, and I'd be there for hours.....

The eels looked like the mascot on the Parramatta Eels logo, so are they short finned or long finned eels?

Jason

[spirit_fall88]

i've seen it!!! ive seen what you saw. Its actually no fishing there.

There are so many big carps there. Last time i burleyed with bread and they all came out!! its amazing i was thinking to just drop a handline with bread to catch them but didnt wanna.

[slinkymalinky]

Hey Jason,

Little Slinky has caught a few eels in notorious 'carp pond' down our street using Ultrabite (that artificial stuff that you mix in the which then turns into a pink 'dough').

We just took a bag of ultrabite berley and the bait to give it a go and it works a treat. It's not very cost effective but not a bad option if you want to have something ready to go that isn't stinky or messy.

As to the eels, I work beside the lake in Norwest Business Park and a mate and I saw a baby duckling get taken off the surface by a huge eel last year. There are some monsters in there... hard to tell length... maybe only about 1.5m long but as thick as your upper arm!

The only problem with the lake is that fishing is banned.

Cheers, Slinky

[peterd]

I live just at the back of this lake in Homebush its called Lake Belvedere.

15 years ago I pulled out 20kg of eels for a Dutch mate of mine for smoking.

I left some blood on the pontoon and a few days later they put up a sign saying NO FISHING.

I just used string with a piece of meat tied at the end and let them swallow it and wait till its in their stomach and pull them out, throw them in a bucket and they spit out the meat. So easy!

Their is also plenty of Mud Crabs in the mangroes behind in Powells Creek.

However I believe the waters are very toxic .

PeterD

[kingpig]

Before there was park there I used to go into htis area to get blood worms sometimes but mostly to get the best green weed I have found in Sydney.

Now its a park it is against the law for me to go in and collect green weed to fish with.

I think this is ridiculous.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries web says the following about carp:-

"Along with habitat degradation, poor water quality, reduced environmental flows and barriers to migration, carp have been identified as a major threat to Australia's freshwater fisheries. They should not be returned to the water alive and strict penalties apply for translocation of carp. Live carp may not be used as bait.

Should they ont be eradicated from the park?

Cheers

Kingpig

[peterd]

Before there was park there I used to go into htis area to get blood worms sometimes but mostly to get the best green weed I have found in Sydney.

Now its a park it is against the law for me to go in and collect green weed to fish with.

I think this is ridiculous.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries web says the following about carp:-

"Along with habitat degradation, poor water quality, reduced environmental flows and barriers to migration, carp have been identified as a major threat to Australia's freshwater fisheries. They should not be returned to the water alive and strict penalties apply for translocation of carp. Live carp may not be used as bait.

Should they ont be eradicated from the park?

Cheers

Kingpig

Hi kingpin.

I am not sure what fish they are , but i believe they could be mullet as it is a semi tidal saltwater lake.

I will go there next week and see what they are.

[Frizzy]

Hi kingpin.

I am not sure what fish they are , but i believe they could be mullet as it is a semi tidal saltwater lake.

I will go there next week and see what they are.

If you're talking about the lake inside Bicentenial Park, then yes, they're definitely carp.

Its a bit of a paradox having a "no fishing" sign next to a lake full of carp. But I'm sure that its been banned for health reasons.

[Roffo]

Hey Jason,

Little Slinky has caught a few eels in notorious 'carp pond' down our street using Ultrabite (that artificial stuff that you mix in the which then turns into a pink 'dough').

We just took a bag of ultrabite berley and the bait to give it a go and it works a treat. It's not very cost effective but not a bad option if you want to have something ready to go that isn't stinky or messy.

As to the eels, I work beside the lake in Norwest Business Park and a mate and I saw a baby duckling get taken off the surface by a huge eel last year. There are some monsters in there... hard to tell length... maybe only about 1.5m long but as thick as your upper arm!

The only problem with the lake is that fishing is banned.

Cheers, Slinky

Hi Slinky,

Is that the one with the RC sailing boats on it on a sat or sun ??

Cheers

Roffo

[forliano]

I was fishing in a pond near mine (no fishing pond) so I thought use the handline and lets see how these carp go...

Well apart from line burn and getting chased by a ranger I couldn't tell you how they went, but I do agree that if carp are there why can't us fishos do our bit for nature?

Honestly, if your going to catch and eat a carp (unles you know what your doing) goodluck!!

Cheers

Ben

[shefford]

I hate eels they scare me.

I caught one in a lake about 10 years ago and it must of filled up the entire cage of a crab pot and weighed aroudn 30kgs? pulled it onto the jetty and jesus christ this thing was huge, we legged it and levered it off the jetty with a large stick

[glennmreid]

Fishing in waters where there are signs stating no fishing is illegal, for whatever reason.Fishraider is a site which does not encourage illegal fishing. I have closed off this topic.