Gunter Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 (edited) I realise that Narrabeen lake has a reputation for being "dead" during the colder months. But I like the place, and have been trying everything I could think of in recent weeks to catch a winter flathead or two on SP: I've been drawing nothing but blanks. Is it really a hopeless ambition, should I give up and wait till September/October? Here's what I tried so far. I'm landbased, so reckoning that the shallowest water is the most hopeless in winter, I've focused on known deep spots within casting range: Lakeside Park (between Mullet Creek and the Caravan site), Wimbledon Avenue, Robertson Road. Maybe I'm getting that wrong and I should move to the western part of the lake even though it's shallow? I've used small SPs, 2-3 inch, and slowed down the action to small hops along the bottom and lengthy pauses. One of the problems I've encountered, especially last week, was weed so I might try weedless rigging. But maybe it's worth trying super-large SPs (4-5 inches), with 1/4 oz jigheads, to be able to cast further, make a greater splash, and wake up the hibernating flatties??? Any hints (including "pack it in until September") much appreciated. Most other anglers I see around appear to be content to chuck in small prawns to catch nothing but juvenile bream and toads. I do that too when I take the kids to give them a sense of success, but when I go on my own I'm after something more substantial. Tackle used: Shimano Catana rod and Shimano Sienna reel, 9lb Fireline with 8lb fluoro leader, usually 1/8oz jighead, all manner of SPs, Gulps and others. Edited June 10, 2012 by Gunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpanag Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 I don't know Narrabeen Lake particularly well but I'd try another approach and try fishing the shallow water. When the water is this cold its the deep areas that are the coldest and often the flatties will be in the shallows sunning themselves (obviously not in this weather though!). I've found this to be the case in the harbour and other waterways. Worth a try I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjc123 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 It definitely is dead in Winter mate. The odd flattie and small bream and tailor. I fish the lake landbased a bit and i think your best bet is to hit up the ocean street bridge on a run out tide. The best way to fish here is to chuck a bait out (live mullet, big prawn or squid strip) and fish SP while you wait. The live mullet will rarely be taken by small flathead (under legal size) with my average being about 45-50cm. You get the odd 80cm croc using this technique two. I reckon you upsize a little with your SP. Try some 4" plasctics like 100mm bloodworm wriggler, 4" ripple mullet and 100mm squidgy fish. These all work on flathead. Its really a matter of keeping on going and you should snag a few ! Cheers, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza0878 Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 hey mate, I fished the lake since i was a kid and one thing i've learn't is you don't bother fishing there in june, july and most of august you might get the odd good fish but its a hard slog. I always wait for the first few warmer days in late august to september to get back into the flatties there. If your landbased you better of to go try down around forty baskets, north harbour area where you should get some nice trevally, winter flatties was down there on saturday and got a few trevs on softies and a 50cm flattie. If you are gunna fish lake i would try the shallows on a nice sunny winters day as they should be up there trying to warm up thats my guess anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spooooled Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 hey mate, I fished the lake since i was a kid and one thing i've learn't is you don't bother fishing there in june, july and most of august you might get the odd good fish but its a hard slog. I always wait for the first few warmer days in late august to september to get back into the flatties there. If your landbased you better of to go try down around forty baskets, north harbour area where you should get some nice trevally, winter flatties was down there on saturday and got a few trevs on softies and a 50cm flattie. If you are gunna fish lake i would try the shallows on a nice sunny winters day as they should be up there trying to warm up thats my guess anyways. how do you get down to the beach? from the street above is there a walkway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunter Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 Thanks for all the replies. Looks like the jury is unanimous about the lake being pretty dead in winter. I'll give it another go this Friday though: it promises to be a nice sunny day and I don't really mind the odds, it's a challenge... Will try a variety of plastics, and move around to cover both sunny flats and deep spots. Will also try weedless rigs as there seems to be so much ribbon weed floating around the lake at the moment that last time I noticed that the hook got snagged almost immediately after a cast, thus limiting its effective fishing time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunter Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 If your landbased you better of to go try down around forty baskets, north harbour area where you should get some nice trevally, winter flatties was down there on saturday and got a few trevs on softies and a 50cm flattie. Had a look on Google Earth, looks nice. Where do you fish from, the jetty alongside the bath area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza0878 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 yeah there is a few walkways down to waters edge how do you get down to the beach? from the street above is there a walkway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza0878 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 yeah anywhere along there mate and even along the rocks further up you just need to explore. where the sand is there`s a good hole further out but you need to wade out there and in the winter its a little cold. thats why i have a kayak to get out to it. hope that helps a you catch a few Had a look on Google Earth, looks nice. Where do you fish from, the jetty alongside the bath area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spooooled Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 yeah there is a few walkways down to waters edge yeah anywhere along there mate and even along the rocks further up you just need to explore. where the sand is there`s a good hole further out but you need to wade out there and in the winter its a little cold. thats why i have a kayak to get out to it. hope that helps a you catch a few Thanks for the advice mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brydenm Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Thanks for the advice mate Really glad I read this report, I didn't know the lakes were dead in winter... my bro and I fished last Saturday night for about 6 hours, he got a 40cm flatty on SP and I got donuts... guess we will have to try somewhere else until it warms up, thanks all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwood1980 Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 i am going there this friday night as well.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunter Posted June 16, 2012 Author Share Posted June 16, 2012 i am going there this friday night as well.... How did you get on? Drew another blank myself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyNurse Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 How did you get on? Drew another blank myself... I'm trying to get down to the Lake myself, but work and the weather keep getting in the way. Anywho, I was told that the big seas recently had opened the lake up. Can anyone confirm that? If true, then fishing may be a bit better than expected for this time of the year. Nursie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunter Posted June 17, 2012 Author Share Posted June 17, 2012 I'm trying to get down to the Lake myself, but work and the weather keep getting in the way. Anywho, I was told that the big seas recently had opened the lake up. Can anyone confirm that? If true, then fishing may be a bit better than expected for this time of the year. Haven't looked at the entrance but the lake's been open for some time. Maybe there's now a greater flow than before, I certainly noticed more of a current with the incoming tide than I remembered, and a lot of loose weed (was fishing weedless jigheads but the stuff kept wrapping itself around the line, gathering at the knot between the main line and leader). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkingduck Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 There are still a few around. I got a 71cm flatty in the pouring rain two weeks ago on a 3inch grub in banana prawn. I also picked up a second around 40cm within an hour and left because it was so cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunter Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 There are still a few around. I got a 71cm flatty in the pouring rain two weeks ago on a 3inch grub in banana prawn. I also picked up a second around 40cm within an hour and left because it was so cold. Was that landbased? And (without divulging any secret hotspots) which part of the lake? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkingduck Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Was that landbased? And (without divulging any secret hotspots) which part of the lake? Landbased. I usually fish the weedbeds near the entrance. Start directly in front of Malcolm street and work your way west. It's been pretty poor this year probably because of the rain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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