Camo1808 Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Hey raiders. So yesterday a mate and i (after waking up very dusty) decided to go for a fish. After having a big night on the tinnys we decided we didnt wanna go through the effort of getting the yaks and stuff out. Decision was an old spot we used to go bait fishing before lures took over our lives. We wanted to just let some baits soak and sit down and relax. Our mind set was it was just going to be nice to chill out and if we caught some fish then what a bonus. We took 2 rods each loaded with a mixture of fresh raw and cooked prawns. Got down there and started soaking some prawns and getting some smaller bream. There were literally thousands of poddy mullet in shallow so we ran up the road and bougbt a trap. (Best $12 we ever spent!!!!) After one haul we had plenty of bait and released a bucket load more. I sent out a mullet alive and kicking on my 9ft daiwa tdt rod with a 4000 daiwa aird loaded with 8lb braid. After letting it sit out there for 20min at least it started to buckle and this thing was hauling!!! Took about 100m of line in seconds and not slowing down. After only about 30 seconds this fish hadnt even slowed down and ping!!!! Spooled!!! There goes 280m of exceed ; ( no idea what it was. I was in a channel in tuggerah lakes near budgewoi . Any ideas maybe?? Anyway re spooled and new lot of tackle sent out another poddy. We only used one hook through the mouth and up throufh the top of the head. This thing was sitting out there for minimum 30min. As the bream rods with prawns had a quiet spell i said to my mate im just going to check this one. As i hopped up off my chair walking towards it it started buckling again. This thing ran hard again but after about 30 seconds i managed to turn its head. It started swimming to the left with a good buckle in the rod but no drag peeling. I fought the fish for about 2min so easily thought it was hooked and then all of a sudden my line went slack. Looked at my mate with that gutted face you get. Reeled it in and to both our surprise the mullet was still hooked, STILL ALIVE, ANND NOT A BITE MARK OR SCRATCH ON IT!!! so this thing had swallowed the poddy whole. Took off had a fight and then spat the WHOLE mullet out. Any ideas on this thing?? We have caught baby plate sized sting rays. Plenty of bream!! A few flatties to about 60cm and the odd whiting there?? Anyway managed about 8 fish about 4 or 5 legal. All swam off to fight another day. All in all was a great day chillint out with a rod in hand. Just as us fishos are, so curious as to what it could have been haha. Thanks for the read. Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stapo Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 I'd put my money on a sting ray. There's some big ones in the lake. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camo1808 Posted January 25, 2016 Author Share Posted January 25, 2016 That was my initial thought just for it to swallpw the whole fish like wow. And also the first one snapped the leader not knots goving away and they dont have teeth Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexSenior Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Great report Mate. Shame about the big ones, I'm with Stapo to take that much line may have been a big ray - we will never know though so let's say it was a Jew haha. The only way you can get some info is to check your leader where it snapped, if it's chaffed like sandpaper then could have been a big flatty, clean cut maybe a big tailor. Not sure about Tuggerah lakes but in Lake Mac the thumper salmon have been doing the rounds - though they won't bite you off. If it was me I'd wanna know and be down there for my next trip, doing everything the same just upping the gear. Cheers, James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camo1808 Posted January 26, 2016 Author Share Posted January 26, 2016 Great report Mate. Shame about the big ones, I'm with Stapo to take that much line may have been a big ray - we will never know though so let's say it was a Jew haha. The only way you can get some info is to check your leader where it snapped, if it's chaffed like sandpaper then could have been a big flatty, clean cut maybe a big tailor. Not sure about Tuggerah lakes but in Lake Mac the thumper salmon have been doing the rounds - though they won't bite you off. If it was me I'd wanna know and be down there for my next trip, doing everything the same just upping the gear. Cheers, James Yeah mate next session will be straight down there again. It wasn't clean cut 8t was flaked off like there was little parts all shredded up. Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexSenior Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 Yeah mate next session will be straight down there again. It wasn't clean cut 8t was flaked off like there was little parts all shredded up. Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk Interesting.... a ray will most likely lay on the bait while it eats it, which is why they get hooked around the mouth lots but doesn't explain the leader shredding. Big long tom can bite you off but won't take that much line, probably not a flatty either after reading again how much line it took..... I jokingly said a jew but racking my brains to think what else it could be in that waterway. Great bit of action anyway mate looking forward to your next report! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camo1808 Posted January 26, 2016 Author Share Posted January 26, 2016 Nah not a jew that deep into the system. Struggle to get near the entrance let alome the other sode of the water way. I dont think it was a ray they way it was shredded the line and as you said possibly not a flatty as theu mainly do short sharp bursts and this thing didn't stop haha Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grug85 Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Took about 100m of line in seconds and not slowing down. After only about 30 seconds this fish hadnt even slowed down and ping!!!! Spooled!!! There goes 280m of exceed ; ( no idea what it was. I was in a channel in tuggerah lakes near budgewoi . Any ideas maybe?? Shark maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camo1808 Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share Posted January 27, 2016 Shark maybe?Nah highly doubt it. Unheard of even in that lake system let alone thst far upSent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stapo Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Nah highly doubt it. Unheard of even in that lake system let alone thst far up Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk Talk to the pros. They might tell you a story or two about sharks in top lake and middle lake. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grug85 Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Nah highly doubt it. Unheard of even in that lake system let alone thst far up Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk There has been a few sightings over the years... bull sharks and even great whites. Just google 'tuggerah lake shark'! they have been a few sightings at canton beach, nothing stopping them moving further up towards budgewoi, hard to imagine what else could spool you like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camo1808 Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share Posted January 27, 2016 Oh wow haha makes me wanna go back and land one. Brjng it on!!! Haha watch this space lol Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyrone07 Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Yeah mate id guess a bull they get right up the back of Tuggerah Lakes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adsy91 Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 +1 for the bull sharks...I've caught a small hammerhead in tuggerah lakes before too...don't know why people seem to think tuggerah lakes and brisbane waters don't have sharks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mako2000 Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 When I was up there over Christmas, the day I pulled my boat out of the water the cleaning table at the ramp near the old Restaurant on the lake was littered with huge Jewfish scales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stapo Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 When I was up there over Christmas, the day I pulled my boat out of the water the cleaning table at the ramp near the old Restaurant on the lake was littered with huge Jewfish scales.They catch them on the beach then clean them on the tables. Pros have reported catching the odd small one. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad_tate Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 My vote is for a shark of some description. Rays tend to take one quick run in current and then grab the bottom. Kingies in shallow water tend to make big zigzags. Tailor are generally easy to pick - I describe their behaviour as swooping, long side to side runs. Salmon are similar, but try to find the bottom more. Not sure about big Jewies, have not been lucky enough (or more realistically have not put in the hours) to know. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camo1808 Posted January 28, 2016 Author Share Posted January 28, 2016 Haha yeah im starting to lean towards a shark now everyones going that way haha. Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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