CornaCarpio's Carp Culling Capers!

What a difference a day makes! It was the Boxing Day Blitz and the cornucopia of fish I had been eagerly anticipating all summer had become (somewhat) of a reality! It also happened to coincide with the No.1 spot on the lake being "vacant". Which brings me to my next point - what makes a good fisherman (or woman)?. My confidence has been rocked lately and I have been held fishless on numerous occasions now over the past month or so now. But what if 'luck' has more to do with location than the particular skills of a fisherman? Would 'anyone' would have caught fish in this particular spot today? Or is that part of being a good fisherman too - knowing 'good locations'?

Anyway, enough of the philosophising, I ended up with 10 Carp all up (much to the chagrin of my father) and all before the natives - a 40cm Yellowbelly and a 50cm Cod - came on the bite (both taken on yabbies) just before sun down. Not a bad day at 'the office'.

It was good to finally hook into a few, and I actually feel much better for doing so. It was also good to christen my 'new' Shakespeare Navigator rod from Aldi. It might not have have caught all the fish, but who can resist taking a photo of a brand new shiny rod surrounded by Carp?

+10

CC
Back in business! (At least temporarily)

Golden Perch Plectroplites ambiguus: An important Australian native fish ranked second in importance only to the Murray cod. Variously known as Golden perch, callop, Murray perch, perch, yellowbelly and freshwater bream. At a conference held in Sydney in 1947 attended by chiefs of the Fisheries departments of all states the name callop was universally adopted throughout Australia, but in a similar 1967 conference the decision was reversed and golden perch was adopted.

From Australian and New Zealand Fishing, 6th Impression (1969), Summit Books, Published by Paul Hamlyn Pty Limited, 176 South Creek Road, Dee Why West, NSW, 2099, p.279

 

40+ degrees today, so a good day to go fishing. Only downside was that it was a bit windy. Now, I haven't caught anything down at the creek for ages, so I decided to try something radically different - and that was to try a 'new' location. The 'new' location being Coburg Lake, home to many trophy sized Carp. It was a fairly hot day, so I was fairly confident I would have the lake all to myself - which I did, but the trouble was I wasn't 'feeling it'. The lake seemed to be down a fair bit since I was last there, had heaps more weed and I didn't see a single Carp swimming around. I traveled well over an hour on public transport to get there and barely spent 30 minutes there actually fishing. My next plan was (since I brought my bike) to ride along the Merri Creek towards the Yarra, and try a few holes. I quickly found a very 'fishy' looking spot along the creek about 2km downstream of the lake and set up camp. By now, a cool change was rolling in and I even felt a few spits of rain. I was even contemplating leaving when I got a bite, so I was encouraged to stay a bit longer. About another half an hour elapsed before I got another bite which was suspiciously just like the first, only this time I was 'on'. The fight felt very weird, even though I could tell it was a decent size, the fight felt 'funny', like it was almost snagged on something. It pulled out a bit of line, and it wasn't until I got it closer in that I realised it was an Eel (taken on bread!). Now I haven't caught an Eel since I was a kid in the mid-90s! Obviously I was excited to catch something different, but also a little disappointed it wasn't a Carp - The Merri Creek Carp continues to elude me!

I didn't get a great pic, 'cause I was fishing a relatively steep bank and didn't want much to do with him! His snake like features rendered my butterfly net practically useless when landing him, so I just hauled him up, hoping his teeth wouldn't snap the line, which luckily they didn't.

I left when the sun was out and the temperature in excess of 40 degrees. I rode along the creek, then Fitzroy and past the MCG to Richmond station in light rain and a temperature of about 23 degrees. Melbourne weather - almost as variable as the fish I catch these days!

CC
Branching out

Methods of capture

Eels are usually caught at night when they are most active and unless deliberately fished for are considered an annoying pest by most anglers. They are rarely fished for in Australia but are prized food in other parts of the world, particularly in Europe and Japan. After heavy rain, when the water is muddy, they will venture out in search of food and can be caught in good quantity, even during the daytime. The best method of catching them is still fishing from shore with two or more rods propped upon rod rests.


Encyclopedia of Australian Fishing (1979), Volume I, Part 23, Bay Books, Pty. Ltd., 157-167 Bayswater Rd, Rushcutters Bay, NSW, p.904

 

Well, the summer of 'hit and miss' fishing continues. It was a return bout at Taylors Lake and the 'A' Spot was open for business! This came with the usual set of (high) expectations. Things were off to a 'flyer' with a Carp within the first 10 minutes...this (presumably) set the scene for a productive day...only it wasn't to be. We waited and waited and waited...for hours and hours and hours on end. In fact, we didn't even get another bite. Not even the Carp were on the bite. We decided to call it quits just before dark. You could imagine my surprise when the last rod I pulled in for the night had a small Cod on it! He devoured a yabby almost as big as himself! What was also surprising is that the rod hardly moved at all and I only realised I had hooked something when he was close to shore.

It was a little disappointing today to be honest, but catching a Cod right at the end was an uplifting experience, that has probably inspired another return trip - tomorrow! It's also good to see the Cod stocking working at Taylors so well - these things were a rarity in the lake in the 1990s and early 2000s, now they're not uncommon!

Here's to hoping the 2020s Cod fishing will be as good as the 1920s!

Feeding habits
Murray cod are omnivorous feeders, preying mainly on other fish, crayfish and freshwater mussels, but supplementing this diet with water fowl, frogs, water rats, grubs and worms available. they are most active in summer, especially at night. during the day they tend to shelter near submerged logs and tree roots, where they often take up a position on the downstream side of the obstruction and wait for back eddies to bring food to them.

Encyclopedia of Australian Fishing (1979), Volume II, Part 36, Bay Books, Pty. Ltd., 157-167 Bayswater Rd, Rushcutters Bay, NSW, p.1414


45cm Carp taken on Corn


Small Murray Cod taken on yabbies

 

Doughnuts!

 

Headed out to Taylor's Lake again yesterday in windy and blustery (and relatively cool) conditions. It wasn't too bad though as we took shelter in the car. Despite catching 3 Carp and 1 Yella, it was actually really slow going. I didn't get the first Carp until several hours in and I got the Yella just before dark, as if right on cue.

The 'big' Carp, which measured around 60cm, gave a really good account of itself, which was good to see, as lake Carp can be a little pedestrian at times, in my experience at least. The Yella came in at 35cm, so my Dad demanded I put it in the creel. He was happy that he 'could have something to eat for tea tonight' and demanded that all 4 rods be switched over to yabbies, but that was never going to happen...

All in all, it was an okay days fishing. Could have been better...could have been worse.

CC
More pics to come...hopefully...as my phone is caked in mud and won't recharge!

Migratory habits
Golden perch will not breed in farm dams and other impoundments unless water levels and temperatures are accidentally or purposefully regulated. However, spawning can be introduced artificially by injection of a pituitary extract from European carp or a synthetic hormone, notably one known commonly as gonadotrophin. the use of gonadotrophin is now common place in commercial private and government hatcheries and was even used successfully during 1984-85 by an amateur angling group at Bingara in northern New South Wales.

- Bryan Pratt

Jack Pollard's Australian Fishing (1986), Angus & Robertson Publishers, Unit 4, Eden Park, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, p.286

 

Here's a couple of pics of the Yella I caught.

 

Went to Karkarook Lake today between 5 - 7 pm. Not even a single bite during those two hours, and from what I saw, neither did anyone else, although one old codger claims to have caught a Trout before I arrived, which he then released.

What was more concerning than the lack of bites was the dead Murray Cod (x2) washed up on the shore. Not sure if this is due to unsuitable water conditions or someone may have caught it and left it out of the water too long before throwing it back? Also note the shredded fins, which is surely the sign of an unhealthy fish.

 

Went down to the creek (Gardiners) on the weekend. Didn't even get a bite. Saw a rather large Eel though...

 

I'll admit its been a 'summer of discontent' on the Carp catching front. In recent weeks I've traversed various suburbs of Melbourne trying to catch a fish - any fish, let alone a mudsucking Carp. I even spent $15 on powerbait trying to catch a stocked Trout at Karkarook and FTG Quarry but to no avail. I've even resorted to posting pics of dead fish I've seen washed up on the shore during my fishing 'adventures'.

I was nearly ready to write my concession speech today in an urban wetland in middle surburbia before this little Carp came along! It will be a cold day in hell (/winter) before I concede defeat to the Blender. Let's not forget this challenge is personal. I may not be winning the comp, but I am beating YOU.

CC
Is back - in a small way