New member Lansvale - Chipping Norton

[thevale]

Hi All,

Great forum and lots of content. I live in Lansvale with very easy access to Prospect Creek and therefore Chipping Norton Lake. I know you’d never eat the fish here, but still fun in catching them.

Just getting into it as a way to occupy 3 young boys - and myself. Have a jetty and small boat to get out about.

Looking for any suggestions or tips to keep them entertained. Going to start with catching poddy mullet in a trap and then maybe find some holes around the lake to fish in. Also interested in the chicken pellets and burley.

Any tips on tides, times of days or year, wind conditions for Poddy Mullet success.

We see the fish swimming in the Prospect Creek from our backyard in the warmer months but I’m starting to think it’s the warmer months when they are active.

Thanks in advance and nice to meet.

 

[ellicat]

G'day and welcome to the AFO forum.

[SuperHans]

9 hours ago, thevale said:

Hi All,

Great forum and lots of content. I live in Lansvale with very easy access to Prospect Creek and therefore Chipping Norton Lake. I know you’d never eat the fish here, but still fun in catching them.

Just getting into it as a way to occupy 3 young boys - and myself. Have a jetty and small boat to get out about.

Looking for any suggestions or tips to keep them entertained. Going to start with catching poddy mullet in a trap and then maybe find some holes around the lake to fish in. Also interested in the chicken pellets and burley.

Any tips on tides, times of days or year, wind conditions for Poddy Mullet success.

We see the fish swimming in the Prospect Creek from our backyard in the warmer months but I’m starting to think it’s the warmer months when they are active.

Thanks in advance and nice to meet.

 

Hi,

The boys will love doing this.

there is a thread on poddy traps here. https://www.australianfishing.com.au/forum/topic/18460-poddy-mullet-trap/?tab=comments#comment-725254

I am on the Central Coast. Check the NSW Fisheries regs on the trap.

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/fishing-rules-and-regs/perm-prohib-saltwater

I have reverted to  a 3L plastic juice bottle and cut an opening at the top. I have fixed two pryamid sinkers to its base to keep it in place. Although the glass coffee jar works well, its a nuisance to remove the bait.

I originally didnt burley as I the fish were contained in a creek/lagoon and they would bump into it before long......however......I am trapping elsewhere now and I think burleying is necessary to bring them too the trap.

Tips: a sandy bottom near a weedbed is good[they often hide/feed in there]. If no weedbed sandy bottom is still OK.  Little or no wind rippling the surface. Clear water, I think they see the bread better. I find they are easier to trap on a rising tide as they explore the sandflats for food. I think on a dropping tide they have other things to worry about like getting stuck and avoiding predators when they leave the shallows. I have only caught them in the day, but then again I haven't tried at night. {Let us know if you try and how you went}.Polarised sunnies help spot them but with a bit of practice you will see them anyway. Look for flashes in the weedbeds and the ripples they make if you cant see the fish themselves. I use very small pieces of bread-to bring them around the trap. Now the hard part- resist the temptation to go back before   twenty mins- to half an hour and spooking them. If you come back to the trap and there is a disturbance above then its good news. I would suggest setting your traps {I think the boys can have one each} and then spend half an hour rigging up their lines/getting the boat ready. I avoid wearing white [I have absolutely NO evidence, but having seen egrets at work on baitfish they may be a bit shy of a large white biped bearing down on them. In the trap I put 20-30 one cm squares of white bread-approx half to two thirds of a slice. Small pieces will come out of the trap but not take the school away like a big piece will. I haven't tried chook pellets so I cant help there. Don't put it too deep-water above opening around 15-30cms works well. ie shin to knee deep max.

Be prepared to try a few different places-while you may see poddies, sometimes they just wont go in the trap but once ONE goes in they others seem to follow. Also you will find that at some places small bream and  toadfish fill your trap and the mullet are scared off. When that happens I move on and dont bother going back there.

 

[SuperHans]

Oh, and definitely dont eat anything you catch there. If the boys are disappointed that they cant bring the catch home  it may be worth taking them further afield?

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/621242/georges-river-warning-sign.pdf

 

[Old Scaley]

I had to google where you are. I hope you can get out of lockdown before too long. At least you have a jetty in your backyard so you can do some fishing with the little ones to keep them (and you) occupied until you can get out and about. Good luck and stay safe.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

On 06/08/2021 at 7:50 AM, thevale said:

Hi All,

Great forum and lots of content. I live in Lansvale with very easy access to Prospect Creek and therefore Chipping Norton Lake. I know you’d never eat the fish here, but still fun in catching them.

Just getting into it as a way to occupy 3 young boys - and myself. Have a jetty and small boat to get out about.

Looking for any suggestions or tips to keep them entertained. Going to start with catching poddy mullet in a trap and then maybe find some holes around the lake to fish in. Also interested in the chicken pellets and burley.

Any tips on tides, times of days or year, wind conditions for Poddy Mullet success.

We see the fish swimming in the Prospect Creek from our backyard in the warmer months but I’m starting to think it’s the warmer months when they are active.

Thanks in advance and nice to meet.

 

Heya @thevale

That sounds like a good plan. Chook pellets are a nice berley, mixed in with some breadcrumbs and fish oil they can be very effective. I hope you have success fishing there, it's a bugger you can't keep your catch but best of luck fishing anyways.

Cheers Hamish

[thevale]

Thanks all for the feedback… had success today and the kids loved it.

Has been quite a few in Prospect creek, but hard to catch from the shoreline.

Thanks again for all the tips…