Mulloway - Westgate Bridge Area, VIC

[glen]

Hey Jazman,



Good work! So have you caught many mulloway in the yarra? <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/zorro.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':au:' />



Cheers, Glen

[Jazman]

Hi Glen, Nope, I've never caught a mulloway in the yarra, or anywhere else for that matter, but I know they are there, so I'll keep trying until I get one! <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/whistling.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':au:' />

Cheers

Jaz

[Lee]

Hi



just asking - what other species are available at the westgate bridge waters besides mulloway? I'm assuming bream and pinkies? cheers.

[RX3-BOi]

dam i wanna catch a mulloway soon. <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':unsure:' />

[glen]

hi lee, there is supposed to be good numbers of bream.



have a look at the following site for info on the yarra estuary.



[url="http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/angling/29-Yarra/Basin%20TEMPLATE%20Waters.htm#Yarra"]http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/angling/29-Yarra...aters.htm#Yarra[/url]



here is an extract:



Below Dights Falls



Flows sluggishly through Melbourne and into Port Phillip Bay. Freshwater species occurring upstream can be caught below the falls during high river flows. The lower reaches are affected by saline water intrusion from the sea and can contain black bream, sea mullet, flathead, 'pinky' snapper, mulloway to 20kg, Australian salmon, trevally, and occasionally Australian bass. This latter species is thought to have been illegally stocked, as the accepted southeastern limit of their range is thought to be Wilsons Promontory.



This section of the river is under-fished and access is good. Fishing is permitted along the banks through Melbourne City and to the mouth of the river, although there are some restrictions at North Wharf and other wharves. Some good catches of black bream are made at times. Best bait is bass yabbies. Fishing from boats either moored or drifting is NOT permitted below Docklands to the mouth of the Yarra River.

[Jazman]

Fishing under the westgate the most common catch by far is bream, I've caught them up to 1kg+, and have had best success using small crabs (unweighted if possible) on a #6 hook.

A few weeks ago there was a plague of undersized whiting, and last weekend my mate caught a 33cm pinky fishing off the base of one of the bridge pylons.

You can also catch mullet, and heaps of these spiky gurnard-like fish I think they're called 'cobblers'.

They also get quite a few tailor further downstream towards the Hotties, especially when the power station is pumping.

Worst thing about fishing under the westgate......SNAGS! The further out you cast the worse it gets, lots of submerged pylons, rocks etc. wreak havoc with tackle, but fishing with light sinkers, or under a float helps.

Jaz

[Lee]

thx for the replies. I used to work in the docklands area and was driving along a stretch of road alongside some factories and a boating marina of some sort where the road has a limit of 50kph. going further down, there are 2 pier's I think.. otherwise have seen ppl fishing off the banks. kinda similar setup to the 'hotties'.



just above that is the westgate bridge itself. would that be the place in question ?



I mainly fish the patterson lakes for bream and have had wonderful catches there. had a few, but not much at the 'hotties' but my family have had some tailor up to 1.5kg's when the power station is working.

[glen]

how are you catching the bream at patterson lakes? lure or bait? sandworms? cheers, glen

[Lee]

glen - best bait would be bass yabbies or live sandworms. we normally get the yabbies from compleat angler in dandy or malone's near the hotties. worms are good, but personally I find the humble yabby the most consistent and get bites as soon as it hits the water!



my dad is a firm believer in prawns, and I do agree, but yabbies do the job for me <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':th' />



have caught a few nice sized trevally and a nice luderick there once up to 850g.



cheers.