"Monster" fish in Lake Macquarie

[Catchin Jack]

Hey Raiders,

Decided to go fish Lake Macquarie yesterday and took the wife and kids for a run, we did a bit of fishing and then they went home.

Well along comes a friend who I picked up at the ramp and we headed out into the lake to do some serious fishing. We tried a few spots and got a mixed bag of fish including flathead, flounder, leatherjacket, kingfish & this monster fish in the photo below, it put up a huge fight and I was exhausted after landing it.

We also went for a squid at dark at our favourite spot and ended up with about 20 squid, took about an hour.

After a squid session we went back to a few spots in the lake but the fish weren't playing ball so we headed home around 2am.

There was so many bloody crab pots in the lake it was dangerous navigating at night, we felt like ripping them all up and finding the nearest bin to dispose of them, some people have no regard to safety and possibly lack intelligence placing pots in navigation channels etc. I think next time i'll lift them all, ring the owners and explain to them that they can collect their damn nets from Fisheries office. Pretty sure crab nets are still illegal in the lake, they were years ago unless that's changed.

PS- Most fish were released, only some were kept for a feed tonight if anyone was wondering.

[helliconia]

you beat my PB with that one

[rocca22]

I'll be out on Lake Macquarie this weekend.

Any suggestions on the best places to try?

Knowing my luck I'll catch one smaller than that

[brickman]

good to see you fishing with the wife and kids leo

i caught a flatty yesterday that would have put that monster to shame

mate vacum seal 10 squid[slowly lowering a cliplock bag in a bucket off sea water ]and give me a ring and we'll do a texas reef session ps put the sealed squid straight on ice and freeze

i'm sick off fishing sydney but the swell up north is a bit large for the next week

cheers gary

[gibodfisho]

Sounds like a great session. I am holidaying on the lake for the first time and have been doing it tough, many casts between fish although all fish hooked have been quality specimens.

On the crab trap topic, witches hat and dilly nets are legal from memory but definetly dangerous to leave them out overnight.

Any tips on catching squid in the lake rather than the Channel. Need some fresh squid rings to round off dinner.

Cheers Dave

[Jayro]

yeh witches hats are certainly legal here on the lake so I wouldnt recomend touching other peoples traps thats for sure. Even over night although can be dangerous is still ok by law.

Cheers Jase

[Catchin Jack]

Hey Gary, the squid were great for dinner, only heads left. We'll go get some more very soon.

Thanks CG, it was quite a mixed bag, getting the jackets was a surprise in the lake considering their large size, there's a few hoodlum kings in the lake also, ours went about 80cm.

There's a heap of yakka and tailor around Pulbah Island, so many they were just sitting under the boat, could've just netted them haha.

Apparently parts of Lake Mac you can't use any type of net/trap, spoke to a fisheries guy up that way today and they're gonna keep an eye on crab net locations and move them if posing a danger to vessels.

[Catchin Jack]

Don't know about the whiting in Lake Mac CG, I know they're getting a few in Tuggerah Lake at The Entrance at night but it's still like a carpark fishing there haha.

[Mercer007]

good on ya leo.

I eat the squid and use the heads as bait also. They always get nailed by something.

Talk soon.

Pete