# Tas: North West Bay, Margate.



## Baldy (Oct 1, 2007)

Gday all

Well I was 30mins late on my start time, wet...cold feet at 6am and had a few showers early on but it warmed up nicely and I was off the water at around 6pm....geez this yakfishin is addictive 

Great conditions, if a little cool to start out...









Bruny Island in the distance, Tinderbox on the left...









I was catching Flathead all day but couldnt find much size in them, biggest was about 38cm and most sub 30cm, so I just kept half a dozen 35's for dinner 

First one that felt a bit different and I had called as a Salmon turned out being the ol Mulay....aka yellow eye Mullet...









Then later in the day I did find a few Salmon, little buggers mostly but there were a few bigger ones around, this was the biggest one I got, I forgot to measure it but it put up a good fight, 6lb leader and he didnt like the look of the net....lots of fun anyway..









Spent about 2hours trying to catch this Atlantic Salmon I could see under a jetty, it would have given 15lb a good nudge but wasnt interested in anything I had. Also had alot of follows from pint sized Squid in the same spot, they would attack the sps but borked at the jigs. Then there were the schools of 2-3inch Leatherjackets chewing the tails off the sps.

I had a pretty lazy day on the paddle, with bugger all breeze untill the arvo I was just floating around the place  One thing ive noticed about yak fishing is its much harder to get a fix for my addiction to poleroiding...it doesnt matter if its bait, lure or fly....as long as I can see fish and cast at them. But I think it more than makes up for it in other areas 

The new crate went ok but the fish keeper bag is a bit small and being right at the back a bit awkward to get at. So im going to rethink the crate idea and maybe go with something like Sunshiner has on his Espri. The other thing I noticed this time was with the extra weight in the tankwell dug the rudder in a bit more and made the yak more responsive, it was the most stuff ive taken out[about 15-18kg]. It seemed a little faster but that could just be my paddling is improving slightly. Also could be the fact I moved the seat back as far as it will go and moved the pedals to suit, so my legs arnt as strait out like before.

Saw lots of big flash trailer boats going out to see the yachts but when it was 30 odd degrees in the arvo and Im floating around on the big red machine I reckon they are the ones who should be jealous 8) 8) :lol:

Cheers
Baldy


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## Baldy (Oct 1, 2007)

Allmost forgot....go go google trip report...


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## woody (Aug 15, 2006)

Nice report Baldy. I'm looking forward to getting back to Tassie at some stage as you can probably tell from my signature (Sleepy Bay).

Keep up the good work!


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## GoneFishn (May 17, 2007)

Great report Baldy and top pics. Love Tassie also spent a week over at Binalong bay last year and want to get back there one day soon.


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## Duane (Oct 20, 2007)

Thanks for the map baldy, I might head there tomorrow and see what I can drag up.

There's a spot down the coast a little further between two fish farms that always seems to have a feed of flatties waiting there for me when i head out in my brothers stink boat. My theory is they sit there getting the excess feed from the farms and because there's a farm each side of the spot they get a feed no matter which way the current is going.

I still haven't blooded the yak yet, so curious to know what sort of SP's your using ?

I've heard that the Atlantic Salmon that escape from the farms have only ever seen bulk food and wouldn't know how to feed themselves in the wild, hence they rarely touch lures.

Woody and GoneFishing: heading up the east coast early in the new year, Camping near binalong bay but will probably stop in to Freycinet national park to show some friends around.


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## Baldy (Oct 1, 2007)

Thanks gents 

Duane, Yeah its not a bad stretch of water mate, the shoreline is pretty shallow so it needs to be early or late in the day to get them in close, I found most of them during the day on the drop off into deeper water, just when you cant see the bottom.
Caught them on everything I tried, pearl blue bass minnows, nuclear chicken gulp prawns and 3inch minnows, pumpkinseed 3inch gulps, gulp peeler crabs[they love these] and of course gulp sandworms, allthough I didnt use the sandworms to chase the flatties, I got the bigger Salmon on the worm while prospecting the shallows. Also got a couple on these cheapo ebay sps, little curl tail grubs but without a doubt the gulps and bait saw the most action[ bait was a crab one fish spat in my lap and a size flattie sacrificed for the cause 8) Jig head weights were from 1/8 to 1/24.

Also got a few on HBs, fluro colors seemed to get the most attention. As for the escapees theres no doubt they will feed on baitfish, we have caught them out of Craigbourne Dam on sps and HBs but yeah finding the right lure for the day/fish is the trick. This one looked well fed and was laying doggo under the jetty, not being able to see its reaction to the lure makes it harder to get it right. One day they would only take carrot squidgy wiggle tails, they wouldnt commit to anything else.

Biggest problem was finding any size in the flatties, I must have thrown back 3 dozen from 20-30cms. And with the squid im just not used to using a rod and reel for them, think I'll take a handline next time 

Im off again somewhere tomorow mate, not sure where yet.....depending on the wind it might end up being a Bream session on the Derwent.....allthough the eastern side of the bay down there might be ok. Give me a yell if your keen, goes for anyone else too.

Forcast 33C.....you ripper 8) 8)

Cheers
Baldy


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## Duane (Oct 20, 2007)

I'm keen, sent you my number via PM, though my tackle box is a little under nourished at the moment, should be okay for some flatties, cockies and squid.


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## Blaen (Jul 4, 2006)

Nice one Baldy,

I pulled a few small Flattie at Blinking Billy but it was all land based. Would love to walk my yak down the road to the boat ramp and follow where your path, but bub has been a bit crook, so I am literally sitting here holding the baby as I type (one handed).

Am thinking this coming Saturday will be a good chance to get the old girl out there, probably gonna head from Dru Point down to Conningham Beach.


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## Baldy (Oct 1, 2007)

Hey mate

I dont know the landmarks/names down that way so not sure where Dru Point or Blinking Billy :lol: is.

As a rough guide I was getting the flatties just on the outside of the boats on moorings, wasnt getting much action out wider or in close[apart from pissant salmon]

The big escapee was under the mini incat jetty . same with the squid 8) 8) 8) They have gone up a peg or 2 since I last was down that way, big opperation in there now eh.

Hope the little tacker comes right mate 

cheers
Baldy


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