# Patterson River & Lakes tips (VIC)



## Mushi (Aug 31, 2005)

Hey guys,
just wondering about the Patterson river and lakes complex. May be taking a newbie there during Saturday day time, especially as the forecast on the bay doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t look so calm.

IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve never fished here so after any tips, launch sites or what to expect (always seem to see bream reports coming out of there). The recent kingy near the mouth and last seasons soapy mulloway would be welcome but not expected :!: Is there decent fishing actually through the lakes area, or better closer to/in the river itself? Will probably be trying HBs, SPs and maybe a little bait.

Thanks for any help. I'd set it up as an open akff trip, but i'm not 100% sure we'll be going out.

Cheers,
Dave


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## Tim (Nov 11, 2005)

Never fished paddo at all, always wanted to, always lived fairly close by, but never got around to it.

I'm looking forward to your report.

Might even see if I can snatch a leave pass and have a go myself.


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## Milt (Sep 2, 2005)

Hey mate I've not fished there but have been told there are often schools of salmon frequenting the entrance. But a word of warning from Squidder there are lots of d*ck head stink boaters running around the entrance at speed.

Beside the odd bream I'm not sure there's anything much more about there? With the NW or W predicted I'd suggest fishing around the Geelong area as there has been some good KGW about. Perhaps the sheltered area by Churnside road?

Milt,


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## Mushi (Aug 31, 2005)

Thanks for the info thus far. Heading that way cos IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve got to pick up something in Skye on Saturday. I miss KGW, havenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t targeted them in a long while! Thus havenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t tasted that succulent flesh for ages either


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## Milt (Sep 2, 2005)

I'd drag an ecogear around the area and see what you pick up there, with a little bit of rain about it will hopefully keep the stink boaters at bay and allow a bit of a troll for you around the entrance. If i wasn't so busy I'd join you  and yes i miss the SWEEEET taste of whiting too!!!

Milt,


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## varp (Sep 12, 2005)

I've fished it in the canoe Dave and found it fishes well except for the complete lack of atmosphere. You are surrounded by McMansions.

Copped some flak from one local who hated the thought I was going to nick his pet bream (fair enough), but if you don't go through the lock thingy to the estate with all the private docks, you can troll around in the estuary for a good mixed bag.

Plenty of small bream and flatties.


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## PoddyMullet (Aug 29, 2005)

I've fished it Mushi, but never really caught much apart from small bream on bait (worms from memory). But it's a great way to introduce someone to a yak...as El Varpo said getting up around the mansions is an interesting paddle and there's a fair bit of water there to explore. I had a crack at mulloway there at night as well, no joy but some more knowledgable fella's pointed me up past the gate to the marina, striaght on not turning into it. I also remember sitting under the road bridge for some smallish nibbles (not sure maybe mullet or bay trout)...but they'd be fun too. Good luck with it, and don't give up ther yak for those big expensive boats..we know ya want one with Mushi's Magic on the bow :wink:


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## Milt (Sep 2, 2005)

Hahaha I can just picture it "Magic Mushi" with that "nipple licking ensignia" :wink:

Milt,


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## Y-Knot (Sep 26, 2006)

Hiya Mushi / Milt

Last weekend i was told by two individuals on seperate occasions about some MONSTER KGW around the flinders area (quite specific as to where they can be located) ... wouldnt mind a crack at 'em myself


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## squizzy (Mar 3, 2007)

Hey Mushi,
You may have already had a fish in the paddo but I thought I would put in a reply a bit late but just in case you trip was postponed. I have fished the patto quite a bit from the banks and like most places had mixed responses. The warnings about crazy stinkboat drivers are true but they tend to be warm weather idiots and during the nite and winter the tend to stay indoors.
The area near the railway bridge always has plenty of bank anglers so be careful of both boat and fisho traffic, at the moment there are small salmon moving around this area on a tide change and you will get the occasional good size bream, but all my success here has been from the bank using, lures for salmon, worms and live shrimp and maggots for the bream.
Most of my fishing has been near the entrance gates (1st) to the marina. Once again it was from the bank and with bait, I did have a paddle around this area around 2 weeks ago at nite just after some rain and didnt get a touch on the trolled hb lure or popper but the water was dirty. It was a great paddle though, I got right into the waterway and it looks very fishy. The tide was running and it was difficult to really work the structures without putting down the anchor. I was on more of an exploration mission than a hard core fishing trip and didnt bother but in future thats how I would fish the area. There was plenty of surface action but I think that was small mullet which are prolific in this system.
In regards to launching I put in at the last boat ramp toward to the freeway, no body around and a nice bright light to help set up. Following the forster trip I will be going right down the end to where the freeway is and giving the poppers a work out in this shallower water, I think tryhards popper techniques would be great here. This area gets very little stink boat action also.
Another possibility but something I have not tried in a kayak is the freshwater section. Not near the freeway bridge but around 1km up river around 200m behind the starting boxes In the summer months we used to fish here with 4lb line worms and corn and regularly hook up 10lb plus carp. Yuk carp you might say, but they were great fun and very good sport on light gear. For the eel hunters amongst us, as soon as the sun goes down these creatures would come out and hammer our worm baits and put up quite a fight. We used to use newspapers to grab hold of them to untangle them from our lines and put them back, but if you are inclined to eat these critters.
Maybe we should all get together for a beer and gossip about places we've fished or would like to fish, I got a lot of fishin from the bank stories and would like to compare notes with other yak fisho's, something we can start throwing around. Any how enough from me, good luck in the patto, let us know how you go.


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## evarn (Jul 10, 2006)

Mushi

I used to live at Patto and spent a lot of time fishing there...

The kayak club there is quite active, so rest assured the ramp area is a great place to launch a yak.

There;s usually a lot of mullet in the system, and if you see them splashing about u might also see a dark shadow chasing them.. that'd be a mulloway.. they do get caught there, but i never tried for one

I used to fish of the bank at the second gate and had some success on small plastics with the bream.

If you go in after a big wet, then eels are a chance as they wash over the spillway.

I've seen a lot of crazy boaters fly thru under the bridge, but don't let that put u off. But on a warm saturday, be prepared for the weekend tossers that clearly have no place on the water.. and jetskis.. lotsa jetskis

On a funnier note, it always surprised me how often i would see the mctossers with the mcmansions come out for a cruise in their massive stinkboats and only go a kay or two offshore.. presumably because they couldn't afford the fuel or the crew to run their boat! eeheheehe


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## PoddyMullet (Aug 29, 2005)

How'd it go Mushi :?:


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## Mushi (Aug 31, 2005)

Thanks very much for all the info fellas. To tie it up i actually didn't get a chance to get down there. A change of plans had me heading to non-fishable Ballarat :roll: I guess this thread can be a good starter for anyone considering fishing the paddo though. Aching for a yak fish, been ages! After next wkend i'm 100% going fishing :twisted:


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