# (Bad) Port River - (Good) West Lakes 22 July



## fisher (Aug 30, 2005)

Things looked promising as Scupper and I arrived at Birkenhead at dawn- glassy conditions and heaps of 'fishy' structure - we couldn't miss! Well, actually we could and we did. We fished our full range of sp's and hard bodies with NIL succes. For 4 hours solid paddling and casting we only had one touch - unfortunately Scupper lost a good fish and a new SX40 at the same time. As things had been very slow Scupper didn't pay attention to the condition of his 4lb line which had been across several barnacle encrusted pylons earlier - lesson learnt, but it was one hellava slow morning.

So we pulled the pin and went to West Lakes for a short session....


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## fisher (Aug 30, 2005)

So we pulled the yaks out and went down the road to West Lakes. It took us about 5 minutes to get the yaks set up again - Scupper went south, I went north. First pass under the bridge an WHACK - I got hit, and hit hard


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## fisher (Aug 30, 2005)

Scupper must have seen the action and trolled along the other side of the bridge pylon to where I hooked mine....

Scupper managed a few more smaller fish, and I ended up with one more small fish. West Lakes is really worth a visit - there is some quality fish to be had there...


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

Nice bream guys. Well done on the move. Certainly very dark blackies.

I had trebles crushed like that - by mystery fish and by puffers. Bream have the tools to do it.


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## Blaen (Jul 4, 2006)

Looks like a nice day out fellas well done.

Very nice looking Bream


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## Blaen (Jul 4, 2006)

:roll: double post sorry couldn't delet it


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## Jake (Sep 23, 2005)

Well done Fisher. Thats an awesome Bream, and the treble is a trophy of sorts!
Cheers,
Jake


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## Scott (Aug 29, 2005)

Some top bream there guys, good stuff.

Catch ya Scott


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## troppo (Feb 1, 2006)

Nice story and I loved the pics. You can make the pics about 650 pixels wide. They will still be small in the forum post as the forum does the downsizing automatically. Then, when ya click on them in the post, they open up big in a new window. I really wanted to get a closer look at that big bream of yours.


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

troppo said:


> Nice story and I loved the pics. You can make the pics about 650 pixels wide. They will still be small in the forum post as the forum does the downsizing automatically. Then, when ya click on them in the post, they open up big in a new window. I really wanted to get a closer look at that big bream of yours.


Nice fish fellas and as said before quite dark.

Like troppo I was trying for the larger view as you had some interesting shots there, however I am posting mine at 800pixels wide, and they work as troppo said OK


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## Gator (May 10, 2006)

Hey Guys - Good fish from W/L - I'm jealous as H.ll! Where are you launching? Give us a shout when you want to go there again.
Cheers
Duncan


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

good one guys. great to see that perserverance pays off!

is that first fish really a bream?? Ive never seen one so dark.. :shock:


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## Jebster (Dec 18, 2005)

Good stuff guys, just goes to show persaverence pays off. What sort of tackle are you using, is that a Sx 40, how do you go down there on Sp's, what lbs line do you use?, cheers.
Jebster...


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## fisher (Aug 30, 2005)

> Where are you launching?


G'day Duncan. We launch at the rowing club and usually troll past the pontoons on either side the lake. Not sure when we can go again, but will keep in touch.



> is that first fish really a bream?? Ive never seen one so dark


yep, DaveyG - we occasionally get really bronze fish like that - the suggestion is that they have been resident fish for a long time. The fresh run bream are usually very silver.



> What sort of tackle are you using, is that a Sx 40, how do you go down there on Sp's, what lbs line do you use


Jebster - I mainly use 8lb line as I haven't yet been game to go lighter - but I have found the lighter the line the more hits you get - so next time I need line I'll go for 6lb. I had good success on sx48's a month or so back, in whitebait pattern, which is what scupper got his fish on. The fish I got was on an sx40. Re sp's - I'm yet to really crack the sp code and get frustrated when nothing happens - so I've tended to mainly troll.

this kayak fishing for bream is really addictive - I can't wait for next time!


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## Mattdogger (Feb 2, 2006)

A coupla good bream there boys!!! West lakes is teeming with them now days hey! I have found most sucess up the northern end of the lakes straight opposite the grill that floods the system. I trained up a bit for my coorong mission by doing two laps of west lakes once a week and I saw so many fish!! One time i paddled through a school so thick that as i distrubed them the water boiled with bream behind me as I passed. It was dusk and they appeared to be feeding on the surface?

Wonder if their colour has to do with the quality of the water.......hmmmm :roll:

Good change of scene that day, nice work fellas!


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## fisher (Aug 30, 2005)

> I have found most sucess up the northern end of the lakes straight opposite the grill that floods the system


Gday Mattdogger - sorry mate I'm a bit confused - I reckon the lake is flooded from the southern end, and flows out the northern end into the Port River - did you see these fish near the inlet pipe? - if so, I reckon thats the southern end. regardless, I reckon the entrance pipes would be a good spot.

cheers


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## Mattdogger (Feb 2, 2006)

Yeah you are probably right! It may drain at the northern end. Where you were catching them under the bridge in the photos, this looks like just up from the canoe club, keep paddling north up to the bend at the top. The bream were prolific about half way between the private moorings and the grill. Never seen so many good size bream feeding or being hunted :? on the surface.

The little wooden jetties all have fish living under them. Used to do electrical work for units on the water front just near the bridge. The little buggers were in the corner of my eyes all day every time..... 

Fished here four or five times over the past twelve months, always got a bream or two.... always dark too and got big extra bony mouths built to destroy shells and trebles! :lol:

Cheers.


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## water_baby (Oct 26, 2005)

nice work fellas 8)

the bream in west lakes are definitely much darker than the usual sea-run silver you get at places like aldinga and port noarlunga off the reefs. i reckon its the fact that the bream in WL are over a darker green bottom, while the sea-run are over sandy reefs. the same happens with snapper, with those from sandy areas being almost totally silver, and those off deeper reefs the classic "big red" colouring. just my thoughts :wink:

i didnt end up getting out, unfortunately, but hope to asap :roll:

shame about the port, maybe not enough flow?? dunno.

also, good to see mattdogger back in action  

tight lines


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