Mulloway questions
Hey all,
I dont post much as most of the things i want to say or know are always up in no time, but i have a few questions now.
So I decided to change up my persistant metro Mulloway (ocean only) chase with a daytime session at the sth side of the narrows today. 90 minutes each side of the high tide. Used tailor caught last night, frozen scalies and dart for bait. Not a sniff other than the local cleaners cleaning my hooks for me. This didnt surprise me but i thoguht i would start giving the daytime and the river a tilt.
Question 1: Has anyone heard of people landing them at the narrows on the high tide during the day? Ill keep trying but it would be nice to know.
Over the past six months i have really cranked up the chase. Been averaging between 2 - 3 sessions a week. Generally fishing the high tide in the late afternoons and evenings, or the mornings, looking for gutters or fishing rock walls. Again, fresh / live bait, snelled 8 hooks on 60lb leader on to 30lb main, running sinker as light as needed to hold my gear where i want it. Ive done ok with feeds and fun - maybe 8 decent runs - no hook up (maybe not even mulla) a few decent tailor here and there, shovelnoses, small sharks etc during the period and loved every session but i think i need some more assistance on narrowing my odds with the Mulloway. I have been fishing most of my life, and learnt what i know (very little) through trial and error (more persistant error than trial), books and the net, but I have now finally come to the conclusion that I need to learn more from someone in person who knows what the feck they are doing.
Question 2: Does anyone need / want a LB Mulloway chasing student / buddy? - if so, help us out!!! I know that loose lips sink ships, I have a deep respect for the ecosystem and I just straight up love how challenging it is to catch them but am basically going insane doing it. I have a 4wd and have it on the beach every couple of weekends so im happy to drive or tag along!
NB. Begging didnt actually feel as bad as i thought it would.
Question 3: Tides. I know having a line in the water is the start and there has to be some kind of structure or reason for the mulla to be there yada yada but in terms of tides and days, and not taking into account whether the tide falls in darkness or light or the weather, in your opinon which days and tides are they more actively feeding - Days like today where there is 4 tides with very little height difference / days with four tides but the middle two tides are basically the same and occur within an hour or two of each other / days with two major tides with more substantial height difference?
Question 4: I dont take the major and minor solunar into account when planning my fishing sessions for Mulloway, just the tides. I tested this out many times years ago and failed as usual. Had anyone had success in using these periods to target Mulloway?
Sorry about the long post and basic questions but better out than in. Thanks in advance.
Justin M
Posts: 1207
Date Joined: 14/01/13
Well I did see a picture on
Well I did see a picture on here once upon a time, on my old account, of a guy that caught a good sized mulla in the Swan during the day but that was not at the Narrows, was further down stream I think.
Would it make you mad if I said I have caught six mullas in the last month?
I inadvertantly caught one one night and haven't got away from them since (not complaining mind you 
) I caught them using 20lb mono, 30lb leader with a set of gangs and the humble mulie. Just biding my time patiently for the big one. Just remember a fair few fishos will spend some years trying without getting one so don't feel too bad.
As for your tide and solunar questions, I've caught them just right on high tide at night, at night when the tide was much earlier in the afternoon, a few hours after high tide just as witching hour approached...most times I think the moon phase was waning, not that I really pay much attention to these things. Some people swear by them.
Clown Fish
Posts: 111
Date Joined: 03/02/10
Skippydogg, I fished the
Skippydogg, I fished the swan for years for mulloway and pretty much established a pattern that always esured success. The start of the season in the deep water in mozzies and blackwall is TOTALLY dependant on the baitfish turning up(lesson number 1). You are wasting your time until you can catch your first early season Tailor, that is your first indicator of when to start the hunt for croakers. Once the bait starts to disperse (water salinity will determine when this happens) so will the croakers. This is when you need to think about the efects of location and tide. You have to remember that Mullas are a lazy (Read anarobic Metabolism) fish and will nearly always lay and wait till something to eat comes to them.(lesson number 2, fish where the currents provide slack water for the fish to lay and wait for dinner). The exception to this rule obviously is at slack water, either high or low tide. Concentrate your efforts around lighting at slack water, ie narrows, causway. After this period I would concentrate my fishing efforts on other stuff untill the first really good rains come. The fresh water does one thing, congregates and pushes the mulloway downstream, but only to the point of tidal influence from the ocean. At this point the mullas are eating boney herring. What you have to look for is the high tide pushing in and meeting the fresh water. If you can find this point in the swan then you will find croakers. Just look for foamy water and heaps of shit, rubbish, plastic bottles ect.(lesson number 3) This line is the weirdest thing to look at for the first time but when you fish it you will Know what i am talking about. Once we get shit loads of rain then just sit back and wait for the baitfish to return next year.
Good Luck. Looks like you have already done heaps of research. hope you hit the mark.
Skippydogg
Posts: 6
Date Joined: 18/02/13
Thanks heaps for the quick,
Thanks heaps for the quick, direct and technical replies.
Justin - mate it doesnt make me mad at all that you've been sucessful lately, always happy to see keen anglers rewarded and it just gives me motivation! Were you fishing the ocean or river? I think i might be fishing a little heavy then. Ill give a lighter leader and smaller hook(s) a go.
Clown fish - really appreciate the detailed description, It is exactly the type of advice i was looking for. Really helps me out. Ill be applying this info immediately and ill let you all know how i go.
I hope you dont mind if i pm you a couple of questions on this from time to time.
cheers again!!
Clown Fish
Posts: 111
Date Joined: 03/02/10
no probs. work on your rain
no probs. work on your rain dance in the meantime
Skippydogg
Posts: 6
Date Joined: 18/02/13
Well it looks like my rain
Well it looks like my rain dance is more effective than my mulla fishing
Justin M
Posts: 1207
Date Joined: 14/01/13
Mate, i was kidding about the
Mate, i was kidding about the 'mad' reference...just an internet expression I use a bit too much
Admittedly they were all caught in the ocean (no idea bout fishing the Swan) but the advice Clown fish just gave is excellent. You can read stacks of info in books but a little direct local knowledge from someone who has done it regularly goes a long way. Good luck with your hunt and if it does pay off at some point then put up a pic in the forums.
Skippydogg
Posts: 6
Date Joined: 18/02/13
Thanks heaps for the quick,
Thanks heaps for the quick, direct and technical replies.
Justin - mate it doesnt make me mad at all that you've been sucessful lately, always happy to see keen anglers rewarded and it just gives me motivation! Were you fishing the ocean or river? I think i might be fishing a little heavy then. Ill give a lighter leader and smaller hook(s) a go.
Clown fish - really appreciate the detailed description, It is exactly the type of advice i was looking for. Really helps me out. Ill be applying this info immediately and ill let you all know how i go.
I hope you dont mind if i pm you a couple of questions on this from time to time.
cheers again!!
Clown Fish
Posts: 111
Date Joined: 03/02/10
BTW fill in your profile.
BTW fill in your profile. Fishwrecked community can help you heaps more if they know if you are land based, boatie, surfie etc
pale ale
Posts: 1755
Date Joined: 02/01/10
What you have to look for is
What you have to look for is the high tide pushing in and meeting the fresh water. If you can find this point in the swan then you will find croakers. Just look for foamy water and heaps of shit, rubbish, plastic bottles ect.(lesson number 3) This line is the weirdest thing to look at for the first time but when you fish it you will Know what i am talking about.
This bit of info is gold!! I have had hot mulloway fishing in similar circumstances. The point where the 2 different waters meet is where the fish will be. You may have to continually keep moving to keep your bait / lure in this zone as the tide weakens / strengthens.
Got any photos Clown Fish?
bitten
Posts: 803
Date Joined: 07/04/10
dont know about the river
dont know about the river but ive always just tried to fish the high tides in a good gutter i went ages without getting one untill i got my big one (25kg), i always fish at night for them allthough my big one came at 4pm right on the stroke of high tide now i dont seem to have a problem catching them none that big but i usualy get them when i go out
if im chasing them i dont bother fishing for anything else just conc4entrate on the mullys, i got 3 last night and 4 wobbeys as by catch middle of the incoming tide about 3 hour before high yum yum i released all of them though as my freezer is full of snapper yumm yum :)
dan