Walpole Report
Hello All, After christmas at our place we headed off to Walpole on Monday and came back yesterday. Fished every day either in the Nornalup Inlet or outside near saddle Island.
On Tuesday morning it was a bit blowy but we ended up in the lee of newdegate Island and fished baits for a while without much success so we shifted to the southern edge of the inlet and hooked into some bream, KGW's and yellowfin whiting. Janes uncle also hooked an eel-esque thing it was silver about the width of my finger and perhaps two feet long. It had a scissor like jaw, and had completely swallowed the hook so we cut the line and let it go. Unfortunately no camera that day so no pics, any suggestions as to what it may have been? Janes uncle has fished there for more than 20 years and had never seen one before.
Wed morning it was over to the franklin side of the estuary for some more bream and Yellowfin Whiting. Ended up straight out from Coalmine beach over a patch of ground where we could see huge schools of bream. We probably landed more than 20 bream, but only a few past 30cm.
Thursday and Friday morning looked pretty good on the weather front, so Janes cousin and I took the Stacer 4.5 outside to Saddle Island. Several drifts resulted in me being seasick, but I persisted and Simon ended out getting a 65cm Queen Snapper, then I hooked a 3ft shark, got it to the boat where it bit off my line. More seasickness which came in waves and then went and finally I landed a 60cm Queen Snapper. I called it quits and we headed back in.
Friday morning was even more promising with light winds and I had got some travelcalm original so I was really looking forward to it. After a few more drifts around the Needles I landed an 80cm Queenie and Simon got a 60cm one. After this, we shifted spots to try to get a dhuie or something else. We shifted to the eastern side of Saddle Island and set up a drift near where Hlokk and I got some Harlequins/Juvie Pinkies the year before. One drift and I got a 40cm Pinkie which went back, and a bust off from something else which seemed decent.
We had seen a boat anchored up close to the island who seemed to be catching only small pinkies, and as our drift would take us down to them we had a chat as we went by and they had only got undersize pinkies, so we told them about our queen snapper spot, and they pulled anchor and headed over to try their luck. Just goes to show not everyone is a pinger or has bad intentions when talking to other people on the water.
Went to the walpole pub for NYE and got shitfaced on Coopers Pale Ale, and had a good look at the fishing chalkboard and someone got a new walpole record for black bream on 30/12/10 at 2.5kg, just short of the state record of 2.719kg. Top effort, but we didnt see anything like that in the inlet. I reckon it was pulled out from snags up one of the rivers.
Hungover as a dog and also car sick from sitting in the back because we gave Janes Grandad a lift back to Perth yesterday. Only comming good now.
Heres a pic or two from the lookout, the giant tingle tree and friday morning shenanigans.
grayzeee
Posts: 2283
Date Joined: 09/07/09
sounds like a great
sounds like a great trip
pretty ballsy climbing that tree. stuff that
good work on the queenie's mate
If I spent half as long fishing , as I do reading this bloody forum , I'd be twice the fisherman I am.
sarcasm0
Posts: 1396
Date Joined: 25/06/09
I didnt climb the tree
It is called the lookout and its on the same road as the giant tingle tree and circular pools. Its about 50mt past the turnoff into coalmine beach on the left when headed towards denmark. Thanks.
Bryan
fisho-ron
Posts: 2539
Date Joined: 26/09/09
nice mate.while down there
nice mate.
while down there did you see (crushed)karl in his orange bar crusher?
he told me he was meeting some one from fishwrecked there.
we stayed on the river a few years back, lovely place.
sarcasm0
Posts: 1396
Date Joined: 25/06/09
I saw an orange boat outside the rivemouth
On the friday, but im not sure if it was a bar crusher? We thought they were collecting bait cause they were in so close to the rivermouth while we were in a 4.5 mt stacer out at the island. Later on they went past us and the island on the way out deep. I hope he had a great time down their also.
Since being with my gf I have been down there plenty as her uncle has a holiday house in Walpole.
I love it in summer, not so keen on it in winter.
Ron, send me a PM when you guys are headed out prawning again and I will try to catch up with you. Was good to see you guys back in April out in the river.
Bryan
fisho-ron
Posts: 2539
Date Joined: 26/09/09
yeh mate, will do.its a bit
yeh mate, will do.
its a bit away yet, but will be keen to try again this year.
deezydee
Posts: 109
Date Joined: 05/12/10
I saw the bar crusher out
I saw the bar crusher out there, he was down last year as well, and i think the boat was brand new then? I spent a week down there from boxing day onwards.
I spent my time wading the flats mostly and there was no shortage of fish, heaps of king george on plastics and hb`s.
The new ramp is fine for larger boats if the winds favouarble but your deckie better be strong with the bridle, needs a finger jetty for those wanting to launch one up and then need to tie up to park the car. As with most shires, why ask the the people what they need as far as the launching facility is concerned, they just get some pleb to design it and wait for the imminent criticism.
Sorry for the rant, but my folks live their and locals were not asked what they wanted.
Joodles
Posts: 362
Date Joined: 19/11/10
Mate, it looks like you got a
Mate, it looks like you got a bit better weather than us. We were there until the 27th and only managed to get out the front once. The wind was shit and Christmas day...well, certainly inside weather to say the least! Didnt do too well out the front either, maybe a more dedicated crew might have changed that a bit. Constant action in the inlet as usual, heaps of bay pinkies, flatties and nice bream. I think my best was 27cm. Nailed my first flattie on SP too which was sweet! We managed a nice feed of whiting out of it all.
flangies
Posts: 2540
Date Joined: 11/05/08
Fuck yeah looks like a sweet
Fuck yeah looks like a sweet trip, That 3rd pic is a good one!
Btw that tree is epic.
Anytime Brad
Posts: 237
Date Joined: 20/07/09
Love the place
Cant wait to get back down the pole, love the place. Great to see that you got outside a couple of times. I always seem to get a few queenies when there. Maybe one day we will be down there at the same time a catch up again for a fish.
Brad
I would rather be fishing
sarcasm0
Posts: 1396
Date Joined: 25/06/09
I would love to catch up for a fish sometime
Even up here again Brad:D I dunno if im going to be able to get back down there for marron this season either:/
Anyway, give me a PM if you want to catch up some time.
Bryan
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Great queenies, sounds like a
Great queenies, sounds like a good trip!
Nimbin 157
Posts: 130
Date Joined: 03/05/10
silver eel looking thing
Hey there sarcasm the eel looking thing sounds like a fish called a hairtail. I remember seeing pictures of these in the old anglers omnibus book years ago. Scissor like jaw and a long body that tapers off at the tail .