Lake Wonboyn, NSW

The challenge was on – Dad and myself had to catch flathead, bream, whiting, estuary perch, trevally, salmon and tailor (Or as many of them as we could) and add together the total length of the biggest in each species. Our location this year was Lake Wonboyn, on the southern NSW coast.

Day 1: Sunday 8^th July

After arriving at the house on Lake Wonboyn and settling in on the Saturday, Sunday morning was spent readying the boat, and we also went in to Eden to get some supplies (Including NSW fishing licenses). This meant that Dad and I didn’t get to launch until about 3pm. We managed to take Ben with us; however he was more interested in the biscuits and cans of soft drink than the fishing. We went up into the river mouth and started flicking some plastic around. I was trying a turtleback worm in pumpkinseed on a 1/24^th jighead and we cast rather unsuccessfully for about half an hour before I hooked up to a nice 40cm flathead. We crossed to the other side of the river and I managed a smaller model and Dad latched onto a 30cm one. The duskies here in NSW need to be 36cm, however we imposed a boat limit of 40cm. I hooked up to another really nice fish that was taking line, before it spat the hook. With darkness descending on us, we called it a night and headed back in.

Day 2: Monday 9^th July

On Monday we had an early start and headed right up the river. We sounded up one school of what we assume were bream, but even after casting vibes, hardbodies and plastics at them for no result, we moved on. There were a lot of good areas up the river, including steep banks, overhanding trees and a lot of structure. However, a distinct lack of fish was notices and we didn’t get any hits for the couple of hours we spent up there. We headed back into the lake and drifted along some oyster leases. I hooked up on a 3” minnow in the peppered prawn colour and pulled in a nice flattie. Next cast I caught another one that measured 50cm. Dad then caught one about 34cm on a 3” fry in the banana prawn colour. I started pulling in quite a few between 34-36cm which call went back. When I was up 10 fish to 1, Dad decided that his lure wasn’t working so we swapped rods. He did hook up immediately, but so did I. In order to keep the peace back at the house with the family we returned home. At this stage we had only caught flathead, and I was up 50cm to 40cm.

In the afternoon we took Ben to Baycliff, the surf beach for a spot of surf fishing. It was dead low tide and we didn’t manage many bites, except for the sand crabs which were abundant and stole all of our baits. The surf poppers didn’t do any good either. Just before dark Ben’s rod went off and we pulled in a double header of salmon. One of these was converted to fillet baits and just on dark my rod went off, with everyone’s favourite shark, the draughtboard shark coming in. It fought similar to a log and was big and ugly. We went home for dinner with neither of us adding to the competition scores.

Day 3: Tuesday 10^th July

We had another early morning on Tuesday. Immediately we headed to the oyster racks. A bit more of a breeze was blowing which gave us a drift which was way too fast. We motored back up to them and anchored. First cast I was on, with a 34cm duskie coming aboard which was quickly released. Dad then hooked a nice fish which gave a good account of itself and measured 44cm, bringing his total for the competition up. Over the next hour we got a few more flathead, all between 34-38cm. To change it up, we headed towards the entrance. On the way we flicked around a few leases and likely looking spots. I managed one more flattie about 34cm which went back and we continued on to the entrance. Dad got some burley going as we tried to attract some other species, like salmon, trevally or tailor. After about half an hour I had a hit on my turtleback worm which had made its way back on. 

It ran about 30m before I even got to turn the reel. I was dreaming about my first mulloway as the system used to be full of them (So the locals say), however it was heading in the wrong direction so I had to concentrate. My poor little stradic 1000 with 3lb line was having a massive workout and for the next few minutes I didn’t get any line back. After a while (And a nervous lap of the boat and almost anchor rope) I finally got up a silver trevally, which eventually slid into the net and measured 42cm. 

We each managed a few more average flathead before heading back to the ramp. The trevally added to my largest flathead of the previous day had me at 92cm for the competition, with Dad having 44cm for his biggest flathead.

Day 4: Wednesday 11^th July

Wednesday was a day where the girls wanted to go into Eden, Pambula and Merimbula to do some shopping, so we only managed to venture out twice. These sessions were short and sharp, first thing in the morning (Well, 7.30-8.45) and in the afternoon (3.30-5.15). In the early session we hit what was now our usual flathead spot. I managed 6 flathead (On the 3” minnow in peppered prawn) and Dad caught 4 (On a turtleback worm in pumpkinseed), with all fish being released. Dad upgraded his PB for the week to 44cm. We decided to try a new area with about 20 minutes to go and motored over a shallow sandy patch and found a dead flathead upside down that I netted. It went 86cm and was by far the biggest fish of the week.

As it had definitely turned and was a bit on the nose, we released it in the same condition in which we caught it. In the spot we then had a couple of really good, hard runs but no hookups.

In the afternoon we got out again and tried the last spot from the morning session. Almost immediately Dad caught a flathead, then I managed one to level it at 1-1. I brought another one up on the next cast but dropped it as I was lifting it into the boat. We motored back to the spot that we had drifted away from and started the drift again. I quickly managed 3 more to make it 4-1. Just before dusk Dad cast out then turned around to put some burley out. He picked up his rod and a flathead had swallowed his 3” minnow, which he reeled in and it was a new PB for him for the week of 47cm. This made the session 4-2 to me, and we tried unsuccessfully for about another 10 minutes but the fish seem to shut down when dusk comes. I think they are far more active with some sun on the water when it is colder.

Day 5: Thursday 12^th July

Another day, another start where we were on the water about 7.15. Today Ben came with us again, although once again he was less interested in the fishing and more interested in the “chicken in a biscuit” and looking through all of the soft plastics. By 9.30 Dad and myself each had 3 flathead on board, with 2 of them above 40cm. 

We dropped him back at the pier where he was picked up and tried some new ground. We had heard that the tailor were around so started trolling – Dad with his rebel fasttrack jointed minnow (The “Glenelg river special”) and I had a good old Berkley FS6 in the mullet colour. As soon as the lures hit the water Dad was on and pulled in a tailor of 42cm, which brought the competition to equal terms. We started trolling again and Dad hooked up immediately. As he was pulling it in I stopped the boat and began pulling my lure in, when it was also hit by a tailor. Dad lost his halfway in and I managed to get mine to the boat – 39cm and extended my lead overall to 42cm. We started trolling again and again Dad hooked up within 10 seconds, and had a very large tailor boatside quickly, when it made one last dash for freedom and bit through his 10lb leader. Needless to say he had to put a new lure on and we trolled unsuccessfully for another 15 minutes or so.

We then decided it was time to stop and drift. It was quiet for a while before I hooked up to a flathead, then the next cast a nice trevally of about 38cm. Dad and I then both landed a couple of tailor each and it went quiet again. We headed back near the oyster leases where we have had success over the past few days. Dad soon managed 4 flathead in 5 casts, including one of 50cm which became his new biggest flathead and meant he was now only down by 39cm. I finally managed a couple of flathead, but my biggest was only 42cm. Then Dad had a good hit almost as soon as his 3” fry hit the water. It took quite a bit of line and then came back towards us and headed for the oyster leases. He managed to turn it at the last minute and after a few more frantic moments it was safely in the net. It was a 37cm yellowfin bream, which was a new species and closed the gap to 2cm overall. We moved down the leases a bit and I put a cast in towards them and had a good hookup. 

The fish ran and stayed deep – I was hoping for a bream (As I had yet to get one) but when it finally came up it was another trevally. We both snared a few more flathead and then it was time to call it quits just before 3.30, with the total fish count 14-13 (My way) for the day but Dad with the nice bream. Overall there is a 2cm difference in length for the overall bag for the week which should set up an interesting Friday’s fishing – Dad still is yet to catch a trevally and I am yet to manage a bream. 

Day 6: Friday 13^th July

Another early start this morning – To look after the two boys as my wife woke up with a bit of a cold. Although it was meant to be stormy, we awoke to clear skies, no winds and Lake Wonboyn looked like a millpond. Itching to go fishing at about 11am we finally got permission to take the eldest (Ben, 2 ½ years) to the piers to throw around some plastics. On the first pier we found some absolutely enormous bream cruising below it. Despite a passing interest in the turtleback worm I dropped down first cast, they refused absolutely every offering, including all of the plastics in our arsenal plus some vibes. After seeing the disdain that these wily old bream showed to the lures, we continued on for a while around the piers and moorings, but with no success. We went back to the house for lunch.

After managing to get both boys to sleep we snuck out for another session that lasted for about an hour and a half. Dad got a flathead early, and then I managed one as well. He then got another two and I dropped one boatside as I was lifting it in. As we were releasing all fish I may have become lackadaisical and probably should have used the net! Dad cast towards the oyster leases and hooked up straight away. The fish ran and ran and nearly went back to where it came from in the leases as Dad’s 4lb leader was stretched to capacity. As he led it towards the boat it stayed deep and he called it for a trevally, which would have been a new species for him for the week. As it came up into the net, a 36.5cm healthy yellowfin bream came aboard. Whilst Dad was releasing it I cast in again and hooked up, unfortunately not to a bream but managed a 38cm flathead. This meant that Dad was up 4-2 and we decided to try a troll for a tailor. Within a couple of minutes we got a call from home that the boys had woken up and we needed to resume our babysitting duties. As we cleaned up the boat Dad dropped over his ever-reliable 3” fry in the banana prawn colour and again hooked up. As we were now over the deeper section he called it for a trevally but once again after an extended fight he pulled in another yellowfin bream, this one measuring 37cm. Dad won the day convincingly 5-2, but this doesn’t change the overall standings with me up by 2cm. We do have an opportunity for a final 2 hour session tomorrow morning before we pack up and head for home, so will have to wait one more day for the final results!

Day 7: Saturday 14^th June

An earlier start today and we were on the spot by 7am, as we had to be off the water by 9am to head for home. After Dad landed a flathead within the first few minutes we moved closer in towards the oyster leases. I was still motoring the boat in when Dad had his first cast - And hooked up as soon as it hit the water! It was a cast right into the leases and we expected to see a good bream come up, but a 39cm trevally was soon netted, which meant that Dad now led the competition by 37cm. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of it as we released it before I thought of taking one in my shock of being behind! A few more flathead and by 8am it was 4-2 Dad's way, with all bar that one fish being flathead. In the deeper section (About 5m)  that we ended up at we started flicking the plastics for not much luck until I hooked a nice tailor. It was almost at the surface when it bit through my 4lb leader. Dad then cast into the same spot and managed to land one, meaning that he had boated 3 species for the morning and led 5-2. I put on another plastic and cast out again.... For the same result. My leader was now so short I had to use my other rod that I had pre-rigged. I then finally managed to land one, and just before 9am Dad and myself each landed another tailor which made the final score for the day 6-4 to Dad, and the overall competition was won by 37cm, by Dad:

A hard fought competition all week, but the winner of the inaugural Lake Wonboyn Fishing Challenge was Dad by 37cm. I'm already plotting my comeback at Nelson in late September....