Luring up some tasty redfin at Lake Elingamite

Crater Lakes

Autumn has been mostly warm and mild, with the right amount of rainfall to keep our rivers and lakes ticking along nicely. As we enter the winter months, the transition to cooler, potentially wetter weather has been gradual to say the least. As I write this, no bitter, cold fronts that signal winter at its worst has struck us...yet.

Of course, this weather pattern could well be tied in with our climate change crisis. Plus, the scientific boffins inform us that we have left La Niña behind, and are now entering a period of El Niño, which means dryer, warmer weather should be expected for some time.

Lake Elingamite has been reliable for trout and redfin, with most anglers casting or trolling minnow lures. The redfin have been averaging around 600g, with the occasional specimen to over 1kg, and they have been responding well to cast deep divers worked just out from the weed beds. The fish seem to caught in around the 3m depth. Browns and rainbows to just under 1kg are taking shallow to medium divers flat line trolled out the back. Electric propulsion is winning over 2-stroke power when on the troll.

The water level at the boat ramp is more than adequate for boats up to 4m in length, and possibly slightly bigger.

Chinook salmon of various weights and sizes continue to be taken from Lake Bullen Merri.

Flat line trolling Lofty’s Cobra style lures or medium diving minnows, or bait fishing at depth using pilchard, has seen plenty caught. Tiger trout approaching 3kg are also plentiful at times. There is blue-green algae here but it’s not thick, and does move around depending on which way the wind is blowing. Newly stocked fish can be a nuisance, but the 4-6lb+ specimens are out there thanks to the many stockings that Fisheries have undertaken. Lake Purrumbete does have some solid trout of 7lb+, along with other species. Some rainbows, tiger and cheetah trout have been caught recently, with most anglers taking the time to cast towards the bankside weed beds. Some fish have also been taken flat line trolling close-ish to the weed beds.

Lofty’s Cobra style winged lures have been popular, along with a wide array of minnow lures, both medium and deep diving. Twilight still remains the prime time, along with overcast, even wet days, as long as the barometer is over 1010 and steady. Trolling in depths of 10m+ gives the fish time to identify the lures as potential prey, and decide whether or not to attack from the cover of nearby weed beds.