Somerset

[kingcray]

hi all
heading to the dam on tuesday with the family for a few nights. Hoping someone can provide a few tips on where we could get onto a yella or 2 for the smoker. Usually only chase the redclaw, but keen to get onto a few fish this time.
Will be taking a couple shrimp traps and using the old sunlight soap for bait. Ive read there have been a few fish up around the sticks north of the campgrounds and along the along river course. Not sure what depths are best for the shrimp and the yellows?
Are the redclaw in reasonable numbers?
cheers

[aussiebasser]

The Stocking Group will be at The Spit on Wednesday morning at 10.00am releasing some Golden Perch if you want to go for look.

[2DKnBJ]

Hi Dean
We were up there for australia day long weekend and managed about 15 liters of redclaw each night.Alot of smaller ones with a few big ones in the mix.
I was using rockmelon in half my pots and diced pillies and dry cat food mixed together in the other half and the cat food mix caught the majority.
Cant help you with the fish though.

Cheers Dazza

[Mike Delisser]

Plenty of shrimp just after dark in the shallows around the camping ground, dry dog food is a great bait. And you should get some yellows around those trees you mentioned. Check out the new laws regarding traps as well. Good luck Kingray

[kingcray]

Thanks for replies, well ended up coming out today . Didn't manage to get any fishing in but have set the redclaw pots for overnight and word is they are in pretty good numbers. Have 2 shrimp traps out off the rocks outside out site and they are already loaded with shrimp so hopefully the weather lets me get out and chase some fish tomorrow morning. Using rocky in the pots and sunlight soap for the shrimp

[kingcray]

Sorry for disagree mike , fat fingers

[bondy99]

Rocky is always best for redclaw, anything else normally attracts unwanted vermin.

Always used mixed dog pellets for shrimp, pure sunlight soap tends to disappear to quick.

Last time I was up there at Somerset for redclaw we got sweet bugger all.

Good luck with it KC

[kingcray]

Just checked pots . About 30 good size reddies in pots 1-3mtrs deep, had few pots in 5+ mtrs for zilch. Few pots opened up too.

[aussiebasser]

Rocky is always best for redclaw, anything else normally attracts unwanted vermin.

I think you'll find that Redclaw are the unwanted vermin in our southern lakes, it's just that some people find them good to eat.

[kingcray]

What vermin are you talking about bondy ? I don't think I've ever caught anything other that crays in the pots regardless of bait being used and as Aussie said , they are the vermin anyway ha ha

[bondy99]

What vermin are you talking about bondy ? I don't think I've ever caught anything other that crays in the pots regardless of bait being used and as Aussie said , they are the vermin anyway ha ha

Other unwanted vermin as in Water rats , caught plenty of those.

[aussiebasser]

That's why they've changed the laws regarding hole size in redclaw traps Bondy. Better check the regs before you go.

[bondy99]

Good rat is a dead rat, damn vermin, another imported pest like the cane frog.

Never caught a platypus in the traps in damns either , they don't exist in dams , too many bs artists who say platypus are easily caught in OHP.

[aussiebasser]

Good rat is a dead rat, damn vermin, another imported pest like the cane frog.

Never caught a platypus in the traps in damns either , they don't exist in dams , too many bs artists who say platypus are easily caught in OHP.

Oh dear Bondy...

Hydromys chrysogaster, commonly known as rakali or water-rat, is an Australian native rodent. The species lives in burrows on the banks of rivers, lakes and estuaries and feeds on aquatic insects, fish, crustaceans, mussels, snails, frogs, birds' eggs and water birds. Rakali have a body 231–370 millimetres (9.1–14.6 in) in length, weigh 340–1,275 grams (0.750–2.811 lb), and have a thick tail measuring around 242–345 millimetres (9.5–13.6 in). They have webbed hind legs, waterproof fur, a flattened head, a long blunt nose, many whiskers and small ears and eyes. They are black to brown in colour with an orange to white belly, and dark tail with a white tip.

What do you think gives you the right to kill them simply because they exist? You can't eat them so they're vermin? They don't have a funny mouth like a Platypus so they're vermin?
You may want to read a little bit mate.

http://australianmuseum.net.au/water-rat

[Haji-Baba]

Hey Bondy, wake up to yourself, Water rats are an indigenous species found in most freshwater streams and dams.

Due to the value of their skins they were nearly wiped out in years past same as koala bears.

As for opera house traps they also catch any number of small turtles and native species.

The reason for the rings in the entry funnel is to try to provide a means of escape for unwanted trapped animals.

The problem seems to be that Platypus head upwards in the trap to try to escape and
they perish in the end.

I have seen so called amateur cray fishers put blocking material across the inside of the entry funnel to prevent the escape of Redclaw.

Not on.......... If I see this I have a quiet talk to the owner. Central Q.L.D. only so far but it appears to be common with the travelling crowd.

As far as vermin is concerned, the best news I have heard is that O.H. traps catch lots of Talapia.

Got a few but not many.

Sorry to be an ahole bondy but get the facts.

Have fun Haji-Baba