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2012
Annual LAKE BULLEN MERRI FISHING CLASSIC First
weekend in October
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Quinnet Salmon
Unlike Brown Trout, Quinnet will often be active
feeders soon after release with many anglers catching fish. These are often
small and whilst quite edible only keep what you need - let them grow to
trophy fish!
Mature fish in the Lake may achieve a weight of up to 4.5Kg, taking up to 3
years to achieve this.
In their Native Habitat (North America) they will go to sea as they get
older and return to the river in which they were born. After Spawning the
fish will die. In Lake Bullen Merri once the fish are ready to spawn they
will often be seen swimming in the shallows. They will be very black in
colour and usually the skin will be quite loose. This usually occurs around
May/June. Any fish in this state should not be taken for eating!
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Rainbow
Trout
The 'Encyclopedia of Australian Fishing'
describes Rainbow Trout as '...Solid, powerful deep-bodied fish, with the
head larger in Males than Females. The anal fin is deep with a short base,
and in immature fish the caudral fin is forked,
become truncated with age...'
Like the Brown Trout the males develop a hooked lower front Jaw, making it
easy to distinguish between Male and Female fish as they grow. The have a
similar appearance to the Brown Trout, with the most obvious difference
being the (often quite pronounced) rainbow colouration running the length of
the body. Additionally the presence of spots on the Caudral
Fin can help identify this the younger fish.
An angler will often notice a pronounced colour difference in the flesh of
a cleaned fish - when the flesh is light pink in colour they have been predominately
feed on minnows & bullheads. When the flesh is a deep scarlet red the
diet is more likely to consist of Invertebrates. When cooked the darker
coloured flesh is often described as 'tasting better' - but you will have
to catch some to find out!
Rainbow Trout have been known to grow up to 3.5Kg in Lake Bullen Merri, and
often may in the vicinity of 1Kg within the first year of release. They
actively feed not long after release - if you catch young fish keep what
you want to eat, but let them grow to larger fish.
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Brown Trout
The 'Encyclopedia of Australian Fishing'
describes Brown Trout as '...a delight to the eye, exciting to the mind,
stimulating to the spirit and deletable to the
palate...'
The fish are generally a shade of yellow, with a few Dark Spots on the
dorsal fin. The Tail Fin and the paired Pectoral and Ventral Fins and Anal
Fin do not have any spots on them.
A little known means of distinguishing a Brown Trout from a Rainbow Trout is
the presence of 'Vomerine Teeth' Whats this you say? When you catch a Brown open its
mouth and you will see a row of 'rasp like' teeth on the top of the fishes mouth.
Brown Trout have a lesser variance of flesh colour difference to the
Rainbow Trout and Quinnet Salmon. The reason for
the colour variation is still the same though - the food source.
Browns have been known to grow above 5Kg in Lake Bullen Merri,
the growth rate is perhaps a little slower than a Rainbow Trout. Saying this the fish will still often be in the vicinity of 1Kg
within the first year of release. Usually the fish are not seen by an
Angler until well after the inital release, and
are first sighted when around 800grams.
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Austalian Bass
Of all the target fish in the Lake Austalian Bass
are the slowest growing, but all the longest living species. They were last
stocked in the Lake in 2004 - and at this stage there is
no current plans to restock the Lake
again.
Bass are easily identified, with the Darker back leading to a silver
stomach area. They may grow up to 2Kg, but this would be considered a
trophy fish.
The fish may live for up 30 years, so dont
discount the fact that there are not currently being stocked. Recent fish
surveys caught a significant number of Bass.
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