Hi my name is Shaun an I am new to fishing an would love some tips on the best way to fish lake wendouree shore. Any info would be much appreciated

Hey Shaun,

good on you. Looks like Lake Wendouree is quite a trickly lake to get started.
It's got brown trout which are a bit harder to catch than rainbows.

If you're just getting started then there is heaps to learn.
I would suggest that you start with spin fishing. It's much easier to learn and often more effective than fly fishing.
Once you get comfortable with that and caught some trout you could start learning how to cast a fly rod.

Trout are very finicky and have superb eye sight. So stealth is essential.
If they see your shadow in the water or your new shiny bright yellow jacket, they'll be on the other side of the lake before you know it.
When spin fishing it's best to try late in the evening or even after dark. They'll still see or feel the lure but since it's darker they might not be able to tell that's its a lure Have a look for a day where a major time is just after sunset and start fishing half an hour before sunset.

Another key and probably the most difficult one is to fish were the trout are.
If you can't locate the trout, you can fish all day without getting any hook up.
You kinda have to move the lure right past the trout. They are lazy and wont strike from big distances.

Usually they will be hanging around structures, weed beds, channels/holes or river mouths.
In the warmer months they'll often be in deep water and out of reach for shore fishing. You can try to find little river/stream mouths that feed colder water into the lake or deep holes close to shore. They might hang around there.
You have to study the lake and look for where trout are rising on good days. They often have a path that they follow.
If you see them rising then try to cast your lure to these spots after dark.

A common mistake is to reel in the lure too quickly. You have to reel in slow with a few twitches every now and then.
But on the other hand, if you reel too slow you might snag the lure on the ground. That's what you kinda have to learn by doing.

Another mistake is to fish too long in the same spot. If you don't get any bites after a few casts you have to move a little bit along the shore and start casting again. The more distance and area you can cover the better are your chances.

The next thing is your gear.
The lighter is usually the better.
Trout are line shy. If they can see your line, your chances go down a lot.
Use light fishing line around 6 pounds.
Thin lines are less visible in water and can be cast further.
You could also use thin braided line as your main line. But then you have to make sure you use a long 2 -3 meter fluoro leader.
This casts even better than mono line. I personally prefer braided line.

Then you need an assortment of lures.
My favourites are the Mepps Black Fury and Black and gold Toby.
But it's also good to have a red/gold and green/gold lure in your assortment and to get a few different sizes.
Bigger lures cast further but I find smaller lures get more bites.
There are million of spinners and lures out there - but I usually only buy the above because they work best for me on both rainbow and brown trout. Rapalas are also good, but they are expensive and when you just get started you don't want to loose $20 on your first few casts.

This is my all time favourite lure, a mepps black fury:


let us know how you get on.
I just got back from a trout fishing trip and happy to share what I have learned and give you more tips

cheers

Hay mark thank u so much for taking the time to msg me some of ur fishing nolige I truley apresate it

Hi Shaun,

How are things going? Have you had the chance to try out any of Mark's tips yet?

Hi mark I went out today an had the worst fishing experience ever. Nothing went right I set my line up at home I toke 2 rodes an both reels got that badly tangled I ended up going home as I was getting frustrated an not enjoying myself. So I gess I'll try again tomorrow as I will not give up. Thanks again

Yes but I failed miserably. But I'll be back out trying 2m

LOL, that sounds a like a typical trout fishing - learning experience.
I've been there a few times as well.

Sounds like when I learnt how to use an overhead casting reel. Every second cast would be a tangle

The trick to get the tangle out is to roll the spool back (by hand) about half a turn then gently pull the line forward. Keep doing that and 9 times out of 10 you will get the tangle out.

I am not sure if it would work on a fly reel because I have never used one.

Now I do feel like a complete **!$ head as I didn't even no the was such a thing over head cast reel I really am at the bottom of ameture ant I lol o well now I bet a million dollars I have the wrong reel an rode lol an I wouldn't have a clue as it al hand me downs as I'm on disability pension but I still want give up I brought some off the black yellow spinners mark told me he like to use hopefully I'll get some luck. Thanks heaps guys for all your help I truely appreciate every bit of advice

I don't think you have to worry too much about your rod and reel at this stage .
Pretty much anything will catch you a fish. Just gotta learn how to cast it properly and then later when you progress in your fishing then you can upgrade to whatever you think works best for you.

I hardly ever use an overhead reel. I use pretty cheap light weight spin reels for almost everything and have caught pretty big fish with them without having to spend a fortune on specialised gear.
Fishing doesn't have to be an expensive hobby. But if you got the budget, you could buy a different set of gear for pretty much any fishing style

Thanks mark. Well another day no bit I went down at 6am untill 8.30 not one bit I tryed different spots used spinners an even a floty an warm. Only ylthing I've Vought is at Vic park I got 2 redys of one mud eye I Vought. But now I can't even get them lol. But I went back this arvo at 2pm with a not bite but had the best time with my 4yr old son. Once again I want be giving up