Freshwater

TOOWOOMBA Jason Ehrlich

fishability1@bigpond.com

What a mixed up and unpredictable year we have had on the freshwater fishing scene. I will be straightforward and let you know there are not too many positive things to report from the past month. The good news is things should only improve and we are in a prime month for freshwater fishing. Let’s have a bit of a look at what’s been going on.

Rain, rain and more rain. The continuous rain over winter on sodden soil has allowed a lot of South East Queensland lakes to run over yet again. As I think back over all my years of writing, I don’t ever recall such widespread dam flooding over the winter months.

The downside to a winter flood is it coincides with the lead up to bass spawning time. As we all know, bass need brackish water to spawn so natural instincts see the biggest and sexually mature fish want to head over the dam wall in search of salty water. It remains to be seen just how many fish have gone from lakes like Wivenhoe and Somerset but it can be confirmed a huge amount of Lake MacDonald bass headed over the spillway. I am sure other lakes may have suffered a similar fate. A lot of releases and spilling took place but I am not sure how severe or controlled these were across the other lakes.

The good news is escaped bass often survive and can be targeted in the rivers below. Just remember there are closed seasons in place on tidal waters when it comes to catching bass. These finish on the 31 August so you’ll be able to have some fun this month chasing bass in new environments. Monduran Dam had a good run over event a bit over a month ago. The dam poured over the spillway but it was very positive to see no barramundi exiting the lake. Unlike bass, barra breeding season is in the summer months so they didn’t feel the urge to head downstream.

The other disappointing thing to take place this winter has been widespread fish kills. Dying fish occurred across most of the lakes in South East Queensland, the Darling Downs and Granite Belt areas. A lot of the dead fish are often bony bream but some of our favourite target species were mixed in with them. This can be from a couple of factors. Rollover event where the bottom layer of water rolls to the top occurs as the core water temperature equalises. This can give a

CRESSBROOK

CLOSEST TOWN:

CROWS NEST

The dam has closed a few times over the past months. Every time the water goes over the spillway the council seems to close it for weeks stating it will not reopen until water is low enough. At the time of writing, it is open and I am busting to get back out there. Despite the rain and flooding, the water in the main basin and Beams Creek arm is clear. Even though it has had a few run in events, the water level is already 100% so it doesn’t flood grass and new ground. This means the fish won’t be put off by any dying vegetation. The downside to the lake being so full is it will take a bit longer to find fish with so much water to explore. The bass will be schooling well in 8m of water or more. Spending time searching using the sounder will ensure you stand the best chance of catching them because when they bunch up it leaves a lot of barren water. These deepwater bass love cast lures and you will do well sudden change delivering less oxygenated water to our fishy friends. Cold snaps are also a big killer of fish over the winter months. The shallowest holding fish seem to suffer most. Low overnight temperatures can suddenly drop the water temperature in the shallows and this catches the fish out and leads to their death. It isn’t uncommon but seems to have been worse this year as some of the temperature drops have been so sudden and severe.

Now, to be a little more positive, what can we expect for this month? Some of the lakes will definitely fire up. The dirty water is still a problem in some dams but if you are prepared to work hard or willing to fish with live shrimp, you’ll catch them. Others will be clearing nicely and future rain will be the only thing that influences the good visibility now.

Bass are ready to feed up after their breeding season and will be in a very healthy condition. Remember just because dams are dirty and fish are hard to catch doesn’t mean they stop eating. They still need to feed to survive and I’m sure there will be some extra healthy specimens out there after all the flushed food, nutrients and baitfish that will have kicked off after all the rain.

Cod are in their breeding

using soft plastics and spoons at this time of year. The big fish seem to love Raptor Jigs or G1 Gang Bangers on a long cast away from the boat. Smaller fish can be fooled around the boat and vertically with smaller profile spoons and 3’ soft plastics rigged on 1/2 or 5/8oz jigheads.

The bass schools could be out from the boat ramp area and across to the buoy line. The other major points all around the dam or any flats areas around 8m deep are worth a look. Don’t be afraid to look out deeper in up to 20m of water. Provided it isn’t too dirty they can go really deep as the oxygen

Luke Sticklen has been finding a few bass in the river.

season but still catchable in the dams. Just remember to leave them alone in the rivers until after the 31 October. As spring starts to warm things up, golden perch will be more willing to take lures. We’ll see this on some of the South East Queensland and Burnett lakes first and then later in the more southern dams, which warm more slowly. By next month they will be really starting to fire up. The same goes for barramundi fishing. These fish can be a bit tougher to catch for the average angler over winter. They will start to move about more as the water warms up and will respond to faster presentations as their metabolism kicks it up a gear or two. By next month they will be really fired up and we will see the return of those awesome nighttime sessions.

So while there has been

Todd Rassmussen has been plucking off a few of the scattered bass on Spectres and soft plastics.

level is suitable much deeper at this time of year. I worry suspended sediment could prevent the light travelling down to this depth even though oxygen should be fine. Make the judgement yourself based on visibility into the water. At the end of the day, the fish will tell the story.

Cressbrook has always some bad news, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are fish to be caught out there but you may need to explore and be willing to travel more to experience the best fishing on offer. It’s going to be a tough report for me this month but I’ll look into the crystal ball and see what I can come up with. I promise I’ll have more to say about the lakes I cover next time. Until next month, buckled rods from the Colonel.

been a tough lake to consistently produce fish. Even when you find them, they bite well straight up and then become really tough the longer you persist. September is the best month though to find prolonged bite times so get out and have a crack at them. • Fish’n’Bits in Toowoomba has all the gear and tips on how to chase the Cressy fish. They are an excellent store specialising in all freshwater lures and tackle. The dam is back off the winter hours so the gates will be open from 6am to 8pm. SOMERSET

CLOSEST TOWNS:

ESK, KILCOY

Somerset is usually my go to lake for this month of year. The bass are big and hungry. Water clarity has made it difficult to catch them but it should improve a bit over the next month and some fish will be caught from the schools around the top end of the dam. The Kirkleigh flats, wide of Queen Street, Bay 13 and Pelican Point should all have schooling bass. They will be suckers for live shrimp if you want to have some fun. Lure fishers will need to mix it up to see what they want in the water

COOBY

CLOSEST TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS,

TOOWOOMBA

Golden perch chewed right through winter and only slowed down due the cold last month.

They will start to pick up again as water temperatures rise and we should be in for an excellent summer. Don’t expect big numbers this month as they will require a bit of effort. Bait fishers using live shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies will have pretty good results when fishing in 5-7m of water. Lure fishers might struggle on trolled hardbodies. While the fish are still a bit slow, try slow winding a TN60 Jackall or hopping a ZX40 blade across the bottom.

The weed beds should flourish as the dam starts to warm up.

By the end of spring they will be thick and healthy enough to pull the golden perch back into their steep edges. It is going to be a cracker of a year when this lakes fires up. LESLIE CLOSEST

TOWN: WARWICK

Leslie had a couple of fish kills over winter. While they look and sound terrible, it never affects the whole population. Golden perch should slowly come back on the bite. Jigging ZX40 blades and soft vibes vertically under the boat is a good way to get them to chew while they are still a bit sluggish. Bait fishers will also do well when using live shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies.

The cod fishers will be in with a chance. A few fish will be tied up with their breeding rituals but the ones that aren’t are often extra hungry as they have just finished. Early morning sessions with big swimbaits over the 2-3m deep flats near the dam edges are a good way to tempt the

GREGORY

CLOSEST TOWNS: CHILDERS,

BUNDABERG

I had a real soft spot for Lake Gregory over winter as it was a very reliable fishery. Unfortunately, in July they dropped the level to clean the weed from the intake and outlet. The sudden drop coincided with extra cold weather and a lot of big fish died. I really hope the lake recovers quickly and it only put a small dent in the big bass population. Some other interesting discoveries in the kill were a barra over a metre long and several gigantic fork tailed catfish. I don’t know how many barra are left in this lake but after hearing of this dead fish it confirms what we saw cruising on top of the weed in dirty water at the start of the year was definitely a metre-plus barramundi.

The edges of the lake may fish tough until the

AWOONGA

CLOSEST TOWNS: BENARABY, GLADSTONE

Awoonga has fared well through all the rain and fish kills. It is therefore set to take off early this year and we can expect to see some good barra fishing starting this month. A good run of stable and warm weather will be the trigger. The colder and less favourable days for us will have a similar effect on the fish. In this transition period, where they start to fire up and move about more, good warm weather conditions make all the difference.

If it is anything like last year, the points will fish well throughout the main basin. Use wind to your advantage and brave the conditions to fish the windiest points on dark. During the day, sound the lake to locate the fish cruising outside the weed edges. A combination of soft plastics and hardbodies will be successful. Further up the lake, try fishing the points closest to the old riverbed. This was very effective later on in the year but I have a feeling the fish were happy there and have learned a new habit. • Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing runs fishing charters on the lake. They cater to the needs of the angler and can do fly or conventional tackle trips to target the lake’s barramundi. With so many days spent on the water, they successfully guide clients onto fish right through the year and have a good understanding of fish movements. It is hard to beat time on the water and their shared knowledge is a great way to learn more about this lake and its fish. You can contact them on 0429 223 550 or visit the website gladstoneflyandsportfishing .com.au. • Mark from Awoonga Gateway Lodge always has a few productive

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conditions. Spoons would usually be the stand out lure but if it is too dirty, slow down your presentation and opt for a blade bait or even the Spectre Vibration Jig. • Somerset Fishing has their store based at the area above the day use boat ramp. The store is open over holidays and otherwise from Thursday to Sunday. Orders can also be made online via the website www.somersetfishing. com.au . They have an excellent range of gear suited to fishing for bass and golden perch. MAROON

CLOSEST TOWNS: BOONAH,

RATHDOWNEY

Maroon should fish quite well this month. There will be a bass surface bite early and late in the day during the low light periods. After that, mix it up to see what they want. Spoons should perform well on any deeper schooling fish. On the weed edges it will be a matter of trial and error.

Subtle presentations may still excel and soft plastics or suspending lures fit this category. If they are ready for a reaction bite, switch to lipless cranks, spinnerbaits and chatterbaits. I find during this transition period a good offering is a soft plastic rigged on a 1/4 or 3/8oz jighead with a beetle spin attached. It offers the fish a little bit of both subtlety and flash. • The lads at Charltons Fishing at Redbank are all over the fish activity at Maroon and Moogerah. Call in and grab your supplies and hit them up for tips on where the fish are biting. secret spots to share. The Gateway lodge is on the way in to the dam after turning off at Benaraby. The accommodation is great with plenty of boat parking space right beside the comfortable air conditioned, selfcontained cabins each with its own veranda. To book in a stay give Mark or Lyn a call on (07) 4975 0033. CALLIDE CLOSEST

TOWN: BILOELA

Callide Dam had a couple barra kills due to the cold weather. This is not uncommon for this lake, which cops some very cold nights being further inland. Luckily the water level is still up and this helps to reduce the effects of sudden temperature drops. By the sounds of things, the bigger numbers of dead fish have been from the shallow sections up the back of the dam where water temps drop faster and the fish have a harder time escaping to comfortable deeper water. Matt from Callide Retreat pulled a giant of a fish out of the water to weed gets a chance to regrow and get healthier. The deepest parts should hold good numbers of fish. Experiment with spoons and soft plastics to see if they want to chew. • A trip to Bundaberg Tackle World is a good move if you

take a closer look and it measured 130cm long.

Despite dying fish in winter, they will still be catchable now and the warming water temperature will have them firing up more each week. I find September a tough month on Callide. The fish are easy to find and they follow and tap at lures without proper commitment. It isn’t until the nights warm more in October that they really step it up a notch.

For this month, I’d be exploring the trees with suspending jerk baits early in the day. Later on the fish seem to move around in the deeper water.

This is a good time to have a cast or troll. What you are seeing on the sounder will help you choose your approach. If the fish are spread out, trolling is most effective. If you find them bunched up together, you can’t beat casting.

Some of the shallower bays may hold fish in the afternoons. You can spend a lot of time sounding lake’s bigger fish. During the day, try casting and trolling 1oz spinnerbaits. You can increase your chances by concentrating around structure and drop offs during the middle parts of the day. • The local blokes at Warwick Outdoor and Sport in Palmerin Street can point in you in the right direction and hook you up with the good gear and bait to catch the fish at Leslie.

are heading to this lake. The store has an excellent range of bass lures and some of the staff specialise in catching them. Due to its location, they carry a huge range suited to impoundment fishing, rivers, creeks and offshore.

this lake to locate the best numbers of fish and work out their migrations. It is time well spent though as you need to be on them to catch them.

Golden perch will come on the chew this month. Being one of the more northern lakes for this species it warms a little faster. Live shrimp are deadly on the goldens and you will find them in 4-7m of water. • You can stay close to the dam at Lake Callide Retreat. The park has basic camping, powered sites for camping and vans and also self-contained cabins. Cabins are filling fast with peak times booking out for the rest of the year. Don’t leave it to the last minute to make a booking and be disappointed. Camping is always an option. There is a well-equipped camp kitchen and toilets and showers up in the main part of the park near the office. Make sure you bring all of your fishing tackle. The kiosk has a limited amount of fishing gear but it is well suited to the lake.

“Right on Awoonga’s doorstep. All set up for fishos, with tranquil surroundings.“