June 6, 2018
by Matthew Langford
The water temps have been slowly dropping over the past few weeks in the South Burnett as winter well and truly moves in.
The fish are still active and still hungry but it pays to be smart about the way you approach your day’s fishing on the dams.
The bite on the shallow flats has really fired up and you should be able to bag yourself some really healthy Bass and Yellowbelly over the coming months.
The great thing about this time of year is that the Bass and Goldens are getting fat and healthy and a whole new array of lures can be used to target the natives.
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Lake Boondooma
The best areas to hit recently have been the shallow edges early, with lipless cranks and spinnerbaits. Rocky or weedy edges are the best to target.
Early in the morning when it’s quiet and still is the best time for this type of fishing, because the water temps are at their lowest and the dam is at its quietest.
Some awesome yellowbelly fishing can be had at the start of winter along the edges, so if it’s Yellas you want, this is where I would start.
Cast your spinnerbaits up to the weed edge and begin a slow roll back to the boat.
Later in the morning, I would be moving off the bank and looking for active fish in 20 to 40 ft of water.
When a school is located, position the boat towards the school and cast ¼ or 3/8 ounce Eco gear VX, ZX or Little Max blades. Let the blade hit the bottom and use a slow hopping or roll retrieve.
Occasionally change it up and use a slow roll and kill technique because the fish will hit the lure when it’s close to the bottom, as it’s falling or just after it’s rolled off the bottom.
Later in the day (after lunch) when the water heats up, I’ve found that the bigger Bass can be caught well using Nories tail spinners, 12 gram being the best.
Cast the tail spinner out with a long cast and let it sink to the bottom, wind up the slack and slowly lift the rod tip then drop it back to the bottom, keeping contact with the lure at all times.
At this time of the year, the fish love a bait that is falling in their face and the tail spinner suits the bite perfectly.
The fish will hit the tail spinner generally as it’s falling after the lift, so be on your toes for the bite.
Ice jigs are also a great way of catching the schooled fish as it’s constantly in their face.
Keep an eye on the sounder with this technique, though, as you’ll get more bites when the fish rise off the bottom. This generally means they are flared up and ready to eat.
Trollers are getting some good Yellowbelly in the arms of the dam, trolling spinnerbaits.
Troll in close to the timber near the rocks in the Boyne Arm but make sure you have a lure retriever handy because you will get snagged occasionally. But your hard work will be rewarded.
Bait fisherman … your best chance is to fish the trees in the arms of the dam in 20 feet of water with live shrimp.
You can catch the shrimp using opera house pots with a bit of steak just below the kiosk, or around the lakes edges.
It pays to get live bait, even better when you can get it from the dam you’re fishing in.
There are some great reports of good numbers of big redclaw coming in. Dog biscuits and soft vegetables are proving to be great bait for opera house pots.
Rocky ledges and points are the best spots to drop your pots, but make sure your pots are clearly marked with your name and address.
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Lake Barambah
The fish have been up on the edge early when the waters cool.
I’ve been catching some good Bass and Yellowbelly using ½ ounce rigged grub tail plastics. Target rocky ledges with a bit of timber or rocks.
As the sun gets higher, I always move to the deeper flats and target areas around points and flats.
Spots around the outside of Lightning Ridge, Bass Point and the Quarry are likely places to find fish sitting out deeper.
If the regular deeper areas don’t produce, it’s a good idea to sound around the outskirts of the dam and find those fish sitting in 10 to 20 feet of water.
Once located, target them with the techniques that I mentioned for the Boondooma flats.
Blades, tail spinners and ice jigs are the go-to lures to use when the fish are sitting out deep.
Both dams are reasonably similar but sometimes it does pay to experiment with your lure selection.
The Bass are getting bigger – fish up to 45cm have been caught recently off the edges and out on the flats.
Trollers are getting some nice Yellowbelly up in the timber of an afternoon, but be very wary: the water is shallow going into the timber.
You can still troll through the timbered areas up the back of the dam with shallow to medium diving hard bodies.
Some Bass have also been mixed in with their catches.
Bait fisherman have also been having some success. They’ve been catching mixed bags of Yellowbelly, Silver Perch and Bass from the timber.
Tie up to a tree and use live shrimp as bait.
Drop your bait to the bottom and slowly jig it. If your first spot doesn’t produce, don’t be afraid to move several times until you know you’re sitting on some active fish.
The redclaw are still around but you’ll have to put in the effort for a feed. Target rocky edges or spindly timber and use soft vegies for bait.
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Fishing Charters
Don’t forget that you can book a fishing charter with me on BP and Boondooma dams.
If you’d like a great day out and all the info and knowledge to catch Bass or Yellowbelly in our two great dams, make sure you give me a call on 0408-658-592 and I’ll be happy to take you out for a great day’s fishing.
You can also check out our website
Until next month, tight lines and bent rods!
[Photos: Matthew Langford]
