{"id":230515,"date":"2019-03-08T15:02:21","date_gmt":"2019-03-08T05:02:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=230515"},"modified":"2020-07-22T12:56:50","modified_gmt":"2020-07-22T02:56:50","slug":"fishings-still-great-despite-dam-levels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/03\/08\/fishings-still-great-despite-dam-levels\/","title":{"rendered":"Fishing’s Still Great Despite Dam Levels"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Dion Handford with a nice Bass caught from a rock wall at Lake Boondooma<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

March 8, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

by Matthew Langford<\/strong><\/p>\n

Water levels at our two dams are slowly dropping … it\u2019s hard to ignore, but it\u2019s a simple fact of life when you\u2019re going through one of the worst droughts we\u2019ve seen for some time.<\/p>\n

Boondooma currently sits at 35 per cent and Bjelke-Peterson Dam is 8 per cent.<\/p>\n

Despite the low water levels. there\u2019s still plenty of water in both dams to get out and catch some great fish.<\/p>\n

This past month has been great for fishing!<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Lake Boondooma<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s always a few good fishing options for Boondooma.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Early in the day, your best option would be to hit the trees in either the Stuart or Boyne arms chasing Bass, Yellowbelly or even Saratoga among the spindly timber.<\/p>\n

I usually start here first when the arms are quiet, and it usually pays off. I like to cruise among the trees with the electric motor and cast 5\/8 Bassman spinnerbaits or soft lipless cranks in tight to the spindly trees. I let the lure sink for three to five seconds and then start my retrieve.\u00a0This usually accounts for a few Bass and Yellowbelly.<\/p>\n

The Goldens particularly like lipless cranks cast tight to the structure and the Bass tend to hit as the lure bounces over the underwater structure.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The Norries 18gram Wasabi Spoon is deadly on Lake Boondooma Bass<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you\u2019re after a Saratoga, casting surface lures when the water is still is a great way to catch one of these prehistoric fish.<\/p>\n

These techniques are a great way to fish and it can be nailbiting stuff at times, especially when you hook up to a quality fish.<\/p>\n

Later in the day when the sun is up, I move out to the main basin and sound for concentrations of fish in the 15 to 25 foot range.<\/p>\n

At this time of year the fish that sit in the thermocline are a real sucker for slow-retrieved or burned 5\/8 spinnerbaits, \u00bd ounce rigged plastics and 18 gram Norries spoons.<\/p>\n

Give this a try next time you\u2019re out, but make sure you find some good shows of fish on the sounder before you start casting. It pays to put the work in to find them because you can be greatly rewarded.<\/p>\n

Trollers are getting some big Bass in the main basin, trolling 5\/8 spinnerbaits, mainly around the Barber\u2019s Pole area, the dam wall, Leisegang’s Ledge and Pelican Point. Be patient and the rewards will come.<\/p>\n

Bait fisherman are still recording good catches in the timbered sections of the dam, using shrimps and worms. Silver Perch, Bass, Yellowbelly and Eeltail catfish are all catchable and good eating quality.<\/p>\n

Redclaw are patchy but if you put in the work you will catch some whoppers. Remember if the pot is empty make sure you keep moving them as you might drop a pot on the honey hole.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Lake Barambah<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

BP has been the pick of the dams as far as numbers of fish go.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sessions of 20 to 40 plus fish are not uncommon and if you put the work in you can get some quality as well.<\/p>\n

A few areas that have been fishing well lately are the open water straight out from the park boat ramp, wide of the Quarry and wide of Bass Point.<\/p>\n

Soft plastics rigged on a \u00bd ounce head have been very effective.<\/p>\n

Soft vibes and spinnerbaits are also a great go to lure if the fish are sitting up off the bottom with a burn and kill retrieve.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Vicki Stead with a cracker of a Bass caught on a soft plastic near the Quarry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Areas not to forget are the areas around the edges of the dam that hold some rocky structure.<\/p>\n

Because the dam is so shallow, the fish like to move up into these areas to feed most of the year.<\/p>\n

Coming into autumn, the fish will definitely be in these places.<\/p>\n

Baits such as spinnerbaits and blades could become a key bait at this time of year.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Trevor with a nice bass caught from a shallow 10 ft point near the Quarry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Trollers are catching some nice fish trolling around the main lake points of the dam, and the open water out from the main boat ramps.<\/p>\n

Deep-diving hard bodies,\u00a0especially the more fluorescent colours, are also accounting for some nice Yellowbelly.<\/p>\n

Bait fisherman are still getting some nice Golden Perch along the rocky walls around the edges of the dam using shrimps and worms as bait.<\/p>\n

The Redclaw have been fairly quiet this year but they are still there to be caught. Set your pots around rocky structures for the best results.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Park News<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

It was great to see another massive attendance at the annual Yellowbelly comp this year at Lake Boondooma.<\/p>\n

A huge thank you to everyone that attended this year\u2019s event and made the weekend such a huge success.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the Boondooma stocking group lead by Terry Allwood who made it so enjoyable. These guys will put the money back into fingerlings for the dam to keep flourishing for years to come.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now that we’re coming into the Easter break, the dams will become quite busy.<\/p>\n

Can I please remind everyone to be wary of the 6 knot zone in front of the camping areas, and please make sure you have your SIPs permit and lifejackets.<\/p>\n

Fisheries Qld will be visiting quite often over the Easter break and we\u2019d hate to see you fined.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget that you can book a fishing charter with me on BP and Boondooma dams.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d 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\u2019ll be happy to take you out for a great day’s fishing.<\/p>\n

Until next month, tight lines and bent rods!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

[Photos: Matthew Langford]<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Water levels at our two dams are slowly dropping … it\u2019s hard to ignore, but it\u2019s a simple fact of life when you\u2019re going through one of the worst droughts we\u2019ve seen for some time <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":230518,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[421,3,6],"tags":[1153],"yoast_head":"\nFishing's Still Great Despite Dam Levels - southburnett.com.au<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Water levels at our two dams are slowly dropping ... it\u2019s hard to ignore, but it\u2019s a simple fact of life when you\u2019re going through one of the worst droughts we\u2019ve seen for some time.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/03\/08\/fishings-still-great-despite-dam-levels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fishing's Still Great Despite Dam Levels - 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