{"id":249689,"date":"2019-12-04T19:06:05","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T09:06:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=249689"},"modified":"2020-07-14T10:43:47","modified_gmt":"2020-07-14T00:43:47","slug":"warm-water-fires-up-the-fish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/12\/04\/warm-water-fires-up-the-fish\/","title":{"rendered":"Warm Water Fires Up The Fish!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Lane Ferling with a 48cm Bass caught slow rolling a \u00bd rigged soft plastic on Bjelke-Petersen Dam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

December 4, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

The hot weather and potential afternoon storm build-ups are creating some great opportunities for big Bass and Yellowbelly.<\/p>\n

This weather pattern is quite common with the onset of summer, and it really\u00a0brings the native fish on the bite.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re an avid troller, from now through to February is the best\u00a0time to dust off those deep divers and head to the South Burnett’s dams to get among some great\u00a0native trolling action.<\/p>\n

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

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

When the warmer months arrive and its hot, the Yellowbelly and Bass like to position themselves in\u00a0a zone called the thermocline which is generally a depth of 18 to 25 feet.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This\u00a0zone, or column of water, is where the fish find it the most comfortable, where the temperature is just right to sit in while it’s hot upstairs. And it’s full of the little critters that they love to gorge themselves on.<\/p>\n

With the majority of the fish sitting in this zone throughout the dam, it opens\u00a0up the doors for some fantastic fishing opportunities.<\/p>\n

If I want to target Bass, the first places I\u2019ll look are the deep water off any prominent points in the\u00a0main basin. I\u2019ll use my sounder to sound the fish sitting in that optimal depth.<\/p>\n

When I\u2019m happy that\u00a0I\u2019ve found a good concentration of fish, I will pull up and begin casting 3\u201d to 4\u201d soft plastics rigged\u00a0with a \u00bd ounce or 5\/8 ounce head. With a big long cast over the areas that I found the fish, I will let\u00a0the jig head sink 7 to 10 seconds and begin a slow retrieve back to the boat with a couple of twitches\u00a0mixed in.<\/p>\n

The same can be done with a 12 or 18 gram Norries spoon. Continue this technique until\u00a0you start to feel a few taps on the plastic or spoon. When you feel a tap, it’s important to keep that\u00a0slow wind going until you feel weight on the line. Slowly lift the rod tip until you feel the weight of\u00a0the fish.<\/p>\n

At this point the fish will know it’s hooked and make some runs back down into the\u00a0deeper water. Keep your drag fairly loose so that the hook doesn\u2019t pull on the way back to the boat.<\/p>\n

Using this method over the holiday period will account for some big Bass at Boondooma.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lake Boondooma is a great place for the younger generation to learn more about freshwater fishing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
A couple of happy customers with a few very healthy Bass caught during an afternoon session on\u00a0Boondooma<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The timbered arms are holding good numbers of Bass and Yellowbelly as well, very close to structure.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll need to get your lures in as close as you can to get a bite.\u00a0Look for spindly timber, or big trees out in the middle of the arms.<\/p>\n

Lures of choice for this scenario\u00a0are 5\/8 or 3\/8 Bassman Spinnerbaits, \u00bd ounce jig head rigged with a 3\u201d soft plastic and any sinking\u00a0lipless crankbait.<\/p>\n

Give your lure up to five seconds to sink down and start a slow wind.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important\u00a0to make sure that you have a lure retriever with you as you WILL get snagged on the trees\u00a0occasionally but if you\u2019re getting snagged you know you\u2019re in the thick of it.<\/p>\n

I use 14 to 20 pound leaders when fishing close to structure so I have a chance if a fish rubs the line\u00a0through trees.<\/p>\n

Otherwise, if I\u2019m in open water I\u2019ll decrease my leader size to 6 to 10 pound as I\u2019m less concerned about a fish dragging me through trees or any structure.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The quality of Bass this time of year is very impressive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Trollers are picking up some great Bass and Yellowbelly around the deeper sections of the\u00a0dam, targeting those suspended fish.<\/p>\n

Make sure to have plenty of deep divers handy, and some 5\/8\u00a0Bassman Spinnerbaits or any lures that dive 15 to 20 feet will be the ones that get you on to\u00a0consistent fish.<\/p>\n

Bait fisherman are consistently getting among a mixed bag of fish up in the timbered arms of the\u00a0dam using worms and fresh shrimp.<\/p>\n

It may even pay to move to the main basin and let your bait\u00a0suspend under the boat in that 15 to 25 foot range. Drifting with the wind is a great way to cover\u00a0water with your bait under the boat. Eventually it will cross paths with a hungry fish or two.<\/p>\n

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

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

With a similar pattern to Boondooma, Lake Barambah is producing some great fishing as well.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The fish are sitting in that 15 to 20-foot range along the submerged creek bed. These fish are very\u00a0willing to take anything that is placed in front of them.<\/p>\n

Because Barambah is a shallower dam you\u00a0can target more areas and use a bigger variety of lures to catch a few natives. The Bass are\u00a0responding well to 3\u201d soft plastics, \u00bc blades and 3\/8 and 5\/8 Spinnerbaits.<\/p>\n

Some likely areas to target\u00a0are the large flat area in front of the main dam wall, wide of the quarry and the creek bed between\u00a0the two boat ramps.<\/p>\n

On a recent fishing charter, we targeted the lake’s Bass with a \u00bd jig head rigged with a 3″ soft plastic\u00a0and caught dozens of Bass and Yellowbelly.<\/p>\n

I found that the bigger fish were tight to the drop-offs\u00a0along the old creek bed and waiting for bait to swim over. Areas like this are prime ambush positions\u00a0for native fish, so don\u2019t forget to give areas like this a go next time you\u2019re out.<\/p>\n

Trollers are catching some nice Bass and Yellowbelly wide of the quarry towards the dam\u00a0wall, as well as adjacent to the steep rock wall on the left of the dam just before Bass Point.<\/p>\n

Bait fisherman are consistently catching good numbers of Yellowbelly and Bass, anchoring along the\u00a0steeper edges of the dam. Best baits have been fresh shrimp and worms.<\/p>\n

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

Fishing Charters<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The fishing of late at Bjelke-Petersen and Boondooma dams has been fantastic with most sessions producing numbers\u00a0of fish and some great quality.<\/p>\n

Boondooma has been producing a great mixed bag of species, so if\u00a0you\u2019d like to learn more about targeting a particular species, all you have to do is ask and make a\u00a0booking.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget that you can book a fishing charter with me on BP and Boondooma dams and many\u00a0other dams in Queensland.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like a great day out and all the info and knowledge to catch Bass, Yellowbelly or Saratoga in our great dams make sure you give me a call on 0408-658-592 and I\u2019ll be happy to
\ntake you out for a great day’s fishing. You can also check out our website<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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

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

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