Taken with the absolute basics in gear, this is what a 54cm bass looks like when not held out at arm’s length.

Back to big lake basics

November 22, 2024

In an era of high-tech electronics that have revolutionised the world of angling, you could be forgiven for thinking a barrow-load of money is required for success.

Young anglers on a tight budget trying to make mortgage payments could be depressed just by looking at the prices of live view sonar units and GPS-linked electric outboard motors.

Yet, the most basic watercraft with no electronics should not be seen as a handicap.

Recent fine weather and a coinciding rostered-day-off had my long-time fishing partner and I taking to Lake Wivenhoe with bare-bones gear.

Both of us fished from the most affordable fishing platforms available – kayaks.

Roxbee trolled along a substantial rock face. Obvious structure such as this is always worth a few passes.

Though there isn’t a lure type or technique we haven’t thoroughly enjoyed using during the past 40 years of fishing stocked lakes, on this outing we elected to troll ever-reliable deep divers.

Trolling allows a lot of water to be explored, which is especially advantageous when fishing blind.

While Wivenhoe is renowned for its open-water schooling bass, they are difficult to locate without a sounder.

Luckily, there is always a percentage of the piscean population that will maintain their riverine habits and live close to bank-side structure.

It is those fish we targeted, negating the need for sonar as we simply trolled along parallel to the shoreline.

Using this method, judging depth is done simply by feeling the lure bumping the bottom and as required, moving further from shore.

Likewise, the lure dictates trolling speed, which should be fast enough to have the rod tip vibrating strongly from the lure’s action.

One of the benefits of fishing from paddle (or pedal) powered craft is that you can fish 100 percent of the time, as there is no temptation to zoom between locations.

Wivenhoe has some very conveniently located hard structure close to launching points, with Logan Inlet and Billies Bay producing fish from rocky points within a few hundred metres.

Though obvious structure is desirable, plenty of fish come while trolling along apparently featureless shorelines.

The Boomerang struck again, scoring a well-coloured and well-conditioned golden perch.

What is above the waterline doesn’t always reflect what is hidden beneath the surface, with isolated boulders, tree stumps and sunken gullies providing ideal ambush points for fishy predators.

We both used Australian-made lures and ran a couple of different makes during the day, yet hits kept coming on well-chewed Predatek Boomerangs.

Wivenhoe has earned a reputation as a trophy bass lake, though it also supports a reliable golden perch fishery.

The active local fish stocking group keeps the lake topped up with both bass and golden perch fingerlings every year to optimise opportunities for anglers.

Those fingerlings are largely funded with revenue raised by Stocked Impoundment Permits, which are compulsory on most lakes, so don’t forget to check yours is current before heading out.