Bass

As readers of my column would know, I am more often than not a saltwater angler. However, at the start of the new year I felt the need for a new challenge, as well as a change of location from my usual estuary, bay, beach and flats fishing exploits. Recently, I reflected on a great bait-fishing session for bass I’d …

FEBRUARY to April in southeast Queensland and on the north coast of NSW is a time of green earth and higher water levels in the freshwater rivers and impoundments. This is a recipe that our most beloved Australian bass battlers absolutely revel in, and not far behind are the dedicated bunch of anglers who wait for the right time to …

THIS time of year is certainly popular for getting out on the water. The weather is hot and the water is the place to be. Whether you’re a fisherman, into your skiing, kayaking or camping, Lake Boondooma and Bjelke-Petersen Dam are two places that will be busy until it starts to cool down again. The fishing over summer is usually …

SINCE the lifting of restrictions, the standout dam has been Lake Boondooma. I have the luxury of guiding on most dams in southeast Queensland, and Lake Boondooma has been turning up good numbers of Australian bass and consistent catches of yellowbelly. We are into early summer and water temperature is above 20C, so we have seen a thermocline develop in …

SUMMER is just around the corner, so we should start seeing super hot surface action at the back of Somerset Dam, with regular catches of saratoga and bass. We have been spending a fair amount of time in the timber regions of the dam throwing punch rigs and skirted jigs – these have been exciting catches as the strikes are …

WE have certainly seen mixed weather across the state, from a prolonged drought to torrential downpours and catastrophic hailstorms. For anyone with a boat, offshore is all about the pelagics and getting stuck into some big mackerel and tuna. In big easterly swells, the Noosa River Bar holds waves up to 2m. Before these arrive, be sure you know how …

AS pen goes to paper, I look up and see the glint of water through the trees at the Glenlyon Dam kiosk. The level in Glenlyon is just on 14 percent capacity, and we’re hopeful of steady rainfall increasing this between now and May. Though for now, with a little care we can access as far as the cod run. …

AFTER some thought, I had two opportunities to fish over a long weekend: early Saturday morning while on the way to see my family and again on Monday morning for a sneaky bay session. Because different family members live all the way along between Gympie and Tin Can Bay, I had plenty of options as to where I could wet …

LAKE Wyaralong was on the ‘must-fish’ bucket list for some time, and being only a quick 40-minute drive from home, I wondered why we hadn’t bothered fishing the lake beforehand. With stories of Rob’s uncle Mick having very productive sessions on live shrimp filtering through to us, we thought bugger it, this will be an awesome place to take the …

Over the past weekend I headed up north to chase some Australian bass in Lake Gregory, Bundaberg. This is a small dam that’s quite easy to get your head around if you already know a thing or two about bass. Most fish were sitting deep and eating 10g spoons and small blades. It was a hot session both days, with …