queensland Hinze Dam Take 2 (sunday)

[Feral]

First up a warning for anyone fishing Hinze, they have closed the road over the spillway for work, you can not get to the Kiosk from the Western ramp, so cant buy a permit on site. We were delayed by half an hour, as we managed to flag down the ranger to get permits, he had to go back and get his book, but eventually we got them.

Well on the water about 9am, headed up towards where Brian and Steve had got fish the day before. Crossed a couple of points trolling, saw fish, but not a touch on a lure.

Got one small Bass on bait near where Steve had been yesterday, in about an hour, then went back to one of the points we had seen fish traveling down.

Got into them fairly well, we only had about 20 live shrimp, every shrimp that hit the water got a fish of some description, a few lost during the play, before they could be boated, and a few grunter got to the shrimp before the bass, but we got another 5 good bass 38 to 42cm (which is very respectable for Hinze), before we ran out of time and had to go.

As we were so short of shrimp, and I had a few new lures, I let alex and Ray bait fish while I used every lure in the tackle box, (G vibes, Minnows, Spinner baits, poppers, crank baits) and did not even get a touch, while every shrimp got hit in under a minute!

[Feral]

Geez Grandad, you call that a Bass? 

[Feral]

Well if there is a photo with as fish in it going..... [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/P1050441.jpg

[Feral]

Well I suppose 38 is not to bad.... 

[Feral]

Now this is more like it grandad

[Feral]

It had better not be bigger than my 42! 

[Feral]

Thats all right its smaller!

[Feral]

No not me, I dont want to be in a photo with any tidler! 

[Feral]

No not another photo with a tidler! 

[Feral]

Let me show you how to do it Grandad

[Feral]

I reckon its smaller than mine Alex 

[Feral]

No its not, its a 39! 

[Feral]

In the tucker box she goes! 

[Dazzamcgee]

mate...thats great to see ya with the young bloke catchin a few fish together and grandpa taggin along...

kids...they grow up way to fast...good on ya mate....

cheers

[Aaron H]

Nice one guys, those grunter can drive u nuts can't they, are u allowed to put a hook through them down there, I reckon they would be good bait.

[Oztrav]

probably could if there is no limit on them in size and limit.

[Feral]

Theoretically no, you cant use the grunter as live bait because they are a pest species and must be destroyed if you catch them. Realistically the place is that full of them I doubt DPI are going to sweat to much of they find you with a No8 stuck through its back. Mind you probably nothing in there that would eat them anyway.

[Feral]

I forgot to add Ray tried Tassie Devils, his favorite yella lure (the infamous self sinking one no yellow belly can resist) spinner baits something that looked like a jackall, also without a touch.

[Oztrav]

i thought that only carp and tilapia were noxious pests, and things like fork tailed catties, and grunter were nuisance value and it was quite alright to kill them.

[Angus]

In regards to Banded Grunter, unlike catfish in Wyvanhoe, the banded grunter in Hinze are not meant to be there. Banded Grunter geographically should only be found much further north. The reason they are in dams down here is they get mixed up with bass fingerlings in much the same way spangled perch do.

As to using them for bait, i have heard of a guy that fishes both live grunter and grunter fillets in Hinze and swears by it. I tried it last time we were on that charter but only caught another grunter!!!

Apparantly bass take the fillets and the odd cod will take a live grunter.

Well done guys.

A great end to the numerous fresh water reports from the weekend.

Angus