queensland Hinze Dam 31.5.21

[Neil Stratford]

How good is it being retired !

I woke up at 6am this morning and peered out the window .

Looked to be a respectable day so hooked up the boat and headed south.

Traffic on the M1 was pretty good all the way to Nerang,  and made it to the Hinze  western arm ramp and dropped the boat in the water at 7.45am.

Headed straight to my shrimp pots and wasn’t disappointed , most traps had a good dozen or more shrimp in them . 
 I then started at an old favourite tree known to some as the “coke can “ and pulled a quick dozen  bass before they departed for greener pastures and the grunter moved in.

Being by myself,  I thought this was as good an opportunity as any to go for a bit of an exploratory .  As I approached a deep point  about a kilometre  upstream of “the coke can “I came across a big school of bass out in the open water  away from the trees . I’ve attached a photo of my sounder screen showing some very active fish .
I  spot locked on these till about 12.30pm . They were very hungry and bit on shrimp and an Ecogear ZX 30 jig .Ended up with 42 bass and a grunter that became eagle fodder. 

Luckily on the drive home  I got through a truck roll over accident ,that must have just happened   just before Yatala before the traffic jammed up. 
Home and boat packed away ready for my next trip by 2.30pm .

Regards

BeastMaster

 

[Kat]

Sounds like a great day out.  Bet your glad you missed the congestion. I am heading off for my first freshwater fishing expedition camping at Glenlyon Dam in a couple of weeks. Have you fished there? Any info or tips you can share?

Cheers Kat

[Neil Stratford]

Hi Kat , better pack a jumper and some rum  !!

Look forward in seeing a big Murray Cod from you 

[Drop Bear]

Cracking solo trip mate. Well done! 

I haven't fished Hinze since I was in my teens or early 20s. It was before they did the dam extension. Glad it is still fishing well. 

Back then we were thrilled to get 2 or 3 Bass. It was before we had sounders and I didn't know about shrimp. 

Thanks for a great report. 

[Franz]

Sounds excellent.   I was at Wyaralong yesterday, but it was primarily for a picnic with the ladies (wife & her sisters).  Mid afternoon, but I gave it a crack anyway, just from the bank.  Usual story, didn't get a bite. 

I've only taken up fishing a couple of weeks ago, strictly land based (for the foreseeable future anyway), and on 9 trips to various spots on Moreton Bay and Wyaralong have only managed a dozen (seriously) undersized fish.  Zero legal sized.  The last 4 trips haven't even had a bite.

Would love to hear more reports of land-based trips, just to prove that it is actually possible to catch something land-based!!

[Kat]

10 hours ago, Franz said:

Sounds excellent.   I was at Wyaralong yesterday, but it was primarily for a picnic with the ladies (wife & her sisters).  Mid afternoon, but I gave it a crack anyway, just from the bank.  Usual story, didn't get a bite. 

I've only taken up fishing a couple of weeks ago, strictly land based (for the foreseeable future anyway), and on 9 trips to various spots on Moreton Bay and Wyaralong have only managed a dozen (seriously) undersized fish.  Zero legal sized.  The last 4 trips haven't even had a bite.

Would love to hear more reports of land-based trips, just to prove that it is actually possible to catch something land-based!!

When I started I was like you.  Now I very rarely come home without something legal and often can feed a family of four at least once if not twice a week.  Lots of things but mainly concentrate in decent bait, live preferably if not then fresh!  Grab a cast net and yabby pump.

[Franz]

Thanks Kat.   I won't give up just yet - but it is quite frustrating, especially when there are 10 other anglers there as well and they are also not catching anything.  So it's not simply my own lack of skill, some of those others were veterans.

Of course on a boat fishing would be better, but I'm not expecting or even wanting to catch trophy fish, or huge numbers.  Just one or two legal sized fish, most trips would be very satisfying.

[Neil Stratford]

Hi Franz , Sounds like you need to put a little more preparation into your fishin missions . Unfortunately the family picnics  and catching a few fish aren’t really that compatible.
Sometimes I chase wild bass land based in local creeks with lures , and a good trip would only see me catch 2 to 6 fish for a morning or afternoon session  . The stocked impoundments are way easier ,as there is literally 100s of 1000s of fish stocked  in them.
If I were fishing land based at a  stocked dam and wanted to guarantee myself  a bass or two ,I’d be ensuring I had some pre caught live shrimp(see photo below of what I have on my back patio) , I’d get there just on sunrise,and  putting my bait   in close to some fallen timber in a quiet little well grassed nook away from the  general use areas.Bass often give away their presence by taking insects off the surface so you may need to move a few times to find the fish . A  back pack with drink , food , and small tackle box , 20 to 30 odd live shrimp in a small 5lt  bucket with an aerator in one hand and light spinner rod in the other will see you mobile . Give this a go a few times and I’ll all most guarantee you more of a chance of landing a few fish. PS don’t forget to get a stocked impoundment permit if fishing in a stocked impoundment .
Good Luck 

regards

Neil
 

 

[Drop Bear]

2 hours ago, Neil Stratford said:

If I were fishing land based at a  stocked dam and wanted to guarantee myself  a bass or two ,I’d be ensuring I had some pre caught live shrimp(see photo below of what I have on my back patio)

Pro tip. 

Do this. 

[Franz]

Some excellent tips, many thanks.  I will follow up on some of these at least.  Not sure how I'll go with the live shrimp though.

The trip this week was originally scheduled for first thing in the morning, but then her ladyship invited herself along, and then her sisters got in on it, and then the time moved to 12 noon.  There's no winning that argument, so I just went along, not expecting to catch anything at that time of day.  What can you do.  I'll just have to schedule another trip and ban anyone tagging along.

I'm aware of the SIPS, and have sorted the legal side of it.

[Neil Stratford]

No worries , you can buy live shrimp from Pet City at Mt Gravatt - feeder shrimp they call them . From memory they are about 50c each but I’d ring them 1st to make sure they have them in stock.There’s also a red claw farm at Kalbar that will deliver live shrimp to your front door . Or do what I do - leave some shrimp traps in a dam of choice and take the risk no one checks or  steals them . If you set up a fish tank at home with a good filter and air supply , the shrimp will last for weeks in winter.Ideally you stock your tank at home, take them to the dam and use them for a morning fish , then just before you come home pull your pots and bring home your bait for your next trip . 

[Franz]

Thanks again Neil.  That explains the shrimp side of things.

I do have 4 aquaria at home - but shrimp or even prawns would not last very long in any of them.  Let me see if I can set up another one.

[Drop Bear]

2 hours ago, Franz said:

I do have 4 aquaria at home ... Let me see if I can set up another one.

This is how it starts

I've heard of cat ladies but prawn man. That's a new one.

haha. 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

On 01/06/2021 at 10:23 AM, Franz said:

Sounds excellent.   I was at Wyaralong yesterday, but it was primarily for a picnic with the ladies (wife & her sisters).  Mid afternoon, but I gave it a crack anyway, just from the bank.  Usual story, didn't get a bite. 

I've only taken up fishing a couple of weeks ago, strictly land based (for the foreseeable future anyway), and on 9 trips to various spots on Moreton Bay and Wyaralong have only managed a dozen (seriously) undersized fish.  Zero legal sized.  The last 4 trips haven't even had a bite.

Would love to hear more reports of land-based trips, just to prove that it is actually possible to catch something land-based!!

Hi Franz

I dunno where you live, but if it's close, you can't go wrong fishing in the Brisbane River.

In Winter, the plague proportions of catfish will slow. The predominant "pest" specie you will encounter is the River Perch. They fight bad, but when they are biting you'll get them one after another. If you want a fish to catch just buy servo prawns, a size two sinker, 3/o or 4/o suicide hook and they will come easy.

By using live and fresh baits such as prawns, mullet, herring, and more, you will up your chances at a more sizeable fish. After the rain it's better to fish towards the mouth, and you may encounter jewfish, threadfin salmon, and oddities such as large Estuary Cod and Dusky Flathead. You can try Colmslie Recreation Reserve, Murrarie Recreation Hub, and around Boggy Creek. 

Use a rig with a sinker that will hit the bottom (at least a six ball) when fishing landbased, and use about a 3/o-8/o circle hook, depending on the size of bait. Use a trace from anywhere between 30 and 80 pound, depending on what the structure is like.

Hope that helps,

Cheers Hamish

[Franz]

Thanks Hamish.

I live in Parkinson, near Browns Plains.  So it's 45 minutes to an hour each way to any fishing spot, including the river.  More if I gauge wrong and get stuck in traffic.  I've worked from home for 25 years, and recently discovered I don't really know when/where the traffic gets congested around much of the place.

Haven't had a chance to get out again yet, but I will have another crack soon.

Cheers,

Michael

 

[rayke1938]

Explore the Logan/ Albert fresh or salt plenty of fish if you persevere. Stanmore Rd causeway good spot to start Bass above it and bream below. Do notshoot the pipes people have drowned there.

Cheers

Ray

[Franz]

Thanks Ray.  That looks like a good suggestion for fishing.

If by "shoot the pipes" you mean to swim through them, I'm at least 50 years too old to even consider that.

Franz