queensland Lenthalls, Gregory, Monduran 16/24/2/08

[rayke1938]

Thought Feral would have started this one but?

We new that Lenthalls was closed due to flooding with 1.6 meters of water going over the spillway the day before we left but being the ever optomist we headed off.

Went along to the Fishntaled meet and greet at the Urangan Sporties club and met up with a lot of their members.

It was a good night being very family oriented . I was surprised how many partners and children were there.Heard some wonderful fishing stories. One member lives in a houseboat in the marina and had caught 3 60cm grunter in a set line out of his window that afternoon. He regulary catches barra there.

We got the hot goss that Lake Gregory was fireing so we headed up there the next morning.

We had just launched when a guy came over to us and asked us if we would mind taking a photo of a bass he had just caught. It was over 50cm and almost black in colour.

He said that he was catching them on buzz and spinner baits on top of the weed.

With this info we headed off into the weed beds and nothing.

I changed over to hardbodies and managed one small bass about the same size as the lure.

We then bait fished for a while on what looked like a big school of fish and found out it was a school of small forkies.

Next day we headed back up there and met another guy who had got some large bass from the top of the weed .

Nothing for us but Graham managed one around 34cm on bait.

Rang Wide Bay Water as Lenthalls was still closed and was told that it would be closed till Thursday.

Next day we had a lay day due to string wind forecast and contemplated heading off to Monduran as we had been told that it was firing.

O ran the dam and was lucky to secure a cabin for 2 days and we arrived there around 10 and as the cabin wasnt ready we launched and commenced to trill in the basin.

Within 30 minutes Graham had one on and lost it after it jumped twice. Soon after I managed to land a nice sub metery and then things went quiet. We came back to the ramp and found that only a few fish had been caught and got the old story you shouldabeenereyesterday. Some people had been catching over a dozen fish trolling in the basin and they had also been firing up in the sticks.

Next morning we trolled in the basin with no result and went for a bit of an explore but as we couldnt find any of the landmarks shown on the map we turned around and and headed back to the ramp.

We heard that Lenthalls had reopened so back to Burrum heads we went.

Lenthalls is a completely different dam now that it is full.

The water was chocolate brown with lots of submerged grass and floating lily beds.

We tried spinner , buzz,chatter baits and hard bodies with no results.

Will leave feral relate his experience with the ranger.

Next day back to Gregory and ran into the two guys that we had met earlier in the week and they caught the same as us Buggaall.

Back home 2000ks later only one decent fish but still had a good time .

Will post photos later.

Cheers

Ray

[Dinodadog]

You were out and about and that's what counts, better than sitting in the lounge chair thinking about it. Glad you all enjoyed yourselves. Might have a go at Baroon tomorrow.

Dino

[rayke1938]

Launching at gregory

forky

forky again cause i cant drive photobucket

monduran produces

Part of the trolling flotilla in the basin. It was quite funny as soon as someone got a fish on they were surrounded by boats. We got a few on when we caught large catties and pretended to play them for a few minutes.

:dry:

Sunset from our cabin patio.

IMG]http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff255/rayke1938/P1010885AFO.jpg

Somewhere on Monduran. It was glassed out the entire time we were there.

The 2 Fs ( Ferg and feral) at Lenthalls.

Glass out at Lenthalls

Reflections at Lenthalls.

Newly flooded bay at Lenthalls. Note the water colour.

Snake number 2 for the day.

Just hope all the fish didnt go over the wall as there is so much new area to cover.

Hope this works.

Ray

[fishyman]

atleast you were out ther guys.

i bet you had fun anyway

[Clawhammer]

Ray...is that a photo of another snake?...what's with you guys and snakes?

[rayke1938]

Some more photos.My forky

My lure caught bass . Caught with shalliw diver on top of weed beds.

Grahams bass note how dark it is.All the bass in the dam are very dark.

somewhere on Monduran

[Dan23]

I'd be happy to catch a Barra like that Ray well done and well worth the trip good on you fellas.

[MichaelJ]

great barra there rayke!

[chubbstar]

:ohmy: Ray, What a beautiful fish mate well done.

And most of them photos should be framed and hung in a gallery:)

This is one of my favorite reports, Thanks for sharing;)

Jayson

[Rocket75]

Glad you got a barra :woohoo: , just reward for the all the effort and planning.

The pics make me wish once again that I could have joined you.

Thanks for the report.

Rocket

[Feral]

Well Ferg and I arrived about smoko time on Sunday, a quick call to Ray, to find he was on lake Gregory, so we quickly unpacked and headed up (about an hour run).

I had fished Gregory from the bank before, but never a boat. The water was crystal clear, and had recently risen, as there was a band of submerged melaluka's around the edge (totally submerged, with just the leaf tips sticking out) and this was where the fish were. The locals had been pulling 50cm plus ones of the trees for a couple of days, but around sunrise.

First day I caught a nice 34cm Bass, and got bricked by a big one right at the boat. Came out of the weeds and smashed my lure with about 3 foot of line out, I did not have a hope, lost the lure as he headed back into the weeds.

Lots of lovely submerged weed beds, but the wind was so strong, we trolled "on the drift" plenty enough speed to work the lures, around 3kph.

Second day was also on Gregory, kind of reminded me of moreton bay with a 20 knot south easterly, 3 foot waves breaking everywhere!

Next day the wind forecast was even higher, so we had a rest day and headed into Hervey Bay to catch up with a couple of FishnTales members, and give some Business to Shris at the Hervey Bay tackle world who does a lot for Fish N Tales. Got the good oil on some surface lures for working over the weed at Lake Gregory, a new scorpion that swims at10cm, and a couple of jitter bugs, and some "owner" lures that run at 30cm, the name of which escapes me.

As Ray said we headed to Monduran, as Lenthalls was supposed to stay closed until Thursday (pity they opened it tuesday). The fish were just going off the bite as we got there, Ray managing one before they went off totally. But the Dam was a lot higher, the "gorge" ramp was open, and being put to good use. After a full day and a half of throwing lures in stinking heat, for not a touch, we got word that Lenthalls was indeed open and headed back to the Bay.

In the morning we headed off, to be met by our favourite Ranger, who politely asked if I was Ray's son, (Ray had been a little upset in some of his posts on fishingtales about the Dams decision to not allow live bait to be brought in) when I answered yes, he proceeded to search my boat,including inside my esky, telling my he had been told to "keep an eye" on me because we had used live bait last year, which is apparently not allowed anymore. He then informed me that my 2 stroke motor was borderline for access. He did however let me on, with a promise that I would run electric the next day.

While I was not impressed to be singled out and searched, I have to say that despite "word or mouth" saying different - to us the Ranger was very polite, honest and fair. He could have sent me packing, the motor, whilst normally running pretty clean, was filthy, and covered in oil residue from 2 days flogging around monduran, and a hard choke start, leaving some residue in the water when he asked to see it run before he made a decision.

I am still thinking of writing my local member about the search, he had no reasonable cause to conduct it, I had not even been on the water. Also he did not show me his ID as required by the anyone authorised under the fisheries act to conduct searches. I suppose the most amusing thing about the whole affair was Ray was about 5 metres away with Graham, yet he was not recognised, and Graham's boat was not searched.

Anyway we got on, the Dam was full, still overflowing a little. We went left and decided to go as far as we could as the next day would obviously be a restricted trip with no petrol motor.

We went all the way up the the Wongai Waterhole road, the dam is only about 1 foot below the floodway, and the water here is still 10 foot deep. I'd suggest a possible bank launch in this area is know quite feasible for anyone staying at Wongai. You would have to pick your spot though, the old road would be perfect, as it goes in to about 5 foot of water, but unfortunately the new road cuts it off, leaving a 5 foot straight drop!

It was stinking hot, the dark muddy water attracting the sun, the surface water temperature was 35 degrees!

We fished all day for 1 34cm Bass to Ferg on a 80mm green and gold squidgee, otherwise not a touch.

Back at base that night we decided to spend the last day on Gregory, at least I could leave the motor on, the water was clear, and we new there were fish to be had. However whilst it was a beautiful day, and the water was crystal clear (we were site casting to structure on the bottom in 20 foot of water) only a small tidler to me for the day.

That rounded out our trip, and we headed home early this morning, bugger all fish, but a great time.

[Biggles]

Awesome report thank you. Seems to be a few happy fellas in them pics as well, and the quality of the pics are first class. Look forward to reading many more reports.

Warmest Regards

Al (Biggles)

[Angus]

Awesome report guys. Good to see you another big barra on your lap Ray

What sort of rod is the lighter one? Looks nice.

Angus

[WayneD]

Pity about the fishing guys but geez looks very nice on all those dams. I hope Lenthalls fires up in two weeks when I am there.

[kevinchen19870316]

just awesome!

[nigehey]

Great reports and those photos are just fantastic - terrific composition and colours - thanks for the post!

[Feral]

Here are my photo's

Lake Gregory Photo's

Once more in to the breach!

Lake Lenthalls

Lake Monduran

[Terry H]

I don't know if I want to be anywhere near feral when he catches his barra or not. I'd like to see him get it etc, but I'm scared he might start running and dancing on the water or something crazy like that! :woohoo:

Pitty about no barra mate, was hoping you'd get one! That's pretty strange about the ranger there mate

[chubbstar]

Gee thats a beautiful spot. Some of them pics are just awesome. Blow up the pics, frame them, sell them at the market = more money to go back;)

Well done fellas I fell like I was there.

Jayson

[Feral]

I've caught Barra before Terry, just not at Awoonga or Monduran!

[Terry H]

Ah you have caught one at Lenthalls? I thought it was the northern dams you hadn't.. my bad:S

[Feral]

Yeah First year at Lenthalls we got into them. (Only Angus and Brian missed out that trip!)

[Brian D]

Well guys I not too sorry I missed out but I do regret not getting away with you. How's that d!ck of a ranger. Who the heck gave him his badge. How are you supposed to catch fish when he upsets you lke that.

I would have been fuming beyound control, you did well not to run over him while you were running over his seat.

Gezz lenthals sure looks different. When you say the fish went over the wall, can you get to the water on the other side of the wall, I mean it's gotta come out somewhere?

BTW I sorta count Frenchman fish as mine, I tied my lure onto my rod, showed him how to work it and pointed where to cast it from my boat, doesn't that count as mine!

[Feral]

Other side of the wall is supposed to be good, but unfortunately part of the river system is a green zone, and no one we asked could say for sure exactly where it starts and finishes. With varying answers, I was not willing to risk being wrong!

Lenthalls is going to be a fantastic fishery with the extra water, but I dont think I'll bother with it again until "Captain Bligh" takes over that Dam as well! Wide Bay Water just make it to hard to fish.

After the last Awoonga trip Brian you dont need to count the frenchman's tidlers!

[rayke1938]

A few points.

I think that Lenthalls is going to take a couple of years to come back on line as a barra fishery. They had a massive kill earlier in the year and I think that a lot of the remaining fish went over the wall.

The ranger is only doing his job but he does seem to be obsessive with his zeal and inturperation of the rules.I can see how people are put out by his zealous attitude.

He did tell us that the fish were shut down and suggested that we would have been better off fishing the salt for barra that had gone over the wall.

I was ammused by the way he gave feral a hard time but scarcely bothered with us when we were the ones he should have been having a closer look at.

The rules governing the use of 2 stroke outboards state that the ranger has the power to refuse entry to motors over 6 hp or if they blow excessive smoke.

Ferals motor is not smoky it was just covered in a oily deposit that has accumulated over the fishing trip and being bounced over the rough access road that causes the fuel in the carby to leak out.

I was very impressed with Monduran and cant wait to get back up there and explore it further.I hope that they get another inflow so that the george ramp is still open.The cabin accomodation there is very good with a gas barby on the patio overlooking the lake. The houses look very well maintained also.

Cheers

Ray

[Bommie]

nice barra ray, good pics too.

[Brian D]

Oh Yeah Sorry Ray - nice fish man, your look is oh so ever cheeky as to say, I got one, where's yours.

Gezz these Barra aren't as easy to catch as the mags say they are so well done.

[ellicat]

Thanks for the reports fellas. I've been waiting a week for that. Pity it wasn't all glory, but sounds a good time was had anyway. The fish are just a bonus hey.

Looks like Ray has the midas touch with the barra out of you lot though. :woohoo: