Project Kurwongbah; The creation of a new fishery

[shayned]

Just a quick update on progress, as some of you may know we run an on going monitoring program on Lake Kurwongbah. The program provides data for a number of uses, one of them is to monitor growth rates of stocked fish.

As you may recall we released 9000 bass on Jan 10 and a further 100 000 bass on Feb 2 this year, we can now offer some early indications of growth rate. It appears the average fish size is now 15cm, the average release size was 25mm. Considering this growth period included the winter months I'm hopefull we will see somewhere close to an average population size of 30cm at the end of the 12 month period.

Fingers crossed, we may even see legal size bass a further 6 months after this. Although we have to bear in mind that the growth rate will slow at somewhere around 28cm.

All in all its good news and the project is on track to meet it's objectives.

[maxi]

thats awesome mate well done to all you people and very timely for me to know some indication of growth rates on bass as im fishing a new stocking this arvo in a private dam 18 mnths old..

cheers Maxi

[James W]

that is awesome news..thanx for keeping us updated shane..cheers!

[Rocket75]

that's great progress, thanks to all for their efforts, the more bass the better:P .

Any news on the 'Toga and Tilapia populations?

After seeing NPD over the years, I reckon soon you will need lots of signs posted with legal sizes, bag limits and penalties enforcable...and then cross your fingers that they are read, understood and obeyed by all.

[Little Grey Men]

Thanks to yourself and other very passionate hard working people, we'll have two bass lakes a stones throw from each other. We'll be spoiled for choice.

Way to go Shayne.

Hopefully give you a tingle Sunday morning mate.If all goes well.

[Aaron H]

Great work mate, now how do get electric powered boats allowed on there :evil:

[Bommie]

good to hear

[shayned]

Signs are up in Mick Hanfling Park and Kurwongbah park, will they help who knows????

[Burko]

whats the go with landbased access out the back near scout rd or even ski rd. I know there is a gate on ski rd but any chance to get it unlocked. also it looks fishable towards the end of scout rd (legal)' I drive past there twice a day.

[EMP]

That's great news! Thanks Shayne.

EMP

[Swagger]

Burko wrote:

whats the go with landbased access out the back near scout rd or even ski rd. I know there is a gate on ski rd but any chance to get it unlocked. also it looks fishable towards the end of scout rd (legal)' I drive past there twice a day.

I noticed that last time I was there (it was a good 5 years since that) and it was locked. It used to be unlocked and there are a few tracks to take you to different locations. If you turn off dayboro road into scout road and drive about a kilometre (roughly, maybe less or more) there is a patch of dirt to your right, turn there right and a rough track takes you down to the waters edge and goes left along the water bank. Last time I was there water was very high and looked really fishable, reeds/grass sticking out of water, very deep etc. But it might be better if you have a 4wd, the track is slightly steep and at the base it was half under water but I made it through in 2wd in my 4wd, it would be very slippery in rainy conditions or just after rain, it was slightly muddy my last visit. The area was cleared so unsure if something is being built there, there was no signage to say no entry either

[Burko]

do you mean the spot where they have dumped a heap of dirt and there is a sign saying water point or somthin, or further up the road just before the cowboys and indians (archery range). I had a squiz down at the water point spot but there was no real steep bits just a short track that goes to the water.

it just looks so fishy there. heaps of grass and weeds and the pelicans have been hangin around in there a lot lately. (just don't eat the bass ya big beaked b@st@rds).

anyone caught any redclaws in there was thinkin of dropping a pot in there.

[Swagger]

Burko wrote:

do you mean the spot where they have dumped a heap of dirt and there is a sign saying water point or somthin, or further up the road just before the cowboys and indians (archery range). I had a squiz down at the water point spot but there was no real steep bits just a short track that goes to the water.

it just looks so fishy there. heaps of grass and weeds and the pelicans have been hangin around in there a lot lately. (just don't eat the bass ya big beaked b@st@rds).

anyone caught any redclaws in there was thinkin of dropping a pot in there.

I do recall there being a mound of dirt and the track was short, it did go a little downhill so that might be it as I dont know about the second one you mentioned. The dirt was freshly dug up and was not flattened thats why it was a bit rough, might be flattened by now. If you go to the water and hook left a further 5o metres it is better! Would be great surface action early in the mornings once the bass get bigger! I haven't caught any redclaws there only shrimp.

[flatty_catcher]

do you add any shore vegetation or snaggs to assure the new fish have feeding and breeding grounds?

or just throw em in and hope for the best?

maybe you should try that and see if the growth rate increases, we all know habitat attracts food which in turn grows fish..

Dan

[Feral]

Kurwongba had and still has, a great lilly and weed bed structure where we released the fingerlings. Part of the high growth rate would be due to the good run ins the dam has had since the fingerlings were released, it has gone from only about 20% to nearly full.

[Swagger]

When I was there it looked very healthy, always does when its near full capacity. When the water levels drop thats when it may be concerning, but that would be the same with every other dam too. Kurwongbah has varying depths, has some structure in parts, when the water levels drop, cliff like rocky structures emerge and stumps are galore down below. If this summer has some good rainfall and the lake becomes full then i'd say the bass will have greater growth and hopefully lead to a sustainable future.

[EMP]

It won't be long before Lake K becomes very popular and people start coming by the dozens. Hopefully, the rubbish gets to a tolerable level.

EMP

[shayned]

Feral wrote:

Kurwongba had and still has, a great lilly and weed bed structure where we released the fingerlings. Part of the high growth rate would be due to the good run ins the dam has had since the fingerlings were released, it has gone from only about 20% to nearly full.

We also had a massive Tilapia kill prior to the release which would cleared some niche space in the ecosystem helping with the growth rates as well.

Personally I look at the nature of Lake and continue to hope that it is well suited to Saratoga. Hopefully over time this will prove to be the case and we end up with another Borumba on our door step. Only difficulty with this of course is setting up a 'toga fishery is a very expensive process to do with any speed.

[Swagger]

Should throw in some cod to help clear the remaining tilapia too!