WA
Plenty of summer reds FRESHWATER
Peter Fragomeni
A few reports have been coming through over these warmer months with some freshwater
get amongst them. AUSSIE NATIVES It’s interesting to see a number of Murray cod showing up in some of our dams and rivers. This is no doubt a result of private stockings as we don’t have
in this state and remove the red tape and out-of-date policies that have been in place for some time now. Until we stock a suitable species like bass, golden perch, Murray cod or at least our locally bred silver perch, which would have a minimal impact on the ecology compared to the redfin and the earlier mentioned species, then we will continue to have an inferior fishery compared to those on the East Coast. If something isn’t done soon then I believe we may lose a number of freshwater
Summer evenings can result in some fantastic sunsets on our inland dams. Unfortunately, trout fishing can be difficult as trout move to deep water and are reluctant to feed on occasions.
Damien Gansekoele is no stranger to big trout and Aussie natives. It only took him and his mate one hour to secure these large marron from a public water. He also catches huge sharks for a tagging program for Victorian Fisheries. anglers getting onto a few trout and redfin, while others have found it hard. The recent marron season seemed to be a success with some nice specimens showing up in the catches. Redfin are still being caught in all the usual locations however, most have been very small and not worth putting a blade to. Good fishing was seen down around the Pemberton area with mainly redfin dominating the catch, which included some nice size models. Trout were harder to locate, no doubt due to the extreme summer we experienced recently. I choose not to fish the freshwater through summer as I believe it puts stress on the trout and I find it hard to revive them in the higher water temperature. I find it exciting chasing a range of saltwater species, like hard fighting dhufish and snapper on trolled lures in very shallow water as well as a range of other species. They are all willing to hit minnow style lures and plastics on very hot days. The good news is towards the latter part of March we will see cooler days and the return to better activity on our inland waters so I will once again 124
MARCH 2022
a government stocking program in place as yet. A number of dedicated freshwater anglers have put in some hard work chasing these Aussie iconic species with some impressive results being achieved. I cannot stress how important it is that the authorities act
A nice redfin from Harvey Dam. Although they don’t put up much of a fight they would match any of the best saltwater species on the plate.
Trolling using an electric motor (as this is the only form of propulsion allowed on this water) has been productive on occasions. The other method is to drop plastics down deep, and a favourite that is growing in popularity is the dropshotting technique. This involves using two plastics with a weight on the bottom similar to an offshore rig and can be deadly if you can locate the schools of redfin that tend to congregate from late March. Trout have been harder to find and we will not know if they pulled through the summer period until late April. Unfortunately, Watercorp has blocked off a number of access points around the dam but this didn’t deter the marroners that fished this
anglers in this state. DAMS Waroona Dam Very quiet of late on the trout scene, however, a few dedicated anglers have been getting into the redfin
The Collie River below Wellington Dam offers cool water let out for irrigation. This results in a near perfect condition for trout.
Redfin offer the only reliable sport for our freshwater anglers over summer. Ethan Look, and many like him, are hoping that one day Fisheries will stock better suitable species that will offer year round angling.
in among the hordes of ski boats and jet skis that seem to crowd the water on the weekends. Drakes Brook Weir Things have been very quiet judging by the reports of local angler Jonah Chiera. He noted that only a few trout have shown up on occasions. Redfin have been more active but the few anglers putting in the effort have returned empty-handed on occasions.
Logue Brook Dam Most anglers avoid this water in the warmer months as ski boats and jet skis make it difficult and, at time, dangerous to fish. Harvey Dam A few redfin are still turning up in the deeper water around the main basin as well as the exposed timber area to the back of the dam. It’s handy if you can get on the water as shore bashing can be frustrating at times.
water until the season ended in early February. Glen Mervyn Dam Not a lot of reports, but redfin are being caught in varying sizes. Wellington Dam This dam is a complete opposite to what it was like this time last year with the water encroaching the time making access fairly difficult. This is our largest accessible impoundment in our South West, at around 200 gigalitres
