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End the year with some Christmas fishy fun TOOWOOMBA
Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com
As another year draws to an end, we can look back on what was a tough situation for a lot of our fellow anglers. Queenslanders were spared from the worst of the lockdowns and this meant fishing was still a goer. I feel for my southern mates who weren’t so lucky and can only hope next year we can all get out and enjoy what we love to do. For some, fishing and the outdoors will be more appreciated than ever and the perfect way to de-stress. Despite what unfolds in
Golden perch (aka yellowbelly) fire right up in the summer months. They will chase down faster moving lures when they are in this mood.
SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST Bass will be a bit more spread out. Strong thermoclines seem to encourage fish to suspend out in the open water and not just in tightly packed schools ear the bottom. This is ideal for lure trollers as they are able to cover a lot of water and with fish being all over the place, you are in with a chance of catching at any
trolling the deep, try to pull your lures across the tips of points and cross the drop offs to the old creek beds. The changes in depth are often all it takes for the fish to concentrate. Once you work out where they are holding, you can work that area more or switch over to casting. Lure casters will still be able to catch fish but you will need to spend a lot of time searching for the right ones. They are
our world, the fish are none the wiser. To them, it’s just another day and we should take every chance we can to go and catch them. The fishing at this time of year is pretty full on. Hundreds of boats barra fishing the lakes, bass fishers sharing the waterways with speedcrazed thrill seekers in ski boats and on jet skis and holiday makers and campers all over the place. It can be a busy time and a bit harder to catch a fish due to this. Keep that in mind and try to get out on the quieter days or to the less pressured areas. All the lakes are fishing quite well so you can avoid crowds by going to the spots which seem to fly under the radar. Locations like Ewen Maddock, Baroon
Pocket, Lake MacDonald, Lenthalls, Isis Balancing Storage, Wuruma and Connelly are some of the closer lakes within easy reach for a weekend away. Lakes aren’t the only option. Camping reserves on the rivers might see a bit of action but if you are lucky enough to know a quiet or private spot on the rivers and creeks you’ll soon forget we are coming in to that crazy time of year around Christmas. That’s right - Christmas! It’s almost here so get your orders in with Santa if you want some nice new lures or fishing gear. You’ll enjoy unwrapping that a hell of a lot more than socks and jocks. Until next year, buckled rods from The Colonel.
If you want an early or late session, don’t forget the longer open hours are to 6am to 8pm. SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY December is the start of the good bass and golden perch trolling months at Somerset. Deep diving lures capable of reaching 10m will get the bites in the middle reaches of the dam. Here you will be fishing the open water flats adjacent to the deep drop offs across spots like
Reaction style lures like chatterbaits and spinnerbaits will perform well on the Somerset bass over the summer months.
Tail spinners are one of the author’s favourite lures to pull through suspended bass. They work well cast and trolled, and seem easier than other lure presentations to keep in front of the fish. point. The deeper areas will be most productive. Try trolling medium divers early then switch to deeper offering capable of reaching 10m deep as the sun rises. Directly out in front of the boat ramp and up the middle in both directions is ideal. If you head through the no fishing buoy line past the pump tower, the deep water up the other arm is also worth a shot. When 50
DECEMBER 2021
usually found in small areas so lures like soft plastics, blades and spoons will get them to bite. If you were lucky enough to find a spreadout bunch of fish over a 100m or more, a Spectre Vibration Jig would be hard to beat. • Fish’n’Bits in Toowoomba has all the gear and tips on how to chase the Cressy fish. They are an excellent store specialising in all freshwater lures and tackle.
Pelican Point, Bay 13 and Queen Street. Further up the lake around Kirkleigh the fish hold shallower and can be targeted with 7-8m divers. It is still a similar scenario and the fish won’t be too far from a drop off ledge. Trolling seems to work right through the day. Mornings and arvos can be better but they will still chew even around the middle of the day. Casting at this time
of year is hard. The fish tend to focus on particular types of presentations and lose interest in soft plastics and spoons. You can still bang a few early or late fish on these lure types but if you want to catch all day you’ll need to fish deep spinnerbaits and chatterbaits or long line deep cranks. The Spectre Vibration Jig was built to suit these fussy Somerset fish. These clear bladed chatterbaits are deadly on
them and the assist hooks hiding in the skirt seem more effective than the standard big single hook. It is best to wind drift or slow troll them moving at least 1.5km/h. This covers heaps of water and also stops the fish following and holding below your boat. The Spectre bite should kick off well this month and last until March so if you haven’t had a go, don’t miss out this year. Double figure sessions when fishing these
or trolled hardbody lures will not be uncommon. • Somerset Fishing has their store based at the area above the day use boat ramp. The store is open over holidays and otherwise from Thursday to Sunday. Orders can also be made online via the website www. somersetfishing.com.au. They have an excellent range of gear suited to fishing for bass and golden perch.
the open water and spread out, it is a good time to troll hard bodies. I’d love to name a few but until you are on the water and seeing what depth the fish are holding, you can’t make that call. I’d be prepared and have a range of divers to cover depths from 3-10m. Lure casters should find good concentrations
around the dam. When the fish favour the deeper water, a prominent point nearby can be all it takes to have them bunched up. Soft plastics are one of my favourites on these fish. Spoons work well but I struggle fishing them as effectively to suspended fish. Tail spinners are one of my go to lures if the fish are suspended as I seem to have better control over their depth.
BURNETT REGION BOONDOOMA CLOSEST TOWNS: PROSTON, KINGAROY Stronger thermoclines will have developed and the bass will be holding out in the deeper water around them. Watching the sounder closely will pay off as the fish can be anywhere from the wall down to The Junction. With fish out in
