OLD
Unprecedented weather means unpredictability TOOWOOMBA
Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com
I’ll open this month’s report with a disclaimer. As I write, rainy weather is predicted for next week but it is unclear how much is on the way and where it will fall. Based on the fact the meteorologist can’t agree on what we are in for, I reckon I get an exemption from getting things spot on for this month’s report. If all goes well, the rain will stay away and things will be more predictable and waterways will be clearing up and getting more fishable over the winter months. For the past couple of decades of writing for Fishing Monthly I’ve never had such a tough time working
out what’s going on in our favourite freshwater spots. The continuing rainfall across different areas is changing our lakes on a regular basis, making some dirty and the fish are changing all the time. Winter is one of my least favourite times on the freshwater. Things get a bit slower, especially this month but we should see signs of change and there are still plenty of options out there. With full lakes in the South East corner, the fish will have plenty of food and be getting bigger and fatter. With more water to explore it can take a little longer to find them but it amazes me how they still seem almost as easy to find in a full lake compared to a really low one. There should be a few bass edge bites going on and in some lakes we
SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST June is a surprisingly good month to hit Cressbrook Dam. The last couple of years have been great provided you can find the small schools of big bass. It is going to be a lot tougher this year with the dam now full. Old spots will be totally different and the fish will find new locations to frequent. Putting in the time to locate fish and work out what time of day they want to feed will pay off with bulky fat bass on offer. The longer points and any flats around 7-10m deep could hold the big bass. The old flooded weed and grass can be annoying on your hooks but if you find fish just outside this it won’t be a problem. Casting spoons is one of the best ways to entice the winter schooling bass. Bait size can dictate spoon choice. Smaller offerings like the Gang Banger G2, Wasabi, and Halco Twisty 20g are ideal when the fish are chasing smaller bait profiles.
If they are after bigger bonies, switch to Raptor Jigs or Palm Slow Blatts in the 30g size. Both hopping and winding can be effective so mix it up to see if they prefer a certain
It’s a good time to go exploring in a kayak. Just remember you need to be above a weir as it is bass closed season in tidal waters. retrieve style. The lake edges will definitely be worth a look. Water quality should have improved and the bass and golden perch will be back in the shallows. You can drop the electric
Golden perch tend to turn up as by-catch over the winter months. This one ate a Spectre but opt for a hopped blade unless you find them really chewing.
Gary’s Marine Centre
3201 6232
217 Pine Mountain Road, BRASSALL 44
JUNE 2022
and set off casting at kilometres of banks and hope to encounter a few fish. Alternatively, try fishing around schooling fish. The more active ones will venture up into the shallows and chase a feed. The slow nature of suspending jerkbaits and crankbaits will suit the mood of the fish and work well in clear water conditions. Soft plastics will also be worth a flick. With the numbers of redclaw around the edges it may also pay to hop skirted jigs. Look for shorter grassy banks or the steeper rocky areas for this style of fishing. • 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. The dam is on winter hours so the gates will be open from 7am to 6pm. SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY Somerset has been fishing very steady since the rain. Lure anglers have struggled due to the dirty water but we should see a notable change in the clarity over the winter months. In the dirty water, fish schools have been difficult to find. Even though the water clarity will be okay this month, the fish are always pretty tough to target at the start of winter. Schools can move away from the deep water, open flats that they usually hold on for most of the year. More fish can be found closer to the edges in schools. These bass don’t always bite well but will sometimes fall for a spoon or soft plastic. If they are close to the bank, try working the shallower water with a big spinnerbait, lipless crankbait, chatterbait or suspending jerkbait. Golden perch will be
quiet for the winter months. A few will be caught as bass by-catch but unless you target them with bait or hopping small blades around the timber structure, you will struggle to find them. Tilapia numbers are likely to increase later in the year so go hard on them now to try to thin the population out. They are fond of worms and can be caught from the bank around most of the boat
will start to see schooling bass loving their winter spoon bite. On the barra scene, the cold days will be tough but winter can dish out some warmer gems and these are the ones to be on the water. I have a good feeling the cod are going to go off in our Queensland lakes this winter. Don’t be fooled, it will be hard work with many fishless days but that’s the nature of cod fishing. It is also just a short skip over the border into NSW to experience the cod on Pindari and Copeton. If the water is clear, I’d be throwing my favourite swimbaits. If it has a bit of colour about it, try something noisier and easier to track down, like a chatterbait or spinnerbait. Until next month, buckled rods from the Colonel. ramp areas. • 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.
Alex Richards, 14yo, caught this 70cm flathead at Bongaree Jetty. He used a mullet for bait.
