Making memories at Moura: catching saratoga them both. If you want to make some memories like these, read on. WHAT YOU NEED If you’d like to make a toga trip to this special part of the world, there are a few things you’ll need to take with you. I won’t really discuss camping gear, as it’s pretty much basic camping, although I will mention there’s a shower at the ramp next to the Apex Park camping ground that takes a $1 coin to produce hot water, so take a few coins with you if you’ll be there for a while. The park is a good place to stay, with a toilet block, BBQs, shaded areas and plenty of wide open space. The township itself is quite well serviced. You’re
TOWNSVILLE
Dave Hodge
Moura, a small town southwest of Gladstone, is a spot I classify as special. Not just because of the friendly people, the wildlife and the mighty Dawson River, but because it holds plenty of saratoga, one of my all-time favourite sportfish. The river doesn’t get a lot of fishing pressure due to the lack of people out there, and you can enjoy some great fishing just a few minutes out of the township. ACTION STATIONS My son Tannhym and his best mate Isaac had saratoga at the top of their bucket list, so I decided to take them to Moura. With visions of catching these high-flying sportfish, you could sense the boys’
bet. As far as brands go, I reckon you can’t go past the Aussie-made Bassman range for quality and pre-rigged detail.
Not really seen as a fresh water colour, Isaac thought outside the square and landed this nice fish shortly after rigging it up, and lost several more.
Watching these two celebrate each capture together was special. True mates.
Young Tannhym Hodge with the fish of the trip. It was caught on a chartreuse Paddle Prawn.
The scenic surrounds are all part of the experience. Image courtesy of Betty Seeney. excitement and anticipation as the boat slid quietly to an idle on the first morning’s session. As Tannhym slipped the electric motor into the water, I heard him say to himself, “OK, here we go….” I had previously advised the boys on how to catch toga in the Dawson River, and they quickly got to work, skip casting under overhanging bottlebrush trees and working their weedless lures through spindly branches, allowing them to sink as they cleared the edge. The slightest ripple saw two Halco Prawns flying at bullet speed, dropping perfectly in the middle of the rings. All the while I stood down the back, steering the silent old Polycraft through the drowned forests, trying not to bump into any of the trees and potentially send a saratoga into shutdown. The fishing was a bit 8 JUNE 2023
tough. Many missed bites were registered, and the fish that did have a go were super subtle. The toga always headed towards the boys on the strike, making it hard to set the hooks. Finally though, Isaac set the hooks on a beautifully conditioned Dawson River saratoga. Tannhym grabbed the net, and any attempts at being stealthy and quiet disappeared as the net slipped under such an important fish. Tannhym was so happy for his friend, and after some quick photos and high fives, the fish was cradled just below the surface until it was ready to go. Afterwards, Tannhym’s hooks finally stuck on a high-flying toga that put everything into the battle. His anxious tension was palpable; this fish was really important to him. Isaac made a quick, accurate net shot, and again
the celebrations shattered the quiet surroundings! This scenario was repeated a few times over the next couple of days, and you could really appreciate the boys’ sense of achievement. I was very happy to be part of such a special moment for
around the snags, lures like these can be subtlety worked when conditions are tough, and cast long distances when the fish
are spooky. These fish are also great to catch off the surface. To watch a saratoga eat a popper is pretty cool, and they often roll all over a popper or fizzer before eating it. You can’t mention saratoga without mentioning Bills Bugs, and how well the fish respond to these fizzers. The fluttering, fizzing type action is just what the toga ordered. Regardless of what you throw, make sure your hooks are sticky, deadly
not going to have to take your supplies with you, as everything is available in town, which is only about a 5-minute drive from the boat ramp and campground. Now let’s look at the fishing gear. Lures I’ve caught saratoga in the Dawson on hardbodies, spinner baits, surface poppers and weedless plastics, and you’ll be well served to take all of these with you when packing your gear. 1/4oz double Colorado or tandem spinnerbaits with stinger hooks and soft plastic trailers are without a doubt your best
As the sun rose higher in the sky, Isaac caught this beautiful fish on a pink 5” Paddle Prawn.
There is plenty of fishy structure in the river. Image courtesy of Brian Dawson.
Spinnerbaits are easily fished on both spin and baitcaster combos (although my personal preference is for a baitcaster). The Tilsan Minnow and Tilson Bass are great sized hardbodied lures, and cast well on a light to medium spin stick, with strong actions. Twitched and paused
sharp to penetrate those bony jaws. We’ve found that you can also get good results on soft plastics. I fished with accomplished angler and journalist Helen Abdy on the Dawson, and we discovered that Paddle Prawns are very effective on saratoga. I like the 5”
