Wivenhoe Dam, September 3, 2009
I was going
to head up to Maroon dam near Boonah today for a fish but I needed a
fix after my dismal trip at Twin Bridges on Tuesday so I decided to head
back to Wivenhoe Dam for my second last trip before the upcoming Kayak
and Canoe Convention.
I arrived at the dam at eight thirty at the Brisbane Valley Sailing Club lease. I decided to launch from Hayes Landing as I had found a school of Bass not far from the put in point last time I had fished the dam. I quickly set up and I was heading to this new spot within ten minutes. On arriving at the spot I soon discovered the fish were not as thick there today as they were last time with just a few odd fish showing on the sounder. I fanned casts out from the spot and soon lost interest as it was clear I would not be catching fish there today. The wind today was very fluky, one minute it would be calm, almost glassed out and then the next ten minutes there would be a brisk breeze which made it hard to stay near my mark.
I made for a saved GPS point north west of my location which is over near Fitzy's Flats. I trolled two rods on the way over, both were rigged with heavy blades. I doubted very much if I would get anything on the way as I had to paddle fast to keep my momentum in the breeze, this would have made the blades very high in the water column and I wasn't seeing any fish mid water on the sounder. On the way over I stopped paddling to take a few pictures and my lures slowed considerably and were almost paused. Straight away I had a few bumps on one of my lures, I thought it would be a catfish for sure and as it turned out it was. So the lesson here is if your lures are slow in the water or stationary and you get a fish it almost always will be a catfish.
Again my Gps mark proved fruitless and I moved further up the dam to another GPS mark. On arriving there were scattered fish and I was confident I would get some fish here. I dropped my marker buoy over the side and began to work the area fanning my casts out from the kayak using blades. It was the second cast and I was on, I knew it was a bass, the line was moving fast across the water and I could feel the customary head shakes. I pulled my first bass of the day to the side of the kayak, a small one but a start. On the measure it went just under forty centimetres but when fighting it to the yak in felt much larger, gee these bass fight so hard for their size.
It soon became apparent that I was onto a school here, it seems lately when I drop my marker buoy over the side the bass seem to school up near the buoy, maybe a new theory but I'm not sure, it could just be a coincidence. Anyway the school was massive and by the screen on my fish finder I knew they were active, but what ever I put down there into the school they would not hit the lures. I jigged, I cast wide, I trolled through but nothing would happen. So I thought it was time to try something different, I reached for the tackle box and rigged up a Mask Vibe. First cast I threw wide of the school and burnt it along the edges of the school with the occasional pause. When i went to wind after the second pause I was on. After a good fight with the fish taking a lot of line on a tight drag I pulled a very solid and fat bass to the side of the kayak. Placing it on the measure it went to fifty centimetres. I was pretty happy with myself thinking if I was fishing the up coming comp it would be time to go looking for a Yellowbelly. I was filming at the time and I did not get a still image of this one but you will see it in my video.
Over to my east I realised there was another kayak, I wanted to check a mark over that way, so I paddled over to it to find no fish there also, so I continued on to find out who the kayaker may be. It turned out to be AKFFer, Yakcult, Bruce. He was out looking for some bass or Yellowbelly for a feed, we had a long talk, compared notes and exchanged tips with each other. Bruce had the same idea as me, last night I sat down on google earth and inputted all my gps marks onto the area of Wivenhoe Dam on Google Earth. I then printed it out and took it with me today, so I could relate more easily to my gps marks. It took me a while to do last night but I can certainly say it will be a great help in the future making it far more easier to decide where to go for some fishing spots. When I came across Bruce he had just dropped at bass and I had only two, it was eleven thirty.
Bruce and I parted company and headed our separate ways, I decided to go back to the spot where I had earlier caught the fish, on my way over I had a cast or two here and there and after a few more casts a broke my leader knot so I lost the mask vibe that had done the damage. I re rigged on the way back to the spot and tied on a Jackal Tramsam. Once on the spot I cast wide, through the school and trolled again with the other rod that had a blade on, again no touches. I picked the rod up after trolling through the school and cast wide. Again i had a mishap and I lost another lure to a broken leader knot, this time a blade. It was time for the ransam as I was getting nothing on the blades, this time I jigged it in the school and after what seemed like five to ten minutes one bass hammered it, a good fight ensued and I brought along side the kayak a solid bass. On the measure it went forty five centimetres, that was three bass for the day. It was now Twelve thirty and a stronger wind had come up from the east, so I paddled in that direction for a long time to finally get protection from the cliffs there.
I was in two minds what to do as the wind was quite strong and I was along way up the dam, so I decided to paddle home. Wouldn't you know it after ten minutes the wind dropped a little so I decided to head to that same spot again, it was an easier paddle over as the wind was at my back. Again arriving at the same spot there were fish, scattered this time and the wind decided to turn up its strength a few notches. I think this was the first time in ages I wished I owned a Mirage Drive Hobie as the wind was beating me up bad just to stay close to the fish. Anyway I threw a blade out with a few long cast as far as I could. The blade was beyond where the fish were and as it was so choppy I thought it might be unsafe to do my usual retrieve so I decided to hop it across the bottom, a technique which proved to be successful, in seconds I was on. A spirited fight occurred with the bass taking alot of line with the reel almost on full locked drag, meanwhile I was drifting backwards at a fast pace using my rudder to keep the kayak facing into the chop and the bass was helping this situation by putting on a fight to the end. Up it came and I had another solid bass beside the kayak. On the measure this one went close to fifty centimetres again.
The wind was starting to get stronger and I put in one last cast with the Transam and I was on next cast after the other fish, not much of a fish but it was a bass, making it five bass for the day and going just under forty centimetres on the measure.
I was tired and the wind was just getting worse so I set course for the car directly using the GPS and realised I had a two and a half kilometre paddle back to the car, oh bugger. Half way back my shoulders were burning with pain. But the closer I was to the car the easier it became. Close in to the launch spot I paddled around looking for new spots, I found a couple with some schools, but I marked them to have a look next time I'm out there.
Overall another great day on Wivenhoe but I do the think the schools are dispersing a little and the fishing is becoming harder. I just hope the schools stay around along enough for the kayak competition in a week or so.
I arrived at the dam at eight thirty at the Brisbane Valley Sailing Club lease. I decided to launch from Hayes Landing as I had found a school of Bass not far from the put in point last time I had fished the dam. I quickly set up and I was heading to this new spot within ten minutes. On arriving at the spot I soon discovered the fish were not as thick there today as they were last time with just a few odd fish showing on the sounder. I fanned casts out from the spot and soon lost interest as it was clear I would not be catching fish there today. The wind today was very fluky, one minute it would be calm, almost glassed out and then the next ten minutes there would be a brisk breeze which made it hard to stay near my mark.
I made for a saved GPS point north west of my location which is over near Fitzy's Flats. I trolled two rods on the way over, both were rigged with heavy blades. I doubted very much if I would get anything on the way as I had to paddle fast to keep my momentum in the breeze, this would have made the blades very high in the water column and I wasn't seeing any fish mid water on the sounder. On the way over I stopped paddling to take a few pictures and my lures slowed considerably and were almost paused. Straight away I had a few bumps on one of my lures, I thought it would be a catfish for sure and as it turned out it was. So the lesson here is if your lures are slow in the water or stationary and you get a fish it almost always will be a catfish.
Again my Gps mark proved fruitless and I moved further up the dam to another GPS mark. On arriving there were scattered fish and I was confident I would get some fish here. I dropped my marker buoy over the side and began to work the area fanning my casts out from the kayak using blades. It was the second cast and I was on, I knew it was a bass, the line was moving fast across the water and I could feel the customary head shakes. I pulled my first bass of the day to the side of the kayak, a small one but a start. On the measure it went just under forty centimetres but when fighting it to the yak in felt much larger, gee these bass fight so hard for their size.
It soon became apparent that I was onto a school here, it seems lately when I drop my marker buoy over the side the bass seem to school up near the buoy, maybe a new theory but I'm not sure, it could just be a coincidence. Anyway the school was massive and by the screen on my fish finder I knew they were active, but what ever I put down there into the school they would not hit the lures. I jigged, I cast wide, I trolled through but nothing would happen. So I thought it was time to try something different, I reached for the tackle box and rigged up a Mask Vibe. First cast I threw wide of the school and burnt it along the edges of the school with the occasional pause. When i went to wind after the second pause I was on. After a good fight with the fish taking a lot of line on a tight drag I pulled a very solid and fat bass to the side of the kayak. Placing it on the measure it went to fifty centimetres. I was pretty happy with myself thinking if I was fishing the up coming comp it would be time to go looking for a Yellowbelly. I was filming at the time and I did not get a still image of this one but you will see it in my video.
Over to my east I realised there was another kayak, I wanted to check a mark over that way, so I paddled over to it to find no fish there also, so I continued on to find out who the kayaker may be. It turned out to be AKFFer, Yakcult, Bruce. He was out looking for some bass or Yellowbelly for a feed, we had a long talk, compared notes and exchanged tips with each other. Bruce had the same idea as me, last night I sat down on google earth and inputted all my gps marks onto the area of Wivenhoe Dam on Google Earth. I then printed it out and took it with me today, so I could relate more easily to my gps marks. It took me a while to do last night but I can certainly say it will be a great help in the future making it far more easier to decide where to go for some fishing spots. When I came across Bruce he had just dropped at bass and I had only two, it was eleven thirty.
Bruce and I parted company and headed our separate ways, I decided to go back to the spot where I had earlier caught the fish, on my way over I had a cast or two here and there and after a few more casts a broke my leader knot so I lost the mask vibe that had done the damage. I re rigged on the way back to the spot and tied on a Jackal Tramsam. Once on the spot I cast wide, through the school and trolled again with the other rod that had a blade on, again no touches. I picked the rod up after trolling through the school and cast wide. Again i had a mishap and I lost another lure to a broken leader knot, this time a blade. It was time for the ransam as I was getting nothing on the blades, this time I jigged it in the school and after what seemed like five to ten minutes one bass hammered it, a good fight ensued and I brought along side the kayak a solid bass. On the measure it went forty five centimetres, that was three bass for the day. It was now Twelve thirty and a stronger wind had come up from the east, so I paddled in that direction for a long time to finally get protection from the cliffs there.
I was in two minds what to do as the wind was quite strong and I was along way up the dam, so I decided to paddle home. Wouldn't you know it after ten minutes the wind dropped a little so I decided to head to that same spot again, it was an easier paddle over as the wind was at my back. Again arriving at the same spot there were fish, scattered this time and the wind decided to turn up its strength a few notches. I think this was the first time in ages I wished I owned a Mirage Drive Hobie as the wind was beating me up bad just to stay close to the fish. Anyway I threw a blade out with a few long cast as far as I could. The blade was beyond where the fish were and as it was so choppy I thought it might be unsafe to do my usual retrieve so I decided to hop it across the bottom, a technique which proved to be successful, in seconds I was on. A spirited fight occurred with the bass taking alot of line with the reel almost on full locked drag, meanwhile I was drifting backwards at a fast pace using my rudder to keep the kayak facing into the chop and the bass was helping this situation by putting on a fight to the end. Up it came and I had another solid bass beside the kayak. On the measure this one went close to fifty centimetres again.
The wind was starting to get stronger and I put in one last cast with the Transam and I was on next cast after the other fish, not much of a fish but it was a bass, making it five bass for the day and going just under forty centimetres on the measure.
I was tired and the wind was just getting worse so I set course for the car directly using the GPS and realised I had a two and a half kilometre paddle back to the car, oh bugger. Half way back my shoulders were burning with pain. But the closer I was to the car the easier it became. Close in to the launch spot I paddled around looking for new spots, I found a couple with some schools, but I marked them to have a look next time I'm out there.
Overall another great day on Wivenhoe but I do the think the schools are dispersing a little and the fishing is becoming harder. I just hope the schools stay around along enough for the kayak competition in a week or so.
