Brisbane
River Bass Fishing - Lake Wivenhoe to Bremer River Junction
THE
lure landed with a splash just a bit louder than what I would have
prefered but landed nicely just next to a snag that was angling
down into the water. Directly over head a mixture of bottle brush
and mulberry tree and a higher canopy of river gums were blocking
out the early morning sun. Everything seemed perfect for a big season
openning session.
The
water looked great, perfect weather & two keen anglers.
As the water settled and the rings dissipated I twitched the
lure once, then twice as the anticipation and excitement of
the surface strike that was I was sure was just about to happen.
The lure was then slowly retrieved the 30 odd feet back to the
rod tip without so much of a nudge. The next few throws resulted
in the same response as the first, with the melody of a kookaburra
in the background laughing it seemed, directly at me.
The
area had changed a bit since the last visit to the spot on the Mid-Brisbane
River, but with a few decent flows through the system earlier in
the year the fish could be holding anywhere. This particular location
had yielded plenty of bass last summer right up to the closed season
but at this time the section of water that normally held good numbers
of fish was barren.
Following
the once plentiful section of river along until it widened out
to a broad stretch of deeper, slower moving river, a well presented
cast was snaffled right next to the first snag in a cast that
was simply lucky enough to get in under the overhanging trees
and make it to that lazy backwater they were hiding.
We
had found a large school of all 40-cm plus bass holding close
to the bottom in 20 feet of water. In previous years a legal
sized bass (30cm) would be an above average fish but the thing
stripping off my 6 pound line was in a different class all of
it's own, causing both my partner and I to both call it as a
fork tailed catfish. Pulling it along side the boat it became
obvious that this mid 40 something cm bass was not one of the
remnant population of fish that are normally here. A 30 minute
frenzy of cast, catch & release prevailed until the fish
got wise to us and we moved on in search of more action.
History
With the heavy rains in the summer of 1999/2000 and the subsequent
opening of the floodgates at Lake Wivenhoe, a fair number of
fish stocked into Wivenhoe and Somerset now reside in the 60
kilometres of river down to the tidal reaches near Ipswich.
Fish up to and over the magical 60 cm mark have and still are
being caught along this section of the Brissy to the point where
even inexperienced young fishos can go out and get amongst them
without too much effort. These large fat females are used to
plenty of food in their old environment and are now more than
happy to have a go at anything that swims past them as food
is a lot scarcer for them now.
Catches
of up to 20 and 30 in a session are common place around the areas
where public access is allowed, namely down stream from the Mt.
Crosby weir. *Note that there is a total ban on fishing
200m above and 400m below Mt. Crosby weir, which is approximately
down to the old weir. This should possibly be extended further downstream
as bass are schooling up just below the old weir (which the fish
have trouble getting through as well as the main weir) and it would
be quite fair to say that an unfair advantage exists for fisherman
in this situation. The same can be said for the section of water
directly below Lakes Wivenhoe and Somerset where a few people have
been caught exceeding their bag limit.
As
a lot of the stocked bass in the upstream lakes have been originally
bred from Noosa River strain fish it would be fair to say that there
is and/or will be a mixed gene pool of fish here. And as Noosa bass
tend to spawn earlier than most other strains the question begs
to be asked if the two strains will be in the same place at the
same time come next spawning season. There well may be some remnant
fish here that have grown to these sizes but to give you some indication
of growth rates a bass in the river may take eight to ten years
to reach the legal size of 30 cm, a bit over 12 months in lake Wivenhoe
will see the same size achieved.
It
must be remembered that bass have been stocked into lakes on regular
basis for around 15 years now. It seems that not all of these liberated
fish are reverting to their natural riverine habits. Many are being
found schooling up in the deeper sections of the river some in open
water all day and at night. Wild bass tend to stay under the cover
of overhanging trees and around submerged logs during the day and
venture out to hunt in the open water and shallows at night. Some
things noted on some of these bigger fish were sores, cuts and a
few split tails, further evidence of their passage through the floodgates.
The
Brisbane River is roughly formed into three sections.
- The
Lower-Brisbane River being the tidal reaches from the mouth upto
below Mt Crosby Weir.
-The
Mid-Brisbane River is approximately 60 km from Mt Crosby Weir upto
Lake Wivenhoe.
-The Upper-Brisbane River is from the top of Lake Wivenhoe at O'Sheas
Crossing right up to the headwaters meandering through the Esk Shire
up past Linville.
Apart from the lower reaches, access is possible at numerous bridges,
culverts and reserves both in the mid & upper reaches if the
river. While boating is possible, these two small-water sections
of the river a best explored by canoe or kayak. There are many pristine
sections of the river that probably haven't changed much since Capt.
Logan first explored this great river.
Locations
There are several access points to go fishing on the mid & lower
Brisbane River available to the public with all other access, permission
is required by landowners for entry.
These are:
1-
Lake Wivenhoe spillway common (when open) This area has a no
fishing zone extending 600m from the base of the dam wall. Reasonable
bank access here. About a 50 m walk from the carpark to the
water. Suitable starting point for a canoe/kayak trip. Gates
are locked here at sundown. No camping.
2-
The Bends on the road between Fernvale and Lowood. This spot is
immedaitely off the road between Fernvale & Lowood. A steep
dirt track leading down to the water is suitable for 4x4s only.
Limited bank walking area. A good canoe launching site. No facilities
to speak of.
3-
Twin Bridges. This is the old river crossing west of Fernvale
on the Brisbane Valley Highway, a popular starting point for
camping canoeing trips down the river. Small boats can be launched
both above & below the bridges with care. Camping is allowed
& can be a popular location on weekends. Toilets are provided
on both sides of the river.
4-
Savages Crossing. Popular camping spot. This spot is right in the
middle of shallow rapids. A good swimming location & fairly
safe for kids. It is possible to launch a small boat here, however
there is little navagable water with more serious rapids immediately
above and below. Large area for bank walking however not a very
productive fishing location at most times.
5-
Burton's Bridge. A small access spot. Virtually impossible to launch
a boat here. Canoes can be carried down yo to the waters edge. Long,
shallow fast water immediately below the bridge make paddling back
up difficult.
5a
- There is also occasional access a couple of kilometers downstream
via private property. Depending upon the recent form of visitors,
public access may be allowed or denied. A good stretch of bank
that holds the occasional fish. No vehicle access now-a-days
so its a couple hundred meters walk to the river when public
access is allowed.
6-
Kholo Bridge. (No further public access is allowed between Kholo
bridge and Mt.Crosby weir) A popular swimming location for Ipswich
locals. Usually the pick-up point for (normally 2 days unless you're
Grant Kenny) river long canoe/kayak trips.
7-
Mt Crosby weir. (No fishing 200m above and 400m below main weir).
Some good fishing downstream at times. The Old weir approx 800-
1000m below the main weir is disused but has a 50m no fish zone
on the dowstream side. Further down are mid-stream boulders
that hold fish at times. Alot of area for bank walking and canoeing.
A short paddle of less than an hour will see even a novice paddler
arrive at Colleges Crossing. Toilets on west bank side near
weir and at nearby cricket field.
8-
College's Crossing. Ipswich. Tidal flows through this area. Popular
picnic and canoeing area. A boat ramp exists but is for canoe use
only. Kiosk and toilet facilities. A regular haunt for anglers chasing
gar, mullet, bull sharks and the occasional bream and bass.
9-
Kookaburra park. Karana Downs. Tidal. A popular skiers area. All
upstream boating is limited to six knots maximum. Upstream travel
from here can be hazardous around Johnson's Rocks. Use extreme caution.
Toilets. Bass can be caught at all these locations with relative
ease depending on weather patterns and water flow.
Bream,
Flathead, Tarpon and Sharks are common captures at College's Crossing
and Kookaburra Park at certain times of the year. Other species
present are Golden Perch, Silver Perch, Mary River Cod, Saratoga,
Mullet, Spangled Perch, Eel Tailed Catfish (Jew), Fork Tailed Catfish,
Eels, Snub Nosed Gar, Tilapia and Lungfish which are totally protected.
Some of the country along the upper Brisbane River is in pristine
condition. Platypus, snakes and birds are a common sight in some
of the quieter areas. Please leave this river as it was before your
visit and future generations may also enjoy the beauty and quality
fishing that is on offer.
