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Day at the Duckpond by Garry Fitzgerald
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SITUATED
approximately half way between Childers and Bundaberg lays a relatively
unknown lake that is a quiet achiever in producing some quality
fish.
Lake Gregory is also known as the Isis Balancing Storage or locally
referred to simply "The Duckpond".
This relatively small impoundment of some 200 hectares surface
area with an average depth of around three meters is dominated
by large weed beds that surround the lake fringes.
These large areas of weed can make fishing difficult at times
especially for land based anglers, as there are few places that
enjoy a clear path free of weed.
Fishing
Being officially stocked with bass, silver perch and snub nosed
gar there have been consistent rumors of the odd tarpon, barramundi
and saratoga being caught.
The barra and tarpon could well have been present prior to the
construction of the dam or pumped in as the duckpond is an off
stream storage on the Elliott River.
The main target species here are bass.
Bass can be enticed with shallow deep diving lures cast or trolled
along the creek bed edges or cast into some of the large stands
of lily pads.
Fly fishing here can be an enjoying way to get onto a few fish
by using a wide range of flies.
Bass seem only too eager to rise to a surface lure or fly, even
in the middle of the day.
Alternatively, anglers can suspend a live shrimp under a float
along the outside of weedbeds or lily pads for great results.
On a recent trip there I was fortunate enough to see dozens of
eel tailed catfish (tandans) attending their nests in the gravelly
creek along side the standing timber, thus ensuring the next generation
of these often under rated fish at this location.
A Stocked Impoundment Permit (SIP) is required to fish at the
Duckpond (Lake Gregory).
Access
To get to the duckpond, follow the Isis highway 26 km from Childers
and turn right into Voss road just before crossing the Elliot
River bridge.
Follow Voss road until you see a small pump shed with a dirt track
on your right.
Turn right into the dirt track and follow this in for only a few
hundred meters until you find the lake.
The bass closed season does not apply here but the standard bag
limit of two per angler is strictly enforced.
Facilties
There is no concrete boat ramp at the Duckpond but there is a
fairly stable gravel launching area adjacent to the main wall.
The area directly in front of the gravel ramp is kept relatively
free of weeds from boats launching here.
There are no boating restrictions applied to the duckpond although
larger vessels may have trouble launching and retrieving in the
shallow water.
Bar
B Qs and a shelter shed were once provided in this area but were
vandalised and have not been replaced by dam operators Sunwater.
There is no drinking water provided so make sure that you take
plenty with you if you don't fancy drinking the water from the
lake.
Future
Many of the bass in the duckpond are around the 45 cm mark and
are getting bigger every season.
With continued stocking the Duckpond could well see a bright future
with anglers utilizing this location as an alternative to the
many saltwater opportunities that are available in the region
or when weather isn't suitable elsewhere.
The opportunity may exist in the near future to stock other species
such as barramundi and mangrove jack.
Having had very little press to date the word has been quickly
spreading about the Duckpond and the fishing opportunities it
provides.
I would expect to see more interest in the Duckpond in the very
near future.
I
know that I'll be going back there and hope to see some of you
there.
Garry
Fitzgerald.
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four wheel drive isn't necessary to launch here...but it does
help. |
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Local
angler Mark Jones releasing an average sized Duckpond bass.
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