Sweetwater Fishing Forums
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: poddy mullet on December 26, 2010, 08:23:42 AM
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With the lures having some final upgrades added before we head off for our annual trip to Awoonga, there certainly are a few questions on my mind due to the ab normal weather conditions at present!
In the event of a major flood is it still worth the 13 hour drive? Is it likely the impoundement will be simply too dirty for lures for the next few weeks? Is there a chance that it might be the best time to go and the fishing will be amazing???
I'd say we will go rain, hail, fire or flood, but I just wanted to bat this one around and get your thoughts on it.... Matt Hansen
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Matt,
The answer to that question, like many questions about fishing can only be answered after the event. At the moment, a small creek passing under the road to Awoonga comes up and down like a yo-yo, blocking anglers in, or out for a while. I'll be there for the next 3 days guiding- that's if the rain really doesn't hit it's straps, as predicted, and lock us out, or in!
I'm currently in wait, for a friend who is stuck on the highway between Gladstone and Rockhampton- flooded creeks. He needs a boat ride back to his island home as the roads in are cut in numerous places. There's dogs tied up and generators that'll run dry if he isn't home tonight. Nature- it controls us all.
Johnny
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Hey JM,
Yep... Pretty much typifies our thinking... Rain, Hail, Fire or Flood we will be their. Barra or no Barra it will still be a learning curve. We can only benfit by putting the hours in, and besides, im lucky enough to fish next to a couple of fella's who make the most of it- fish or no fish- Bound to come home with a sore laugh muscle and a severe case of cast-ritess.
Spoke to Harro this morning (Who has been busy thinning out a few feral goats in our neck of the woods) and confirmed our visit.
Looking forward to a few quiet beers around the camp fire with Lyndon, Harro, yourself and the crew.
Just spoke to the rest of the Dubbo Codgers crew who are making the journey, and passed on your info re: the creek thats blocking/trapping anglers in and out... They said they hope we get stuck up their for a month....
Matty
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*currently about 2.5 m above the dam wall and pumping hard.
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Matt,
As Johnny has stated, need to watch creek which goes up and down like a yo-yo plus there are numerous other places where the water was across the road. Nearly didn’t make it back out this morning as the water was across the turn off at the Bruce Highway, mind you I have a low slung sedan.
All the best, will be out tomorrow if the rains lets up.
Earl
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Best of luck Matt and safe travels :youbeauty
Look forward to reading your reports on your return.
Dave
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check this out!!!!!!!
http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDQ65391/IDQ65391.539050.plt.shtml
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check this out!!!!!!!
[url]http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDQ65391/IDQ65391.539050.plt.shtml[/url]
Yeh Kurt ..... the 4 major feeders were absolutely pumping yesterday - so no doubt this is over the major flood status
Chris
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when we rocked up with the barra fingerlings last week, we thought that there was a heap of water then, be keen to see it next week when we deliver the remainder of the fish. if it stops raining.
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Hey Kurt, how's look for the fishing downstream on the Kolan? I went to Miara once and only caught Tarpon.
Cheers mate,
JD
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The lake is closed for the moment- running about 4 metres over the wall.
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Was wondering when they'd close it, You'd feel that pull mid lake I'd reckon
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I know it probly depends on how much more rain hewey sends down from the heavens, but any guesses as to a re opening date?? Matt
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Matt, I'd guess a day or three, four, rather than ten.
Check out the last picture in the link, and compare it to the other in the blog, same page.
Dick, there was a large log, mid-lake, yesterday, travelling against the wind toward the wall.
http://fishawoonga.com.au/blog/?p=459
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Have they closed due to debris or the flow to the drop? Maybe not likely but they may only let twin powered craft on the lake to reduce the risk of any one going over the falls. If any rubberneck takes the plunge the the GWAthingie would cop it good and proper for not keeping craft off the laske.
What's the flow rate over the wall now?
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I was supposed to be going up on Jan 1st. May have to rethink the plans a bit now.
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Dick,
Answer “D” – All of the above. With the main swimming/recreation area under water and less than a kilometre from the dam wall we wouldn’t want kids (or adults) on a paddle ski, paddle boat thingy etc doing the Solo Man kayak trick over the wall.
WTF :o After seeing incidents like this and the number visitors to the dam I don’t blame GAWB for shutting access.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/queensland-police-slam-trios-mattress-flood-trip/story-e6frf7jo-1225977031499 (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/queensland-police-slam-trios-mattress-flood-trip/story-e6frf7jo-1225977031499)
:OMG
After seeing 4.1m going over the spillway you wouldn’t want to be within 5km of the wall if you broke down, hit a log, or fell overboard, doubtful if the Minn Kota or a rescue boat would save you in time.
The below link has up to date spillway heights and graph – “Boyne R at Awoonga Dam”, which is dropping quickly as there has only been a couple of light showers today
http://www-cluster.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQ60289.html#Boyne (http://www-cluster.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQ60289.html#Boyne)
Also “Boyne R at Milton” is the water level up the back of the dam.
Regards
Earl
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Boating may be out but can you walk the creeks and the river fishing the inflows?
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You could Dick but... its closed season for Barra so you are not to target them.
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Ah sorry meant the inflows into the lake itself, or is it that once the rivercreek levels get above the lake level the waterbody becomes a river/creek again the state laws to rivers apply i.e closed season?
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You could Dick but... its closed season for Barra so you are not to target them.
Not quite correct Trev.
From Qld DPI&F
Barramundi
Throughout the Queensland east coast a closed season applies to barramundi from midday 1 November to midday 1 February, except in and from waterways upstream of Awoonga, Burdekin Falls, Callide, Eungella, Fairbairn, Fred Haigh (Lake Monduran), Kinchant, Koombooloomba, Lenthalls, Peter Faust, Teemburra, Tinaroo and Wuruma dams.
The Gulf of Carpentaria closed season for barramundi in 2009-2013 is:
midday 25 September 2009 to midday 22 January 2010
midday 30 September 2010 to midday 26 January 2011
midday 4 October 2011 to midday 30 January 2012
midday 7 October 2012 to midday 3 February 2013.
These closures do not apply in East Leichhardt Dam and Belmore, Corella, Julius and Moondarra lakes, and to waterways upstream of these impoundments.
A take and possession limit of one barramundi applies during the closed season in all of the 18 lakes and dams mentioned above. The barramundi may be greater than 120 cm. Recreational fishers may continue to fish in the 18 dams and lakes once they have reached their limit of one barramundi.
Outside of the closed season, in the 18 dams and lakes mentioned above, a take and possession limit of five applies to barramundi that may include one barramundi greater than 120 cm.
It is also prohibited to deliberately target barramundi for catch and release during these closed seasons, as the stress of capture may prevent fish from spawning.
The important bit is except in and from waterways upstream of
This same type of wording while seeming ok in this instance, is a real annoyance in regard to our Mary River Cod in SEQ. Our MRCs upstream of lakes need the protection of a closure as some of the best habitat for them is upstream of the various lakes. :-\
Dick, You can go as far up the valley as you like & fish for barra, no closed season applies, as per above. :thumbsup
Cheers,
Fitzy..
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Throughout the Queensland east coast a closed season applies to barramundi from midday 1 November to midday 1 February, except in and from waterways upstream of Awoonga, Burdekin Falls, Callide, Eungella, Fairbairn, Fred Haigh (Lake Monduran), Kinchant, Koombooloomba, Lenthalls, Peter Faust, Teemburra, Tinaroo and Wuruma dams.
OOOPS :-[ Fitzy posted same time as I did :kids
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"Dick, You can go as far up the valley as you like & fish for barra"
The side deck at the Grand @ Many Peaks sounds good :thumbsup water should be up to there soon ;D
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It could even be a mission driving up there at the moment. Heard today the highway is cut between Childers and Gin Gin and the road near Goomeri is underwater as well. I've got Christmas pressies that need to be Barra blooded.
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It could even be a mission driving up there at the moment. Heard today the highway is cut between Childers and Gin Gin and the road near Goomeri is underwater as well. I've got Christmas pressies that need to be Barra blooded.
Hey Dale, you're suppose to ignore all the reports of flooded roads & head orf, then complain to the news crews about being stranded on the highway :youbeauty
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I managed to go about 41km upstream of the main ramps at Awoonga in my 4.45m crabbing boat this week. Check out how far that is on Google. I could have gone further. Brad, The Many Peaks district may have been a possibility.
Johnny
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Johnny,
I reckon that if the dam is up at 2.4 mt at the spillway, the river would have to be backed up to at least Littlemore or even the Blackmans gap road
>>>> just had a look at road closures on RACQ.... says...Gladstone to Monto Road is closed to all vehicles. Subject to flooding at Ridler Creek (between Ubobo & Builyan )& Boyne River Crossing, so Blackmans Gap rd is closed it looks like. :o
shite thats some serious water :youbeauty
Brad
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Barring more rain and sightings of Noah's Ark, the lake will be open to the public on Tues 4th.
A factor that may have some bearing on future access has been the attitude of the the non-fishing
public in disregarding ranger's directions and ignoring "no go" signage, and the ferking mess - fast food and
beverage containers - left behind. Worse still the slides and mud burnout scars in grounds up past the ramp.
As for water colour...yep it's brown alright but has close to a foot visibility. On the basis of lots yesteryear barra
from the tidal parts of the Victoria, Ord and Fitzroy (the one on WA) - waters much dirtier when tides are running -
I'm confident that barra not being able to see a lure won't be an issue.
A black/silver scale 6" Nilsmaster used to do it for me in water just a mite too thin to plough.
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With the bigger fish doing what big fish do best. That being heading to the estuary to try and breed would the juvenile fish be doing what they do best? head upstream as far as they can go to sit in a waterhole, get big on eating everything else around it and next season or whenever the flows are right make the journey back downstream.
The lake may well lose quite a few of those sub 50cm fish that may have been in the dam prior to the flood only to have them reappear in the years to come
*thinks of 'wild' river fish sauntering into town, scarred and lean. Kicks the saloon door open and demands a triple goanna straight. Fat city fish sink back into the weed at its approach. One says to the other "Carefull that's Black Rock Dan. Busted out of Oak Creek Gorge a week ago!"
Another chimes in "Took out 'Stick Ligs' Mitchell first day it got to town. Left him hog tied to a stump up the back of Horse Gully crying like a baby!" (titter of mirth runs through the weed bed, stops as suddenly as it started when Black Rock casts a steely stare from right to left.)
Foolhardy youth pipes up "Here tell you're gunning for the big fella Dan...........Sir (gulp). What ya gunna do to him when you catch him?"
Black Rock bites the heads off and spits out the rings of the goannas in one motion sending one fat ol' tart up the back into a swoon. Looks down at the youth contemplating it as its next meal, decides not and says "Talkin don't amount to much boy, just watch and see." On that turns and swims out into the gloom.
"See that scar young fella?" says one grizzled old fish to the young fish that nearly ended up lunch.
"Here tell Dan got that wrasselling a croc up the Boyne. You can see what's left of the critter if you care to take a swim up there."
Rest of the fish slowly swim out of the weed beds. Black Rock is all the talk for the rest of the night*
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loved the bedtime story dick hah you must have too much time on your hands but jee that was funny ;D
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There are many sides to reverend Pasfield.
Is that to be continued Dick. ? Can't wait for the next segment.
Gordon
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Another Dick Pasfield classic yarn! Dick I bet you grew up reading those paperback westerns. Black probably "forked leather" and rode out of town on a Mangrove Jack.
JD
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Hey Dick, can I have some of what your on? Here I sit at Benaraby, broken hearted, waiting in anticipation for Tuesday. We've done the tourist stuff of looking at Pike's Crossing and No. ! lookout, gates are locked past that. Thought about getting some side cutters and breaking Harro out. Spent yesterday dodging the pot holes on the Highway getting here. Never seen the Kolan River backed up under the highway before. Mondy must be chockers. Ah well, off to tie some more knots.
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Sorry the hear your pain Dale, I know you were looking to this trip for a while :(.
Gordon, wont continue past this post, going too far off topic. For you and others the conclusion :) -
Black Rock had hit Stick Legs first day in the dam. A message needed to be sent to the Big Fella and taking the kid out of the picture was the way to do that. It was easy enough. Hit him close to the boat, keep high in the water and double him up by running hard under the boat. The only tricky bit was maintaining speed to keep Mitchell off balance on the hull wrap. Poor guy never knew what hit him when 25kgs of muscle smashed into his upper torso from behind sending him headlong into the water. The rest was almost too easy.
The next few days Black Rock cruised the dam, things had changed since he had left it seasons ago. The hep talk in the lure world was all ultrasonics, Bluetooth technology and downloadable prey vibes. To Black Rock it meant nothing, the only way to tell prey from fake was to taste its fear just before the lights went out. There was no pleasure in multitudes of bonys in the lake, addictive and mindless. Didn’t know they were ate until they were sh!t.
Black Rock avoided the temptation and fed exclusively on shore kill. Lying on its side in the shallows flapping would always draw in a wild dog or eagle. When it got close enough Dan would stun it with a tail slap then drag it into deeper water to swallow. Small humans were on the menu but taking one cause such a stir it was barely worth the trouble.
Whilst contemplating the odd trait of adult humans of not eating their young a plan was hatched. Black Rock started to cruise the boat ramp watching. Within a month patterns started to emerge. The Big Fella‘s comings and goings started to form a pattern. Credit due when earned, he never once gave an opportunity. Too many years of cunning for that to happen, Boot Hill was full of those who ran afoul of him and a stint in the north gave him plenty of croc sense. Children started to get back into the water; the couple of disappearances of earlier brushed aside. It was coming together nicely.
When it did it was went like clockwork. A small child in a floaty just out of its depth was picked out, no adults watching from the bank and the Big Fella just reversing down to the ramp on his own. Black Rock timed it perfectly. A couple of tail beats pushed the child out a bit further, just far enough for the Big Fella to be able to take a chance. The child screamed on cue, a nip on the leg made sure of that. On the yelp instinct kicked in and the Big Fella took the bait. Dropping the painter he waded out the few short metres to grab the thrashing child completely unaware of what was about to happen or the months of planning that had led to this point. As he reached out to grab the child Black Rock Dan launched itself towards the face of the prey and all hell broke loose!
Media Release: the body of a well known angling identity was found today washed up on the shore of Lake Awoonga 10 kilometres from where he had apparently abandoned his boat and vehicle on one of the lakes boat ramps. Officials are at a loss to explain the tragedy and are not at this stage releasing details. However witnesses who found the body claim that the victim’s head was jammed inside a large barramundi’s mouth with both hands still gripping the gill rakers of the dead fish. This incident is the latest of a series that saw two children, several pet dogs and one calf go missing from around the lake over the past six months. Officials are refusing to comment on rumours that a large estuarine crocodile had taken up residence in the lake.
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That's definately some good chit you got hold of Dick.
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I wondered where you had taken your skill with words Dick :thumbsup
I just hope nobody ever mentions leather and goats ;)
Thanks for the link mate :thumbsup