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Author Topic: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?  (Read 15156 times)

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Re: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?
« Reply #15 on: July 13, 2014, 09:47:04 AM »
While I can't comment on Wuruma, I was up on Lenthall's with a couple of friends who are in the Fraser coast stocking association a few months ago. We were taking Bass and Yellowbelly fingerlings out and releasing them into the dam. As far as I know they are also going to restock Barra into it as well when fingerlings become available.
I did read in this post further back about speed and outboard restrictions on Wivenhoe and Lenthalls, while it is a bit silly to be restricting outboards to the newer low pollution models, as you can run any sort of motor on Somerset which ultimately flows into Wivenhoe. But I was led to believe the speed restrictions on the dams was to prevent bank erosion due to the wave action from high speed boats. Also, as both are relatively shallow dams except for their main basin, there was the added risk of boats hitting submerged timber that may be just under the surface. This is what I heard, which isn't gospel.


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Re: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?
« Reply #16 on: July 13, 2014, 02:07:57 PM »
You've obviously never been to Wivenhoe.  Their is more erosion damage at Wivenhoe than at Somerset, steep banks and a large expanse of water let wind driven waves make a hell of a mess.  I would put water depth at the same as Somerset.  Let's just admit that the speed, horsepower and emission restrictions were done purely to appease the opponents to opening it up.

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Re: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?
« Reply #17 on: July 13, 2014, 07:24:18 PM »
A couple of years ago I was doing research work for Tourism Qld with their fishing Qld promotion.

I went to Lenthals Dam on the way back from Brisbane with tinnie/ 40 hp o/board.

There was a security guard on the gate turning away people whose engine sizes didn't meet the Hervey Bay Regional Council's allowable limits.  You could only find out about those limits when you got there.  Nobody at HBRC office seemed to know by phone.

Ok we said.  Told the guard what we were doing, showed ID and suggested that we'd like to go to the parking area to take some photos and still do a bit of a write-up anyway without launching.  Asked him if he could get a message through the wire to the Camp Commandant of Stalag 13 to get approval.

He called somebody on his little radio and then said no approval.

So we left and headed back north.

Did I write it up?  Yes.  Don't bother going there.

From that visit on, when southern visitors rang about the closest dam fishing on the highway from Brisbane, my tourism office's reply was " That'll be Lake Monduran just north of Gympie.  Don't bother with Hervey Bay's Lake Lenthall.  The council doesn't want anybody fishing there and has security guards on the gate to turn people away".

To my knowledge, that's still the response and no tourism office north of Gin Gin has ever recommended Lake Lenthall as a fishing destination.

It used to be one of the only 3 dams to stock barra and bass (Wuruma and Monduran being the other 2).  Not sure about that now.

Anybody know?

Douglas


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Re: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?
« Reply #18 on: July 13, 2014, 07:54:02 PM »
There is a long history of what used to happen there before and post the dam wall being raised and a full time resident ranger being appointed.
I have not been there for a couple of years and the ranger whilst being firm ( Thats his job ) was very helpful. There were signs on the commencement of the access road as you left the highway stating boating rules.
 The road can be quite rough as any country road can be but the plus factor is that the first bit of corrugation keeps the grey nomads away.
 You just have to take care and realize that you cannot speed.
 If you ring up the ranger he will give you road conditions and say where you have to take care, plus the latest fishing info.
.He fishes on his days off. :youbeauty
The video of the high hp 2 stroke was probably made before the dam wall was raised and before any restrictions  were enforced.
Cheers
Ray

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Re: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?
« Reply #19 on: July 13, 2014, 09:18:19 PM »
Ray, I noticed that your a restocker and just wondered if you are connected with Lenthalls?, if you are then I have no problems with the rules and I realise restockers play an important roll in regards to the water quality but unfortunately the rules are decided on by Wide Bay Water which is owned by the Fraser Coast Shire Council which has through both the old mayor and the recently elected new mayor been involved in controversy over the dams economics, I know this because I am a rate payer of Hervey Bay, It would be remiss to allow a free for all to allow jet skis, ski boats and other undesirables to play havoc on such a small water storage but it would also be remiss to allow one of our shires jewels to be over restricted needlessly, The ranger there is doing his job as he was told to, I think seeing that Lenthalls is listed as one of the Barra to Bass trail destiny's both the road and the restrictions need to be fixed so as the Grey Nomads as you say can visit, spend their money and enjoy along side our visiting fisher men & women, Our Shire needs the revenue just as much as Monduran does.   

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Re: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?
« Reply #20 on: July 13, 2014, 09:44:09 PM »
Douglas, I think Borumba is restocked I was there recently and caught Bass and it doesn't have all the cr@p that Lenthall's has tacked on either, It's closer to Brisbane, has an excellent ramp, more scenery, plenty of cheap accommodation and they welcome visitors & trailer boat fisher men & women

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Re: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?
« Reply #21 on: July 13, 2014, 09:55:46 PM »
Actually I have been there many times! I was just stating what I had heard, and that I'm no expert on the lake or why the restrictions are there. I just didn't want anyone thinking that it was the actual reason, as what I heard was anecdotal, and second hand information.

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Re: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?
« Reply #22 on: July 14, 2014, 08:44:04 AM »
Bluey
I used to be a member of the stocking assn a few years ago.
 There were and still are all sorts of dramas associated with the raising of the dam wall and to me  WBW and the council appear to give little priority to resolving issues.
 I believe that WBW are still trying to get out of building a fish ladder on one of the weirs situated below the dam. The building of the fish ladder was one of the conditions of them being given permission to raise the dam wall.
Due to their procrastination the cost of building the fish ladder has escalated significantly and the last I saw of the matter they were approaching the minister to have the provision of the ladder removed.
I doubt that the road into the dam will ever be upgraded due to the construction costs.
 In fact I seem to remember that it is only a gazetted forestry track and is the responsibility of the forestry dept. (Uncertain if this is correct)
The limitations of the number of campers allowed combined with a limit of a 2 day stay will always limit the potential of the dam as a major tourist destination such as Monduran.
The reason for this is the high water table in the surrounding country and the inability to provide a high capacity sewerage treatment plant to cater for a large number of visitors.I think that it took nearly n3 years to get EPA approval for the current plant and it was the EPA who set the limit on the number of campers permitted to stay at the one time.
To others who may wish to visit this little jewell here is a link to the wbb website that explains everything.
 http://www.widebaywater.qld.gov.au/quicklinks/lakelenthall/campingandrecreationfacilities
Cheers
Ray

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Re: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?
« Reply #23 on: July 14, 2014, 12:11:30 PM »
Ray, The road in is not too bad now but the on site ranger told me that it's not likely to be re topped or graded because nobody wants to own it, Without being to political I think it's a shame that Wide Bay Water had it's cash tin emptied but still it's a great place to sit on the bank, go for a walk and flick some lures in, even if your not allowed to use your boat.
Regards Bluey55.

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Re: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?
« Reply #24 on: July 14, 2014, 05:43:04 PM »
Sounds like Hervey Bay Council (now Fraser Coast Council) hasn't changed a bit. 

A bit odd for a council that's so populated by retirees with lots of grey nomads to be so anti-visitor.  That's the perception anyway and I haven't seen any initiatives by Wide Bay Water to clear up the misinformation.

The research I was doing was follow-up on that first Bass to Barra Trail initiative.  I'm pretty sure that Gladstone tourism staff put that first one together.  A good series.
Following my research a couple of other dams were added to that trail.  Callide and Maraboon (Emerald) from memory.

I'm from further north and received many phone calls from NSW and Vic about the first place to catch barramundi north of Brisbane.  Monduran north of Gin Gin (not Gympie as I unwittingly said earlier) was the usual answer.

That research also produced the Qld Tourism guide to freshwater fishing brochures for western and south-western areas of Qld.

Strange that barra are stocked in the Nogo River ( Wuruma) and Lenthalls as it would have been a long long time since they were native to those waterways if at all.  Monduran I can understand.


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Re: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?
« Reply #25 on: July 14, 2014, 06:10:18 PM »
I agree, I've got a Bass to Barra Trail brochure that I picked up at the Hervey Bay Airport last Sunday and it say's "Map Kindly supplied by The Gladstone Region GAPDL" it shows Maraboon, Callide, Awoonga, Cania, Monduran, Wuruma, Boondooma, Barambah and last and I suppose "least" Lenthalls, (ha ha ha), 7 of the 10 lakes - Dams have competitions, of course lenthalls is not listed in this brochure as having any, and as I said earlier its a shame because its a great looking spot to chase Bass, Pity Fraser Coast council are dragging the chain in promoting it.
Regards Bluey55.

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Re: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?
« Reply #26 on: July 14, 2014, 06:17:15 PM »
Opps I should have said 7 of the 9 lakes, (a flaty bit both my thums off, can't count ha ha ha)

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Re: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?
« Reply #27 on: July 14, 2014, 06:37:25 PM »
There have been a few ABT Bass comps at Lenthalls.  I also think there was a dispensation for entrants with bigger outboards at one of these comps.  I can't remember the year, but I fished the Bass Electric Grand Final there and I'm sure we were permitted to leave non conforming outboards on, and run them in the prefish.  It was before 2004.

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Re: Are Wuruma and Lenthall Dams still being stock with Barra?
« Reply #28 on: July 14, 2014, 06:55:24 PM »
aussiebasser , That would have been when Ted Sorenson was Mayor, But I liked rays comment about not allowing too many campers at Lenthalls because they cant provide enough toilets, I've got a bill stuck to the fridge from Wide Bay Water for over a thousand dollars and that includes sewerage ( what a joke) any way if Toowoomba can clean sewerage water into drinking water then why cant WBW clean a bit of two stroke and the 6 knots no wash garble is silly because I can make a wash using my watersnake on the second knotch.
Regards Bluey55.

 

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