Sweetwater Fishing Forums

General Category => Sweetwater Fishing Locations => QLD Locations => Topic started by: aussiebasser on February 22, 2011, 05:41:02 PM

Title: awoonga1.jpg
Post by: aussiebasser on February 22, 2011, 05:41:02 PM
awoonga1.jpg

(http://www.sweetwaterfishing.com.au/Forum/gallery/0/thumb_12-220211174102-0.jpeg)

http://www.sweetwaterfishing.com.au/Forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=666

Title: Re: Below Awoonga Dam
Post by: aussiebasser on February 22, 2011, 05:41:04 PM
awoonga2.jpg

(http://www.sweetwaterfishing.com.au/Forum/gallery/0/thumb_12-220211174104-0.jpeg)

http://www.sweetwaterfishing.com.au/Forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=667

Title: Re: Below Awoonga Dam
Post by: aussiebasser on February 22, 2011, 05:41:09 PM
awoonga3.jpg

(http://www.sweetwaterfishing.com.au/Forum/gallery/0/thumb_12-220211174109-0.jpeg)

http://www.sweetwaterfishing.com.au/Forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=668

Title: Re: Below Awoonga Dam
Post by: k.hutchby on February 22, 2011, 06:13:55 PM
the number of barra that were holding in this pool was pretty amazing.  with the receeding tide in awoonga = reducing flow rates over the spillway, it was my only option to release them into the boyne system as if they were trapped when the spill stopped, it would have resulted in a mass kill.  i will get slammed over this but if i took people to the site to assess the situation, it is a logistical nightmare to move them back into awoonga.  the next move is to move the rest on then cover the exit points.  i will keep you guys posted on my actions and progress of the project. 

not to anyone wishing to fish this site "this is gawb land and you will be moved by police if you are caught". 

cheers
dale and the sweetwater team
Title: Re: Below Awoonga Dam
Post by: Sweetwater on February 22, 2011, 10:57:28 PM
G'Day Kurt,

I don't recon you'll get slammed, rather applauded for positive action in gaining the fish a passage to better water in the river.  :thanks

Can you tell us how far downstream the GAWB land extends below the spillway?

The fisheries regualtions state that there is a total closure on fishing at the following "Boyne River (Boyne River basin): 200 m upstream to 400 m downstream of the Awoonga Dam wall." http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/28_3032.htm

This would apply to any rescue / movement undertaken unless covered by a special permit by Fisheries Dept.

So anyone can moved & fish their way upstream of Pikes Crossing by way of the river (staying off land) to within 400m of the dam wall. Is the any F/B signs there to indicate the start of the no fish zone?

I know there are people planning to head there for a flick so correct information would be great for these folks.

Thanks for the updates.

Cheers,

Fitzy..


Title: Re: Below Awoonga Dam
Post by: Sweetwater on February 22, 2011, 11:20:47 PM
Below is a map indicating 400m below the Awoonga Dam wall.

The blue line shows 400 meters measured from the bottom of the spillway following the channel.

The red line shows 400 meters measured from the nearest part of the Awoonga Dam wall to the river bed proper.

Hope that helps.  :thumbsup


View No fish zone below Awoonga Dam in a larger map
Title: Re: Below Awoonga Dam
Post by: k.hutchby on February 23, 2011, 06:17:59 AM
yeah fitzy
i have put signs up on the start of the exclusion zone, but obviously there is some local fishermen that can either not read or are blind.  there is a road approximately 1km below the spillway on the boyne/spillway flat that marks the end of the land (this is indicated on the map just past the blue line).  i have just finished destroying this road as well with the excavator, by digging a channel for further releases of fish.  a good number of fish in the river proper have been caught, how far people like to venture upstream from pikes is dependant on their vessel.  there is approximately 5 pools above pikes, all fish equally as well, but please take care as you have to negotiate rapids between pools.

in terms of fish health...  i have been sampling fish directly below the spillway for the past 4 weeks (metre barra every cast), and the injuries from the spill have been healling fast with major improvements by the week.  some fish landed have no marks on them at all (tough fish). 

hope this helps

cheers
kh
Title: Re: Below Awoonga Dam
Post by: aussiebasser on February 23, 2011, 06:48:17 AM
I've read elsewhere, and talked to people there, to find that it is fairly easy to get up past the first two sets of rapids, but gets more difficult at the third and forth.  Most are using old tinnies and bashing their way upstream.  Another burst of water may help the fish disperse futher downstream.  Because they are impoundment fish, they are used to finding shallow water and having to turn around.  I wonder if the fish in the river get to the shallower rapids area and turn back, not knowing that freedom is just a few metres away.  Great job in trying to save these fish from a slow death.  Some photo's I saw of the fish in the river shows they are starting to show a sunken belly and loss of condition compared to Impoundment fish.  We see the same thing with Bass after they leave the comfort of their dam water and have to work for a feed in the current.  It's a bit like the Biggest Loser in a piscatorial sense.  They don't get much time to adapt to their new environment.
Title: Re: Below Awoonga Dam
Post by: Pilly on February 23, 2011, 03:50:12 PM
Hi KH,

It must have been tough to have to sample those metre long Barra below the spillway.  :yourock
Someone has got to do it and thanks for your informative replies to this topic.

Cheers
Adrian
Title: Re: Below Awoonga Dam
Post by: 2Dogs on February 24, 2011, 01:34:51 PM
awoonga1.jpg

([url]http://www.sweetwaterfishing.com.au/Forum/gallery/0/thumb_12-220211174102-0.jpeg[/url])

[url]http://www.sweetwaterfishing.com.au/Forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=666[/url]


Wow, intersting comments below this picture in the gallery. That'll sort the men out from the boys :walkplank
Title: Re: Below Awoonga Dam
Post by: Dick Pasfield on February 24, 2011, 11:14:10 PM
Followed the trail, farcical to say the least! Even given a long range perspective the rhetoric was so obviously over the top it and fact sit quite plainly poles apart.   
Title: Re: Below Awoonga Dam
Post by: bushwacker on February 25, 2011, 08:29:10 PM
Wow, intersting comments below this picture in the gallery. That'll sort the men out from the boys :walkplank

Harro definatly didnt back down from that one and pointing the finger with a vengance.