The Post floods have presented plenty of fishing options for the Bundaberg region. Lake Monduran has still been fishing well with plenty of Barra caught through the month of May, but now winter is just around the corner the Barra fishing will definitely slow down as colder water temps set in. Barra will head to warm water which is generally at the backs of warm shallow bays where they will sit shoulder to shoulder trying to keep their body temps up and preserve as much energy as they can over the colder months. This is not to say these fish will not bite and stealth is of the utmost importance as they will spook easily. The trick to maximising your chance of hooking a winter Barra is to downsize your line class to 15 to 20lb braid where we would normally use 30 to 50lb and 30 to 40lb leader when we would normally use 60 to 80lb. Also switch to smaller surface lures like the 4 inch Zman frogs and use smaller subsurface hardbodies and plastics like Jackall Squirells, Tilsan Barra,s 4″ hollow bellies and the 4″ Zman Swimmerz. Over the previous 8 years of fishing the lake I have learnt to use winter as a starting point to the next season. The reason being is that these fish will not wander far from their winter warmth and when the first spike in water temp comes around ,you will be all over it. If you do have the chance to do some winter fishing and find where the Barra are , it gives you a great advantage for the coming season, when the water warms back up and they begin feeding more aggressively again.
Estuaries in the Bundaberg Region.
As many would have heard ,the Kolan river system has been fishing exceptionally well for Barra and Bass. Escapees from the lake have been filtered throughout the system providing great fishing opportunities for the land based angler and kayak fisherman. If you are fishing this system make sure you fish within the guidelines and are no closer than 400m from any weir or barrage as heavy penalties apply.
Baffle creek has been producing good catches of Barra, Mangrove Jack and Grunter and as winter approaches we will see big Queenies, Golden Trevally and Flathead not to mention a good number of Sand Crabs will be around. I would have to say that Baffle creek is one of the most pristine estuary systems I have had the opportunity to fish with a wide variety of fishing options available.
Gary and Elaine Kirk operate a B&B at Winfield on Baffle creek, which is a great place to base yourself ,for a few days fishing and exploring the vast Baffle creek system. Unfortunately their beautiful waterfront establishment has been affected by the floods and at the present time is undergoing refurbishment and will re-open in September. Gary & Elaine provide quality accommodation and their knowledge of the baffle creek system is both interesting and helpful. Gary is always happy to help anyone needing up to date information on how the estuary in fishing. You can contact Gary & Elaine on 4156 6299.
