1st attempt - no Redfin :-(
Well my first attemp at freshwater fishing was unsuccessful. Harvey Dam is really low and all the feeders are dry as a bone. Really muddy and lots of snags around the sticks too and I lost a lure there. Visibility was not great so I moved on pretty soon.
Checked out Brunswick River as well but way too many people around and it also wasnt flowing much. Lastly went to Wellington Dam and checked out the Collie River downstream from Honeymoon Pool (a long walk away from all the campers screaming and yelling) but no bites there even though it looked like an ideal spot with overhangs and logs etc. After this went upriver to a few good looking spots but nothing again except a few nibbles from small fry. Had a nice swim or two though and geez its a pretty piece of WA!!
Noticed the spinners and RMG lures act really differently in the water and my RMG takes a while to get to the bottom. Not sure if a sinker would help or hinder this though? I think I need more experience how to best use my lures. - any tips on using/rigging my lures/bait would be appreciated.. I did try a few worms as well but they got wet and died for nothing. The rest are back in the worm farm safe for another day.
If anyone had more success than me would love to hear your brag, and I can live off your glory until next time!!!
Jenny
big john
Posts: 8766
Date Joined: 20/07/06
Rainbows
Used to get some nice rainbows in the section of the Collie River below the dam. Size 2 gold spinners with a splash of red on the blade were deadly. Best fish in the mid 90's from there was about 2kg.
The Collie River around Collie itself used to hold good redfin, locals did best with small live minnows under a bubble float.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
Trezzie
Posts: 14
Date Joined: 20/01/11
How much line under the float?
Thanks big john. Not sure where to get live minnows but perhaps live worms under a small float might work then..? How much line under the small float do you reckon would be good?
Jenny
big john
Posts: 8766
Date Joined: 20/07/06
Trap
They used to use a small fish trap baited with bread in the Collie River to catch minnows. A long handled fine dab net would work. Minnows about as long as your little finger.
Depth under the float depends on the depth of the river, but about 60-80cms was the norm. Sometimes a small split shot 10-15cm above the hook can help if the current is flowing.
If you go exploring around Collie, the small skanky pools in the riverbed can hold some surprisingly good reddies.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
allrounder
Posts: 1853
Date Joined: 10/11/08
As John said bread or cheese in a bait trap
Make sure you have a little esky to keep them in as the go belly up quick without it.The other one to try is warrona dam on the opposite side to the camp ground and use squidgie wriggler bloodworms with a bit of xfactor on them 1/8 jighead or smaller.Now is the best time as the marroners have burleyed up for you already.Cast out and slow retrieve while shaking the hell out of them.They are not massive like the river ones but bucket loads of them.
So tell me have you got your info from years on the water or hours on the internet?
Trezzie
Posts: 14
Date Joined: 20/01/11
Sounds like next w/e is planned then..
Right... fish trap, dab net and xfactor on the shopping list now. I might leave the trapping until I know what I am doing properly with the actual bait though and I'm fishing where I know there are fish to catch! Will definitely look around Collie though big john and thanks for the tip about the skanky pools *grin*
Allrounder, can you access the other side of Waroona Dam with a normal car?
Jenny
allrounder
Posts: 1853
Date Joined: 10/11/08
It can if you drive it right
A couple of the guys used to come in with a 2 wheel drive.I came a different way that was a bit dicey in a 100 series landcruiser.
It can be done if you drive straight past the wall turnoff and follow it around the outside.About a couple of ks down the gravel you will see water on your right you can get in there very easy.If you go past that and follow it all the way until you see the water again(not sure how high it is)You will see a rock bar there that you can at times do well around.If you turn down that track before you cross over the top it will take you around that side.Once you get there you can take different tracks back out but this is the easiest to explain.Hope that helps.
So tell me have you got your info from years on the water or hours on the internet?
Trezzie
Posts: 14
Date Joined: 20/01/11
I think I know where you mean
So you go around the left hand side of the dam then? If so I think I know around about where you mean, camped around that side a couple of times when I was a whole lot younger! From memory everyone had a 4WD though as we took jetskis, but think I could give it a go in the Commodore. Maybe the way I remember is the dicey way you went though as there were a lot of overhanging branches scratching the cars and quite a few large rocks. Is the track like that?
Jenny
allrounder
Posts: 1853
Date Joined: 10/11/08
The track i used to take in was for the fun of it
it may well be impassable now.The tracks down around the end of the left side are almost like roads and you will be unlucky if you touch a tree at all.
So tell me have you got your info from years on the water or hours on the internet?
Trezzie
Posts: 14
Date Joined: 20/01/11
Great!
Cheers allrounder will give it a go next Saturday :) Thanks again.
Jenny
DhuBoi
Posts: 896
Date Joined: 25/05/09
redfin fin , that we catch on
redfin fin , that we catch on the cheapest lures , doesnt have to be expensive long as it flashes and its a spinner , an on over cast days are no good.
living is fishing
HuggyB
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 03/08/08
Just be aware
that places like Harvey Dam you aren't allowed to use bait - artificials only.
These areas are where I have had to most success landbased at Harvey
The Terrorist - coming to a fishing spot near you.........
Trezzie
Posts: 14
Date Joined: 20/01/11
The "sticks" are a snaggy area
Thanks HuggyB. I did check out this area last week but from the drivers seat of the car mainly as the water level was really low all the way around from the boat ramp and it didnt look good to me (but what do I know I'm only a novice and not a fish..)
Anyhow I did try at the sticks area you marked in green near the Glentana causeway but that's where I lost my lure snagged on a bloody submerged tree! Need a bit more experience controlling my lures before I throw another one in there I think, but will definitely walk around the bank from the boat ramp and see how that goes.
Jenny
tommytomato
Posts: 416
Date Joined: 25/07/05
cheers for that Huggy, just
cheers for that Huggy, just got my fresh water licence too, me DOB was put as 1960 they got me DOB wrong, LOL
TT ( karl )