We all know every angler has their own little secret spot, their little hidden gem, and when it comes to Scotty Hillier, his is quiet, it’s pretty, but best of all it’s choc a block full of bass!
It’s Lake MacDonald about 20 minutes inland from Noosa and it’s a stocked impoundment.
It’s a great spot for surface fishing early morning or late afternoon when the bass are hunting on the banks. This is the best time as being a timid fish, they tend to head to deeper water and hang near the bottom as the sun gets higher.
A great lure for this kind of fishing is a splash prawn and BCF stock a range of exclusive colours.
Now don’t be fooled, fishing in a stocked impoundment is not shooting fish in a barrel, but it is a really good way to work on mastering your technique.
“So we’re just putting casts in as close as we can to this weed line that we’ve got in here, letting it hit the water,” said BCF Maroochydore’s Jye Daly. “We’re waiting for the rings of the lure once it hits the water it throws off its little rings, we’re waiting for them to disappear, nice and calm, work it slow.”
“All that we’re wanting to do is have that lure moving and working slow enough that they’re going to be able to spot it. We’re not trying to rip it and pull it away from them, you just want to create a bit of a disturbance on the top, nice and slow, keep the pauses and you’re either going to get hit on that pause or as soon as you go to move it after that pause and they come up and wallop it off the top.”
An important point to note is that Lake MacDonald allows electric motors only, so if you’re up for a spot of fishing here, you’re guaranteed tranquility. Another beauty is if you haven’t got a boat, you can head out on a kayak.
Once the sun does get that little higher, you can move to sub surface fishing, focusing on getting your lure right down to the bottom.
“We’re going to be down deep, slow rolling, similar to the surface in the fact that we’re fishing fairly slow, but we’ll hang it in their face and hopefully get them to turn their head,” Jye said. “They’re sitting tight on the bottom, you want to put it right in their face and pull it passed them nice and deep.”
Finally another style of fishing you can try here is trolling. It’s great for when you’re moving from spot to spot.
Head along to Lake MacDonald for yourself. It’s only a couple of hours north of Brisbane, but don’t forget to organise your permit to fish there. The money generated from the permits goes back into stocking the lake.
For any of the gear you’ll need, head to your local BCF store where they can help you out with lures, lines and rods to suit.
