# QLD: Wuruma Dam Feb 2014



## Kahuna (Aug 9, 2010)

My brother in law, Nick, and I travelled up to Wuruma Dam last Friday. The original plan was for both our families and a mate's to all head up there for a long weekend. However, my kids got crook, and my mate Tim was flat out with work so in the end Nick and I went it alone. I guess somebodies gotta do it eh?!

We pulled up for a cold one and a bite to eat at Mundubbera, then arrived at the dam by mid afternoon. We rolled our swags out, baited the yabbie traps, readied the fishing gear then headed out on the water.



















We hadn't fished this dam before (let alone heard of it), but one of Nick's work mates had put us onto it. He'd been up here a few times and caught quite a few barra (another species I've never caught). We read up on the dam and it was reported to hold barra, bass, saratoga, yellow belly, silver perch and red claw.

There's a reasonable sized island out from the little point we were camped on. We paddled for it and deployed the yabbie traps off it's western perimeter. There was the odd fish showing up here and there on the sounder, so once the traps were out of the way a couple of HBs were sent out the back of both kayaks. Over our stay we noticed a few roos and some cattle on the island. We presume they must have got cut off when the dam filled up during the floods.










We fished around some standing timber, flicking HBs and spinnerbaits in between trolling from spot to spot. As the afternoon wore on the wind picked up and made for some not so pleasant conditions.










Trying to avoid the more exposed parts of the dam we headed back around the northern end of the island. Once we passed the NE tip we were in some nice sheltered water. The sun was starting to get pretty low. A mixture of surface lures were tied on including poppers, jitterbugs and swamp hoppers.










The area was peppered with casts, but all to no avail. Slowly we trolled and cast our way back to camp in the darkness with the ever present hum of the friendly local mozzie population hanging just outside our Aeroguard cocoons.

We got back to camp and got the fire going and cooked up a feed. After a few hours of discussion and refreshments we turned in.

Saturday morning greeted us with beautiful conditions. On the water by about 6am and headed across to a bay to the west of camp. As we passed the northern point of the bay entrance we both got a good hit, but no hook ups. Nick's new lure had lost a fair bit of paint from the strike.

Before long Nick had picked up and released the first fish of the trip, a just legal bass. After working this area for a while longer we headed off in different directions, Nick into the timber in the bay and me towards a rocky point and 'boulder island' on the southern side of the bay mouth.

As I trolled around the 'boulder island' one of rods began to dance about. Shortly after I netted my PB yella, and caught on one of my home made lures to boot. I then worked my way south along the western edge of the dam and managed a spangled perch on the same lure.



















I thought I had better head over and see how Nick was getting on. As I was trolling through the timber in some deeper water the same rod bent over again. It felt like a pretty good fish, picked it for another yella, but he spat the hooks before I could get a look at him.

By this time Nick had another solid yella on board and we started heading back for some brekky. Back near where he had caught the bass Nick landed another good yella. We grabbed the yabbie traps on the way back, only managing 7-8 red claw and some little stripey fish I've never seen before.


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## Kahuna (Aug 9, 2010)

We spent the hotter part of the day lounging around camp with bellies full of fresh fish burgers before going for another fish at about 3pm. Long story short, not long after we got on the water the wind picked up and it started to shower. At one point small white caps appeared across the dam, at times breaking over the sides of the kayaks. We fished for a few hours with no result.

Saturday night we got a pretty good fire going. It's hard to beat sitting around the camp fire with a cold beveridge over a day's fishing. Bloody magic!



















5am Sunday morning and we were heading back to where we had fished Saturday morning. We fished for about 3 hours in the misty, overcast conditions. I landed 2 decent yellas on a lure I have had for years, but never caught anything on. Nick took some underwater footage of these fish so hopefully he will send me a vid that I can soon add.














































We collected the yabbie pots that were just out the front of camp on the return trip and were rewarded with some decent red claw. We packed up camp then headed up to the toilet block for a cold, outdoor shower before heading homewards.

We had a great weekend, even though the barra didn't make an appearance, catching some really solid yellas. In all we pedalled a little over 33km, but only covered maybe a third of the dam.


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## Kahuna (Aug 9, 2010)

Yeah Brad, it was a great trip.

My camera is a Fujifilm Finepix XP20, relatively cheap camera, but does take some good pics. I usually have a handful to delete after a trip. Took just over 100 photos on this trip and probably deleted a dozen or so. Usually due to being out of focus/focused on the wrong thing. For the money, it is a great little camera.

Just for comparison, the very first photo of 'camp' was taken with Nick's GoPro.


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

Almost looks like a type of archer.


>


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

Excellent trip report, I can't image what it would be like to fish an impoundment so reading reports like this is very interesting for me.

How did you cook the redclaw and how did they taste?


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

I've got no idea on the fish id


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## curly (Apr 9, 2013)

Mate, that was a bloody good trip report.


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## Kahuna (Aug 9, 2010)

Barrabundy said:


> How did you cook the redclaw and how did they taste?


Hi Con,

We usually use this recipe http://www.akff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=65251

With the red claw, I usually put them in an ice slurry for 20-30 minutes. Remove their heads, then grab the central tail fan (or Telson) and gently twist and pull this. This usually removes the poo tube/dark vein easily and cleanly. Then butterfly the tails.

I imagine any prawn recipe would work well with red claw. My brother in law often makes a creamy garlic sauce when he has them.

Alternatively, you can just place them whole in some boiling salty water. Cook for 4 minutes, then place in an ice slurry to cool. Then peel them like a prawn.

Bloody beautiful. They taste similar to a prawn.


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## Novice (Sep 14, 2011)

That striped fish is a Barred Grunter (_Amniataba percoides)_
http://www.aquariumindustries.com.au/wp ... runter.pdf

http://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/687

Great report and pics.

Cheeers


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

Novice said:


> That striped fish is a Barred Grunter (_Amniataba percoides)_
> http://www.aquariumindustries.com.au/wp ... runter.pdf
> 
> http://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/687
> ...


I knew that but I had perch on the brain :twisted:

Great report, I've never heard of the dam before either. What a great range of species apparently there though.


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## Kahuna (Aug 9, 2010)

Thanks for identifying the Barred Grunter Novice and Junglefisher.


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