# Cooby Dam !!!



## fishinswing (May 15, 2006)

Just a short story about a trip to Cooby Dam only 10 mins from home. It was the first week of a two week holiday, my plans were for a week of camping and kayakfishing along the coast but they were postponed due to lots of rain and strong winds. Plan B was to fish my local hotspots of Cooby and Cressbrook, but the winds were also putting a hold on things for me. The gusts were way to strong to comfortably kayak.

I waited for the right morning and loaded up and hit the water. I had just started paddling and the early morning winds were just picking up again and making things a little difficult  . I kept going and started trolling a Halco Poltergeist 50 at 3 metres deep with no touches for approx 20 mins. I stuck to my game plan and headed for the northern end of Cooby to see what it could produce for me. Getting closer to the spot, the little stratic started singing to me  and I reached around and grabbed the rod and started fighting the fish. What ever it was it certainly was not giving in easily and fought all the way to the kayak. I grabbed my net and slid it under the fish and lifted it up onto my lap in the kayak. A really nice yellowbelly of 46cm, a personal best. After getting some pictures and measuring the fish, it was released to fight another day. There are some very big yellowbelly in Cooby and I would love to hook up to one of those 60cm + fish. I am discovering that yellowbelly fight equally as hard as bass do, they are great fun on light gear. I was fishing with 6lb fireline with both 10lb and 14lb Nitlon flurocarbon leaders.

I turned around and started to paddle south following the bank. I started casting to the bank and jigging back to me. Had no luck at all. I started trolling again while heading back to the ramp when the winds really picked up with a half metre swell rolling through, I felt like I was out at Mooloolaba on the coast again. Battling into the wind I finally made it to the wind protected bank. I was still trolling the halco poltergeist when it got slammed and the Pfluger trion sprung to life. This fish also put up a nice fight, it was not fighting like other fish I have caught before. Bringing it to the side of the kayak and gliding it into the net as the lure popped out of it's mouth. Just as well I use a net for every fish I land. Took some photos and measurements and left him to fight another day. I was going to keep this fish for the barbeque but forgot my knife, lucky fish. The silver perch went 42cm.

I had a great morning despite the strong gusts of wind and scored a new species of fish to add to my slowly growing PB list. I am seriously targeting the Murray Cod that call Cooby Dam home. It's there season now and I know of some hotspots which I will be investigating over the next few months.  Will keep you posted.


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## fishinswing (May 15, 2006)

Yellowbelly fight very well, I think they fight as equally as Australian Bass and I know it's a big call, but they strip line as well as a bass can. I have tried yellowbelly once and they taste pretty nice to boot. An added bonus.


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

Great fishing. That yellowbelly sure looks solid


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## fishbrain (Oct 19, 2005)

Good Stuff John Nice Yella!!!! FB


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## Russ (Feb 24, 2006)

Great pics John how big is that dam and where exactly is it.

Yella belly nice, congrats on the PB

 fishing Russ


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

John a couple nice captures there mate, and well earned by the wind conditions you described


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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## fishinswing (May 15, 2006)

G'day Russ,

Cooby Dam is situated approx 25km north of Toowoomba. It is only a small Dam for storing drinking water for Toowoomba and surrounding areas and has been stocked with fish for many years. The Murray Cod in it are absolutey huge with people catching regular 50 and 60 lb monsters, oh what fun on a kayak. :shock: One day I will hook up to one, what a story that will be.


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## something fishy (Sep 5, 2006)

John
that yella looks like alot of fun. I've just recently caught my first couple of bass :lol: But by the looks of that monster I would also like to try and target yellowbelly. Do you target them any differently to Bass???


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## Mallard Duck (Jun 18, 2006)

Yellow belly tend to hold deeper and in Glenbawn at least appear to be partial to green coloured lures although the purples for bass will still work. Deep divers around the 5m mark with a good wobble trolled as slow as possible whilst keeping the desired depth would be my first suggestion from a kayak. Spinnerbaits and plastics will also work although i am unsure of any specific yellowbelly favourties.


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## Steveo (Jul 28, 2006)

Nice fish John, I'm supprised that Yella was still hungry enough to eat a lure.

Good luck on serching for that huge Murry Cod. :wink:


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## kingfisher111 (Jun 13, 2006)

Now thats what I call a plan B Fishnswing! That PB list is looking very impressive. Congrats. Steve.


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## Hagar (Aug 4, 2006)

John,now youve gone and done it,told everybody about little Cooby Dam,my daughter and I fish there regularly and always bring home a fish or two.We generally fish along the rock wall ,there seems to be alot less weed but sometimes the wind does get up and makes for a good paddle home.There is plans underway to ask for access to the waters edge via the sailing club ,Youve proberbley seen nice little gravelly beach,much better than knee deep mud.Hope to maybe see you on the water sometime cheers Gary


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## Guest (Sep 26, 2006)

Nice work John 8)

Thats a great Silver Perch mate, and a very nice fat Yella too.

Must be about time we ressurrected the Fishing Trip's thread to Cressbrook?


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## YakAtak (Mar 13, 2006)

Great fish John, but where was my invite?! hehe, I'll have to join you up there some time soon.


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## something fishy (Sep 5, 2006)

cheers for the advice chris. I'll let you know how I go.


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