# QLD 27/11 Koombooloomba Dam



## Notshy (Oct 26, 2008)

Hey....

Just got back from a week up at Koombooloomba Dam. 4 those of you or most of you, who don't know what or where that is, it's a stocked impoundment 40 kms south of Ravenshoe. Trying to kill some time b4 our house sitting job over Xmas at Mission Beach, the Mrs an I headed up there to do some camping. It looked good on paper! An hour and a half drive from Malanda and we were up there searching 4 the best camp spot available.










I resisted temptation to get the yaks off the troopie that arvo and set up camp properly










Due to the lack of water in the dam It was a trek of 100 meters down to the water. I snuck down there b4 bed to check out the water and enjoy the lack of wind. I was pleasantly surprised that just like the waters of Kangaroo Is in SA the lake seemed to just come alive at night time and you could hear the fish feedind on the surface, right across to the other side. Note to self.....This is the time we need to be out there!

We had an explore the next morning up past the main dam wall about 2 kms from the camp and into the first set of trees with limited success with just a small sooty trolling up there. Lucky 4 us I guess being extremely under geared for fishing in the sticks we didn't have any big hits, just a snagged lure that needed retrieving with some goggles the next day. Unlike other stocked impoundments this dam has quite clear water and is visible 4 about 2 mtrs and is also quite warm at about 24 - 26* which I thought was unusual 4 the altitude of the lake?









That arvo just before the sun went down I paddled out across to the other side from the boat ramp and started flicking a soft plastic around. With in a very short time I had a good sized fight with a half decent fish that once I got to the kayak I presumed was a small barra due to the shape of the snout. It wasn't until reading up in a book and concurring with some neighbours the next day, that I found out that sooty grunter have similar features. Anyway he went back in the drink.The neighbours I mentioned were just tucking into some sooty grunters they had caught them selves and were cooking very primatively in a camp oven on a gas cooker heads guts and all. Very nice people and very generous in offering me some of there lunch but I declined.

















After that good of a start I paddled back in for a feed b4 dragging the Mrs back out to the same spot after dinner. I had an atomic soft plasticon and Anne was flicking around a skin deep halco and within 2 casts she had a small something on which I guess was a sooty??









Things went quiet for a while and just as I suggested we move around to the next point my little 5 foot 6 rod bent over and my reel went berserk and I slowly headed out into the middle of the dam "WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!" As much as you can be in a kayak with out falling out, I was on the edge of my seat trying to get this monster into sight with Anne trying to keep up and get the camera out at the same time. It might be here I should mention that we don't spend much on our fishing gear for our yaks and our main outfit is the so mentioned rod and a shimano 2000fx which can be purchased as a combo at a department store for less than $35. With those factors, plus 3kg line directly attached to the SP you might understand my reluctance to be 2 optimistic about getting this fish up. After about 20 mins of hysterical laughter and a bloody good fight she finally came to the surface....U BLOODY BEAUTY!!!!!! Approx 97cm of big barramundi. 









How do I get this thing into the boat??

















The next day I went exploring further out into the dam. After the main dam wall it seems there is nothing out there besides dead trees and more dead trees which is good because it slows the dinghies down which visit the dam in a steady stream even during the week. I'm not sure how far I went but the scenery didn't change but the wind did so I turned around and drifted home after catching a couple of small sooties.









The last night we went out on the kayaks I hooked up to the best sized sooty for the week on a hard body which I thought would be nice 4 for dinner the next night. I put it in the catch bag and and left it there until we got in. While trying to get it out of the catch bag on shore I noticed a white creamy stuff coming through the catch bag like sun screen. A little suspicious I gave the fish a squeeze and out squirted white crap out of it's butt! Any Ideas??? Feeling a little less interested in eating the fish but determined since I killed it I cut into it and took the first fillet off it and started on the other side. Halfway through the second side I noticed a red squiggly worm popping out of the flesh and other pockets in the flesh when poked released more worms :twisted:Is this common with these fish?? If so it would be pointless to kill any more fish.
Then it got me thinking of my friendly neighbours and their luch offer :shock: .... Probably a good reason to keep filleting fish b4 eating them huh.

A great week was had out there, especially since it was free. It's not well advertised but there is plenty of place to camp out there with an average toilet and even a cricket pitch for the kids. The road has signs saying road unsuitable for trailers but is well ignored by locals with boats and trucks coming and going from the dam.

I hope this helps someone else like me, that wants to go out chasing their first Barra from a yak with out the crocs. ;-)


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## danfish (Feb 20, 2009)

Top notch report there Notshy! Congrats on the big barra and the rest of the fish. You'll know where to head next time. Top part of the world you live in. I have a sister who lives in Yungaburra, and they've been fishing Tinaroo for a while now with only limited success. Seems like the drive is worth it! 
Keep them reports coming

Dan


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## Windshear (Aug 22, 2009)

Fantastic report on a great holiday and the pictures tell the story of the big barra. What a thrill that must have been! Well done and thanks for sharing your spot.  
Andy


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## snapperz (Dec 31, 2008)

Great report notshy,congrats on the barra mate.I reckon I'd be smiling for a month if I caught that.It just goes to show you don't need expensive gear to catch good fish.Well done mate.SNAPPERZ


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Notshy a great outcome at a new location, well done mate and enjoy the rest of your travels.


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## cam07 (Sep 12, 2008)

looks a great place and the stories ive heard about it all sound good, i think i might have to visit that place one day soon


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## Blackant (Mar 19, 2007)

Well done notshy. Very nice barra.
Have heard about that dam. I've been going up to the tablelands for the last two years. Born in Atherton lived in Ravenshoe. Another dam to fish. SWMBO will not be impressed, but you only live once. :twisted: :twisted:


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## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)

Top report and pics there notshy, I have never caught a sooty before but I reckon the white stuff coming from the fish could have been "Milt" from a spawning male. Also alot of fish carry worms and parasites of some description but once cooked you generally wouldn't know they were there to start with. They won't hurt you, it is just an unpleasant thought to eat such things, but then again I have eaten my fair share of bugs and grubs in lettuce and tomatoes unknowingly over the years, you just have to do what I tell my kids and close your eyes and stop complaining.

Kev


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## DougOut (Dec 31, 2006)

there's nothing shy about that smile on your dial mate  ..... 
nice Barra on limited gear ...... must not have been any snags for the fish to win the battle amongst.
you still have some time to kill before mission, why not head up to Tinaroo, some great national parks camp sites right on the waters edge there, the level is down a bit more then normal due to some dam-wall works but more water then Koom at present.
Nice report and looking forward to some salt reports when you settle into Mission.


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

Notshy, I'm not sure if you realise how lucky (or incredibly skilled) you are. Well done!
Koombooloomba is no longer stocked with barra and there's not many in there. Also, the dam being very low in nutrients they don't grow anywhere near as big as in Tinaroo. That would be the biggest fish I've ever heard of coming out of Special K. Most people that fish it will never catch a barra in there at all.
I've fished it a few times and never even hooked a barra. To land one on your $30 special with 3kg mono makes it something else entirely.
She's a top spot and the back of the dam is an amazing place, there's a channel - the old river bed that goes all the way to the River and can be accessed by tinnies at full noise (unfortunately).
The water is so clear due to the facts that :
There are very few nutrients in it, it's rainforest all around and RF is notoriously low in nutrients - no runoff. Due to the low nutrient level there is little weed growth.
And the water level changes real fast. It can drop 10% in a week or go up 50% in a week.

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=21391&p


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## Notshy (Oct 26, 2008)

Hey Jungle,
Thanks 4 the info on the dam, that barra I did catch went back in, We were both of the same opion that it would have been a shame to see such a beaut fish die. Unfortunately 2 days later while paddling out I noticed a white thing floating near by, on closer inspection it turned out to be another barra of similar proportions strangled to death by some stray line that was carelessly discarded.








Apparently it's not just the birds that cop a flogging!


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## johnny (Aug 12, 2007)

stunning scenery..looks idyllic..n top fish!


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

good fish!

love the name. Koombooloomba Dam. how aussie is that?


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