Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Fishing-Adventures-Destinations » Brilliant Borumba

Brilliant Borumba

Will Lee

One of my favourite places to get away for the weekend in SEQ would definitely be Borumba Dam! It's a popular spot for anglers, water sport enthusiasts and campers alike.?

Borumba was constructed in 1964 and is situated just outside the township of Imbil. It is approximately a ninety minute drive from the northern side of Brisbane. The dam's main purpose is for irrigation and it is open to all boating activity. Species in the dam include Australian bass, yellowbelly, silver perch and one of the most sought after sportfish in the dam is the saratoga. Borumba has plenty of structure and the fish respond to a vast array of techniques.?

The Arms

There are two main arms to the dam, Kingaham Creek and Yabba Creek. An abundance of flooded timber is the main structure in both arms and it produces some heart in mouth fishing!

I've experienced some of my best saratoga fishing in Kingaham. First light and late afternoon are the most productive times when fishing the arms for saratoga. When the fish are active you will see them cruising just below the surface and smashing anything off the surface that moves. The saratoga in Borumba just love eating ZMan 3" MinnowZ rigged on a 1/4oz TT HeadlockZ HD jigheads with TT Lures Jig Spinners attached.

I start out with a steady retrieve with the occasional pause thrown in and then work from there, depending on what the fish want on the day. Cast your Jig Spinner close to structure and hang on! As the sun rises the fish tend to go deeper, so try downsizing the presentation to a ZMan 2.5" GrubZ rigged on a 1/8oz #1 HeadlockZ HD jighead. Once again fish tight to the timber. Fish will often grab it on the drop, so watch your line for any hits on the way down.

Yabba Creek fishes much the same, but in my experience it has more weed edges and lily pads. I've done well up here on the bass, casting 1/4oz TT Vortex spinnerbaits towards the weed edges. My favourite technique is to slow roll my Vortex just above the weed. There are also plenty of saratoga in Yabba and part of the fun when fishing Borumba is not knowing what species will smash your lure next!

Borumba Creek

Borumba Creek is a smaller arm that is on the left as you head towards the two main arms. Once again I've had my best sessions here during the low light periods. Some of the biggest bass I've pulled from Borumba have come out of this section. Throwing 1/2oz Vortex spinnebaits tight into the timber and along the rocky edges is a sure way to knock together some bass, but hang on tight and fish heavy drags because for what Borumba bass lack in size (fish here average between 30 and 40cm) they certainly make up for in their fighting qualities!

The Main Basin

Amongst the madness of ski boats and jet skis there is some fantastic fishing in the main basin. You really don't need to go far from the ramp in Borumba to get stuck into some fish, which also makes it a perfect location for kayak fishing.

If I choose to spend the day fishing the Main Basin, I generally start by fishing the edges at first light. There is some really big toga in this part of the dam. Look for any bottle brush shrubs in the shallows or that are hanging over the water and focus on these areas. Saratoga just love hanging out under these waiting for any bugs to drop into the water. These shrubs are typically in shallow snaggy water so my preferred lure for this type of fishing is a small Jig Spinner clipped to a ZMan GrubZ on a 1/8oz HeadlockZ HD head. Violet Sparkle and Shimmer Pearl are my two standouts when it comes to colours in Borumba.

As the sun rises a little I'll change over to a 3/8oz Vortex spinnerbait and focus my attention on the weed edges and rocky banks. There are some really nice yellowbelly (golden perch) and bass that sit on the rocky banks in the main basin.

Once the sun is high in the sky and the ski boats are out in full force it's either time to pack up, go back to camp and get ready for an afternoon session, or alternatively look for schooling bass around the first and second points. On a recent trip we did really well fishing the TT Lures 1/4oz Switchblade through the schools. The fish weren't very big but there were plenty of them.

If it's a big saratoga you're after, then Borumba is the place to go. To increase your chances of netting a few, set the alarm clock nice and early and get on the water for sun up! I hope to see you out there.