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A Dam Good Time
By Angus James
Since making the tree change and moving down to Victoria, all the way from sunny north Queensland a few years ago, I have been having an absolute ball exploring this beautiful part of the country and also challenging myself by targeting the different species that western Victoria has on offer. Fishing mostly the larger freshwater lakes in the western part of Victoria, I have also pleasantly discovered that most aquatic areas, that will hold water all year round, like dams, small lakes and even in some cases what can only be described as a small puddle, will have most likely have been stocked with fish!
Victoria has a lot of history when it comes to fishing. In fact, the Trout Hatchery in Ballarat that was set up in 1870, is mainland Australia's oldest hatchery! Back in the day the hatchery farmed redfin and trout. These days, they stock most of the lakes in the region and sell brown and rainbow trout to farmers to stock dams.
Trout are so much fun to catch! They are super aggressive, fight hard, with plenty of line peeling runs, and they also produce some amazing airborne displays during the battle!
When fishing for Trout in smaller dams and waterways on foot, I like to have a few different options up my sleeve. Even knowing the dams have been stocked and the fish are guaranteed to be in the body of water, they are not always easy to catch on artificials and they will often take different presentations at certain times, depending on what they are naturally feeding on.
To have all bases covered, I always carry a nice selection of ZMan soft plastics in my kit. With so many great colours to choose from, my favourite trout plastic is by far the ZMan 2.5" Slim SwimZ. These are Trout candy! They resemble a small baitfish perfectly and when worked at different retrieve speeds they will always swim perfectly because of their tight little paddle tail design.
Before I tie on my favourite plastic, I always start off by throwing a TT Lures 1/8oz Switchblade, metal vibration blade. The Switchy is the perfect presentation for covering a lot of water fast, in order to locate the fish and get a good indication as to where they are holding in the water column. The trick is to keep moving around, casting from different points and angles.
The beauty about fishing dams / lakes is that you can cover all positions effectively. When I have found a fish or two I will then put on a TT Lures HeadlockZ Finesse jighead and a Slim SwimZ, carrying a kit of 1/16oz - 1/8oz jigheads to suit the different depths and environments that I encounter. Often a nice steady, slow retrieve is enough to entice some action. Remember, trout love flowing streams and rivers, so look for natural movements from nature such as wind direction, cooler water areas and rocky edges. Early morning and late afternoon is the best times to go trout hunting.
Redfin will also be on the cards when fishing these small impoundments and dams. Also known as English perch, these beautiful fish are a welcome catch. Not only do they put up a fun light gear battle, they are actually one of the best tasting freshwater species you could eat. I love them! I have caught some absolute crackers in the dams and spend most of my time targeting the bigger models. Redfin will take just about every lure thrown at them, however if I had to choose one lure it would be the 1/4oz TT Lures Vortex Spinnerbait. I have caught many redfin over 40cm on the Purple Nightmare colour.
When gearing up for my land based dam fishing I like to use a light combo, the Okuma LRF 6'0'' 1-3kg is a great rod for flicking small presentations in the 2-8g range. My favourite reel to use is the Okuma Epixor XT 20, spooled with Platypus 6lb P8 Braid.
Casting from the bank can often be very rewarding. Just remember to try different things when the fish are being quiet, as often changing tactics and trying new things will be all it takes to land that next trophy fish!
Hopefully everyone can get out and enjoy some great fishing in 2020. Fish on!
Cheers, Jimmy
Gear List
Okuma LRF Spin Rods - Full Grip - LRF-S-602L-FG 6'0" 1-3kg
Okuma Epixor XT Spin Reels - EPXT-20
Paltypus P8 Braid - 6lb
TT Lures Switchblade - 1/8oz
TT Lures Vortex Spinnerbait - 1/4oz
TT Lures HeadlockZ Finesse Jigheads - 1/16oz - 1/8oz
ZMan 2.5" Slim SwimZ