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The home of the mega bass
  |  First Published: December 2015



Constant water levels at Glenbawn over the past few years have seen the dam slowly return to its former glory as ‘home of the mega bass.’ When I first arrived here six years ago a 35cm fish was the average, now a 40cm fish is common. Not only have the fish got longer, they’ve also become more diamond shaped with wider shoulders and bigger bellies - a bit like the author.

Without a doubt this has made Glenbawn one of the most consistent bass dams in Australia. Tournament results only complement this status – where other dams perform selectively during the year, Glenbawn fishes well all year round. December is one of my favourite times with the top water action, reaction bite, trolling and baiting success. If you are bait fishing, shrimp, yabbies, and live worms work well. You can also walk around the foreshore searching for cicadas, grasshoppers, or crickets. Some fishers have reported using spinnerbaits, mumblers, or chatter baits, but they seem to get more hits then hook ups. Glen Casey - from Bassman - suggests you use a fast or very fast action rod. Spinnerbaits have large hooks and when the fish hit with venom you need a rod that loads up quickly and strikes back to ensure a good hook up.

When using Jackalls or other lipless crank baits you need a more moderate action rod. On a crank bait the hooks are generally a lot smaller and the fish need a little more time to set the hooks, sometimes you can even feel one of the trebles slip. Some like to replace the treble with a single hook, the same can be said for ice jigging where a medium action rod is also suitable as you don’t want your rod loading too fast and flicking your lure out of fish range. After you use a flicking action your line will loop over the tip of your rod which spells trouble if your lure gets hit at the same time – another reason not to use a fast action when ice jigging. Smak Ice Jigs come with a single hook at the Kiosk and will increase the hook up no matter what rod you like to use. I like to use a moderate action rod on the top water to give a little more time to set the hooks for when the fish comes from underneath, hits your lure and starts to power downwards. Deep jigging with plastics is another great technique. Fish vertically with Gulp or Z Man mainly, and use a slow taper rod to let the fish have several bites and take the lure before the start to feel any resistance from the rod.

At Glenbawn, try around Black Boy Bays and continue past the Clay Slip for top water as well as in the mouth of Boat Harbour. Spinnerbait and lipless crank baits go well around the spindly trees at the Spillway, the Island opposite the Soil Conservation Shed and in the timber at Eagles Nest. Use lighter, more natural colored lures in the first half of the dam and darker colors, like gold/black or purple/black even camo up the back of the dam. Trolling from the Spillway up to the end of the main wall should fish well, or try the bank on the right side of Bass City and through to the 8knots sign

Top water is my go to when fishing St Clair this month. Try around St Clair Island in the back of the Little Bays, and fish the last two bays on your left. For a reaction bite try a spinnerbait in the Calbrook Arm up underneath the house and the bays opposite the boat ramp in the 8knot zone. Continue in and around the timber, trolling down the Falbrook Arm on the right hand side to the Dog Leg and the bays near the land slip should produce some quality fish.

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