IN THE Sunshine Coast region, the fishing has been quite varied up in the fresh. I fish Lake MacDonald quite frequently, and just when I think I’ve got it wired something happens that sends me straight back to the drawing board!

Winter was the gun period, when the resident Australian bass schooled up in the vain hope of some conjugal rights and were easy prey. Trollers and those using sinking lead head jigs rigged with a rubber attached cleaned up. Round Three of the BASS Electric Series in 2003 could be a weigh masters nightmare if it’s like that again!

Summer fishing has been very hit and miss. My recent jaunts to ‘Mac’ have produced two or three bass per session, which is slow fishing. Casting the weed beds with smallish minnows in green or purple, and casting the deeper channels with extra deep chrome minnows, are my favourite tactics. I’ve caught a few good fish on spinnerbaits as well.

I was lucky enough to fish the BASS Electric Grand Final at Lake Lenthall, somewhere near Maryborough, in March 2002. I enjoyed a great few days up at Lenthalls locked in battle with everyone else vying for those valued places in the middle of the field. I’m happy to leave the winners’ podium to the blokes like Keidge, Schofield, Morgan, Ehrlich and the young gun Jocumsen. My goal for next season is just to weigh in some more fish!

1) Tim Brown took time out before the Noosa Triathlon to catch this Mary River cod at Lake MacDonald. Tim was trolling a green Borer Deep along a weed bed at the time.