Which side of the dam?

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Hi,

Heard a couple of conflicting opinions on which side of the dam to fish when the wind is blowing.

Heard or read somewhere that you fish the side from which the wind is blowing, because bugs etc get blown off the land and into the edge of the water.

Then heard the other day, that you fish the opposite side, because the chop pushes anything on the suface and concentrates it on the down wind side.

Interested to hear others theories / opinions.

Thanks.
Cheers
Jeff

[Harry_In_Toowoomba]

Here's another point of view. Fishing along the wind lanes where the stirred up water from the wind creates a smal current line is also very productive. The wind concentrates the food along this windlane and is a popular and productive technique in some impoundments.

The other two theories are also true and the fact that food insects etc do get blown onto the side of lakes etc. What doesn't get eaten on the lee side will eventually wash up around the open side.

The fact of the matter is that the fish will be where you find them.......that is to say, they'll concentrate where there's a supply of food items, where ever that happens to be on any given day.

Cheers,
"Harry"

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Harry,
Thanks for your thoughts mate.
Have also been thinking it might be a combo of the two, depending how long the wind has been blowing.
How's old Toowoomba going, still expanding at a great rate is it?
14 years since I went to uni there, but still got a couple of mates living there and get back for a flying visit about once every year or two.
Anyway, appreciate your help, thanks.
Jeff

[Jeremy87]

They are all valid theories and on our next trip out i'll try to put them to use. The truth is unless you see them jumping out the water its very difficult to tell were they are. When dad and i go fishing we try to thoroughly cover as much water as possible and try to find out where they are biting aswell as asking other fishers what their opinion of the matter is. For this reason on weekend or 3 day trips we usually bag the most fish on the final day. Doesnt have much to do with wind but just sharing my thoughts anyway.
Jeremy

[Smithy]

The side of the dam where the fish are of course ;)

Doesn't matter - just go where you have caught them before or where there have been reports.

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Thanks Jeremy, will be interested to see your next report.

Thanks Smithy ...... Fish where the fish are. Why didn't I think of that? ;)

[basserman]

clamer side = surface lures
choppie side = spinner baits (love that term spinner BAITS nothing bait like about them)
just my thought but only problem is if it is blowing that hard to wash things off the bank or blow them off the land it is probly to windy to be out there :)

[agnes_jack]

Gday Jeff
Another theory and one I was told to consider when fishing at Awonga. The barra prefer the warmer water and if you have a cooling breeze, then the warmest water is on the non windy side.
Regards, Tony

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Thanks Basserman,
Gotta give those spinner baits a go. My brother has a mate that makes them and he has been given a few testers. Might have to half inch a couple :D.
Have you seen those ones with the little paddle wheel on them that bubbles along the surface? Yet to see a fish caught on them, but maybe my brother wasn't chucking them in the right place.

Tony,
Thanks again. Read an interesting article by David Green in febs fishing world magazine regarding fishing at Awonga and water temperature. Basically agrees with you 100%. My brother had a trip out to Pindari on the Australia day weekend. Trolled through a patch of water and had just finished commenting on how surprised he was that the temp gauge showed 31 degrees when, bang, he was on to the biggest yellowbelly of the trip.

Couple of other things to ponder came out of that trip.
1. No fish appeared on the sounder on the bottom third (wall end) of the dam. They spent about half a day looking around, but not one fish was seen.
2. Only yellowbelly were caught (previous trips have usually turned up a bit of a mixed bag - redfin, cod and catfish), and they all actually fought hard. Our previous experience with yellowbelly has been that they are pretty much like whinching up a gumboot. But for some reason this time they all seemed full of go.
3. Most fish were caught on 1 particular rattling lure. Didn't matter if they were trolling and it was on the inside nearest the snags or boulders or back the other direction and it was further off the edge of the dam. Fish seemed to swim past the nearer lure to go over and hit the rattling one. Different colours, actions or depths didn't seem to matter.

Whether some of these things had to with the warm water or the recent rains and higher dam level (about 10 ft off full I think) or that the dam was still filling, or the murkiness of the water; not sure.

Anyway, thanks again for the imput.

Cheers
Jeff

[basserman]

yeh the ones with the paddles up top (called BUZZ BAITS)good for earliy morning and arvo setions but haven't had the best luck with them yet only a few small bass but still trying! might get a pic of the next one to prove they do work if only just! :-X

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Bit like casting LEGO toys around isn't it. Think they are designed to catch the fishermans eye, moreso than the fish. ;)
Will be interesting to see something caught on them.

[basserman]

yeh but thank crist the bass isn't the most smart fish! some of the lures i have now i just look at and think "HOW DRUNK WAS I?" the buzz bait is bad but i have worst (scum frog) it is the uglest lure going and doesn't cast much better
going this weekend to kempsey so will try my hardest to get a pic of the buzzbait for ya! ;D
even if that is all i use all day (and i might be :-/)

[basserman]

heres the proof that they do work if only just!
i hope you like it i had to wark hard to get it for ya! ;)

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Cheers basserman!
Must have been horrible having to go out and chuck lego at fish.
Sorry to put you through such an ordeal. ;) ;D
Cheers
Jeff

[basserman]

yeh it is a hard life i lead!
doing all this so called resurch (or at least thats what i tell the misses i do!)
the things people have to do ::)

[Karlbob]

:P