Since my last disastrous session I've been really putting the effort in researching how to catch bass during winter. The change is season definitely means the fish act differently but that doesn't mean they're completely uncatchable, it just means you've got to work harder for the bites. The first thing was a change in tactic, mainly no longer casting at the weed beads but heading to open, deeper water and 'jigging' rather than casting and retrieving. To be completely honest, jigging isn't really my thing... In addition, there's heavy reliance on a sounder to work out the depths and where the fish are and as I don't yet have a sounder, I needed to come up with an alternative method.

Which is when I started thinking about how I used to approach winter fishing in the UK. One of the main methods I'd employ was a 'sleeper rod' that could be out fishing whilst I was concentrating on another rod in a different area of the lake. It could be seen as lazy fishing but the idea of the 'sleeper rod' is to maximise your chances of picking up a fish whilst not actively fishing the rod, maybe targeting a quiet area of the lake and possibly using a different bait, in most cases a natural bait.

So I got to thinking, could I apply the same idea to fishing in Australia from the kayak?! The plan that I came up with was to have a 2nd rod rigged up with a very light sinker and smallish hook baiting with (wait for it...) worms. Yup worms. Seriously, there's not a fish that swims that won't take a worm and I had a hunch that the Australian Bass may well be partial to these wiggling delicacies and as luck would have it, we have a composting worm farm in our garden!

The other benefit of having the 2nd rod with a sinker was I could use it as my depth and fish finder: paying the line out slowly would give me an indication of the depth, once the weight hit the bottom of the lake I'd get an impression of what I was fishing over and if I was lucky to get a bite, it would also act as a fish finder.

But would it work?! I'm pleased to say the answer was a resounding yes!

I got to the lake earlyish around 7am and was greeted by a lovely warm sunrise and virtually no wind. Rather than spend any time in the usual spots at the foot of the lake, I decided to head up to 'toga point'. Due to the amount of weed here I decided only to fish the lure but after no signs of fish, I headed across the lake to work the tree line along to a small bay I've named 'Stag Bay' due to the massive stag I spotted in the water on my 2nd trip to the lake (it was a bit of a double take, I didn't quite believe what I was seeing...). And it was here I got my first bite of the session..

The conditions were perfect, virtually no wind, flat calm... I baited the sleeper rod with a bunch of worms and cast out, feeling the line to the bottom through my fingers. It was pretty deep and the sinker hit the deck with a good donk so I knew I wasn't in weed. I got to casting the lure around but I was only on my 3rd or so cast when I noticed the sleeper rod tip jangle and then hoop over - fish on!

Only a small one, but it was a start and it meant I'd avoided the dreaded blank. I stuck at the area for a while but with nothing to show after 20 minutes I pressed on down to the bay which amazingly produced another fish on the worm rod. After attempting to 'triangulate' my position I recast the worm rod and started chucking the lure in a wide circle to see if there were any more fish around. As the fish were clearly deep, my tactic was to cast, count to 10 and then retrieve, stopping occasionally to let the lure flutter down. If I didn't get a knock after a couple of casts, I'd have another go increasing the count to 20, 30 etc until I located fish...

And again, it worked! I got an absolutely clonking bass followed by a smaller one and a couple of aborted takes. Meanwhile the worm rod was still producing bites, I just had to keep one eye on the rod tip and the moment it started jangling or hooping over - strike! I was so happy the tactic was working, the bass were clearly loving the worms and picking up the bonus couple of fish on the lure was keeping me more than busy.

After an hour or so the bites dried up so I moved on to the next bay around the point (no name yet!) and again, the worm rod produced another small bass after a couple of casts and I also managed to pick up another on the lure. This spot was proving tricky through as the weed beds extended out into the lake a lot further than I figured and due to the wind picking up the worm rod kept getting snagged...

So I decided to give Kangaroo Point a quick go, mainly to see if I could prove/disprove that the fish had indeed all moved into deeper water. After 20 minutes or so of casting around I found out two things: the water was very shallow, probably under half as deep as everywhere else I'd been getting bites and there were indeed no fish (well, that I could find!). So point proven, I headed back into open water again.

Time was marching on by now and with only an hour or so on the clock I decided to head back to Stag Bay to see if the bass had drifted back in and sure enough, I picked up the last fish of the session on the 3rd or so cast on the worm rod. I had a bit of a cast around but with the breeze getting up (as always seems to happen in the afternoons at Kurwongbah) it was making keeping position and casting difficult so having filled my boots, I decided to beat for home.

So a surprisingly good day on the water! It was a bit of a result the 'sleeper-worm-rod' had done as well as it had, I wouldn't have caught as many as I did without it and thanks to it's fish and depth finding abilities I learned even more about the lake. It's a stunning bit of water, I'm really enjoying exploring it and can't wait for the coming months as from what I've been told, it's prime bass fishing time. Bring it on!

Even though I got to the lake at 7.30am it was already pretty busy by weekday standards - I spied 2 kayaks up by the first point who were already casting around. So I wasted no time, got on the water and leapfrogged them round to my first spot of the day, 'Red Kayak Bay'. In the last two sessions this produced fish for both myself and Peter from PTPFishing but today there were no takers... In fact, I didn't get a single hit in the fist 3 spots I tried which was pretty surprising... Maybe today wasn't going to be my day after all?!

It wasn't until the 4th spot some way up the lake that I got my first and very welcome hit. Its a new area that I'd tried on my previous session and although it was only a small bass, it was encouraging and woke me up!

But it was the next spot, the first point you come to after the rowing buoys that bisect the lake, that things really kicked off. I had a massive bass (the thumbnail for the YouTube video), followed by a couple of smaller ones and then a surprise Saratoga!

I'd heard of these fish but never seen one and far out, they are a strange beast... Almost prehistoric in appearance, incredibly sinuous and powerful it gave me an excellent fight over the weed beds and it was a real challenge to get it in the net. But the real challenge was getting it held up for the cameras! it was so wiggly, strong and slippery and after a couple of failed attempts it slipped from my hands and disappeared back into the water before I could get a decent picture... So it was amazing to catch one but I'm going to have to catch another one so I can get a trophy shot.

And then from nowhere the weather turned! It'd been beautifully sunny and calm but then a huge cloud rolled in, the wind got up and it absolutely chucked it down. The fishing continued to be good, with both 'Fence Bay' and 'Kangaroo Point' producing fish after fish, nothing massive but loads of fun.

By the time I headed out of the last spot, the weather had got pretty grim and a strong wind was blowing up the lake. Although I was tempted to stick it out for another hour I decided to err on the side of caution and head for home and I was glad I did. It got pretty hairy at the last point before the launching station, with waves splashing over the bow of kayak and the boat filling up with water... But I made it back without capsizing, so it all ended well.

So another amazing day on the water at Lake Kurwongbah! I'd filled my boots, probably the most bass I've caught in any session and that bonus Saratoga was just amazing. Can't wait to come back.

If it was chilly out last time it was bloody freezing today! The car thermometer didn't register above 5 degrees on the drive out and there was lots of mist in the fields around the lake. But by the time I hit the water around 7ish the sun was just poking over the trees and warming things up - it was looking like another stunning morning on the water.

The plan for today was to try a few spots around the landing stage and then head up the lake. There were some distinct 'hot spots' on the last session ('Fence Bay' and 'Kanagroo Point' being the main ones) and I'd already decided to maximise my chances by heading there earlish in the day. If they proved to be as prolific as before, it would be a shame to arrive there late and have to beat for home when the fish were biting...

So I spent only 10 minutes casting at the landing stage before heading around the corner to the first spot, a great looking margin at the bottom of someone's garden! With no sounder, I had to rely on memory and experimentation to find the edges of the weedbeds and this was where a bit of prior knowledge really helped me out. So it was amazing when on my 2nd cast I received an absolutely banging hit on the lure - this one tore off, desperately trying to get into the weed and spinning me around in the kayak. But a good tussle latter and it was in the net, what a fish and what a cracking start!

That bay produced another smaller fish but after another 10 minutes of casting it was time to move on, this time to 'Nursery Bay'. This spot was occupied by 3 kayaks last time so I was keen to give it a go. Sure enough, I got a hit after the first couple of casts and landed a number of small bass.

Time to move on again, this time going straight across the water, over the 'rowing highway' and further up the lake. I tried a couple of spots along the way but was having a hard time finding any clear areas so kept paddling up as far as 'Fence Bay'. I had high hopes for this spot and was rewarded by an clonking take on the 2nd or 3rd cast into the bay. But this time, it wasn't meant to be and despite connecting with the fish, it somehow dropped the hook... I kept at it though and managed to pick off a number of fish, all reasonably small but I didn't mind - I was having such a good time!

Having exhausted that spot it was onwards and upwards to 'Kangaroo Point'. This was probably the spot I was most excited about as it had resulted in my largest fish to date, a 38cm beast that sadly I didn't manage to get a trophy shot of. Cruising into the bay it looked absolutely perfect, virtually no wind, not a lot of drift, gin clear water... Cast one and... BANG! That quick?! I couldn't quite believe it, the fish clearly love this part of lake. I managed a good 4 or so fish and a couple of missed runs before I decided to move on. Again, no monsters - the larger fish were illuding me this time around...

As it was close, I decided to give the opposite bay a go on my way back down the lake and was pleasantly surprised by another bass on the first cast and a couple of missed runs. I was equally surprised by the absolutely huge stag complete with massive antlers that was standing in the water! To be honest, I thought I was imaging it, a case of too much sun out on the water but when it moved off into the bushes I realised it was actually real.

It was getting later in the day now so I headed back across the lake and tried a couple of new spots on my way back to the landing stage and again was rewarded with a number of small bass. In terms of fish, the session had been incredibly prolific - but apart from that first fish, I just couldn't seem to find any big ones...

So I have the perfect excuse for another trip! After so many hard sessions at Enoggera Reservoir it really is a blast to hit a water and get so many bites, I think Lake Kurwongbah may become my new venue of choice for quite a while now.

I've heard a lot about Lake Kurwongbah both from Peter, on YouTube and in various tackle shops around Brisbane and from what people were saying, it's probably one of the best stocked water ways in South East Queensland. As its now winter the fish might be a bit more shoaled up and potentially sitting in deeper water but it was defo worth a go.

We met up around 6.30am at Mick Hanfling Park which is the only place you can launch a kayak from on the lake and set out on the water. The first thing I learnt was that my usual tactic of casting to cover was not going to work here as there was a lot of weed stretching right from the edges to maybe 20 or so metres out into the lake - casting into that would result in an instant snag! So after a bit of a look at Peters sounder and some advice on where to cast I got to throwing a Rapala Rap-V Blade around the launching area.

So the approach with this lake was to cast towards the edges until you find the edge of the weed, mark that spot in your mind and cast again. The fish love to sit just off the edge of the weed and in the towers of weed off the main weed beds and if you can get your lure 'plucking' through the clear spots you were in with a good chance of getting a hook up.

I was trying to get my head around this new tactic when I glanced around to spot that Peter was already into his first fish! In fact, he managed three before we'd even left the launching area... Me? I was still getting snagged in weed - there was clearly going to be a learning curve to getting my first bite at Lake Kurwongbah​!

But luckily I didn't have to wait long. We headed around the corner and got to casting at a new spot and bang - my first fish was on! Sadly, it was tiny...

Ah well, the first one is always a welcome blank saver and it had taught me a thing or two about where to cast. Not surprisingly, Peter was already on fish and managed to pick off a couple more before we moved on, including this beast.

The next spot was 'Nursery Bay', so called as Peter mentioned it was generally full of small fish. However as we nosed around the corner we spotted 3 kayaks already patrolling the area so we decided to head across the water and head up the lake. This involved crossing the line of buoys which marked the line that rowers use up and down the lake - it's almost a highway and as there were a couple of craft heading up the lake we had to politely let them pass. This was already turning out to be a very different experience to fishing Enoggera, kayakers have to give way to all other water craft and stick to the edges.

As we got to the next point Peter disappeared off to the bankside to answer a call of nature and I decided to have a cast around towards the centre of the lake, drawing my lure towards the weed bed I was sat above and on the 3rd chuck... BANG, I got an absolutely savage take!

This fish really knew what it was doing and immediately dived for the weed bed, but luckily I'd managed to get it high in the water and although it was a tricky tussle I managed to get the line free, the fish into open water and finally into the net. What a cracking hit and fight, these bass really do go, so much fun on light spinning gear. I don't have a fishing ruler as yet, but I'd give it a good 25cm ish which was a new personal best for me.

Rounding the corner we started working the next bay and got several more bites before the wind picked up and we decided to head up the lake. There definitely seemed to be a concentration of smaller bass around and Peter was keen to head to the top end which is quieter and seems to hold the bigger specimens. I have to say, he was really showing me up, catching fish after fish and some decent ones at that. But watching where he was casting and taking on the advice offered really helped me out and I was slowly beginning to build up a good bag of fish - it's amazing having a guide on a new water!

It wasn't until we got to a bay that I've named 'Kangaroo Point' (due to spotting a load of roos hanging around!) that I finally got my chance at a better fish. We'd had a few experimental casts and I'd managed to find the edge of the weed bed when I got my first hit. That was only a small fish but it was a good sign there were others around so I cast to the same spot and seconds after starting winding I received an absolutely explosive hit! This thing tore off, dragging the kayak in circles and leading me a merry dance in the weed towers. How it didn't get snagged I'll never know but after a decent battle the fish finally slipped into the net and it was a beast. My biggest bass to date, it went 38cm on Peters fishing ruler which was just an amazing result.

The only bugger was that in the excitement of catching it, then transferring it to Peters net so he could tag it, we slipped it back before I could get a trophy shot! Far out... Ah well, you'll just have to take my word for it... But either way, I was over the moon and having one of the best fishing sessions I've had in a long long time.

By now time was matching on and having spent a good 5 or so hours on the water we decided to start making our way back to the launching area, stopping off at a few 'hot spots' on the way. I managed to pick off another couple of bass, as did Peter which meant between us I reckon we'd had a good 20 or so fish throughout the course of the session with at least 5 of them being over 30cm.

So another excellent day on the water. I'm indebted to Peter for joining me, his wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm is amazing and it was incredibly generous of him to show me the ropes and share some of his 'hot spots' at Lake Kurwongbah. If you haven't already, check out his channel on YouTube and if you're planning a trip to Lake Kurwongbah definitely watch his PTP Fishing - Redemption - Lake Kurwongbah video:​

I will be back... very, very soon!

Todays session was a complete rerun of last week minus the gale force winds! I hit the water at the same time, around 8ish, investigated the same spots and caught one fish from the exact same spot as last week. I didn't get a knock or a tap anywhere else, it's almost as if all the fish apart from this one lonely bass have been removed from the reservoir...

As it was I was relying on the spot in question to come up with the goods, I'd say it's been the only reliable banker spot on the entire water since I started fishing at Enoggera. I'd had a couple of experimental casts and received what felt like a gentle hit on the retrieve. I stuck with it, finally changing lure colour and position and then got an absolute winner of a cast right on the edge of the lily pads...

And sure enough off it went! Not a big fish but a fish to save me from the dreaded blank. I'm not sure what's going on at the moment but Enoggera Reservoir is fishing hard... One fish does make a session I guess but it's not a lot to show for 3 or so hours worth of casting, especially when you know that there's a lot of fish in there.

Maybe its winter, maybe its the weather, maybe its the water clarity (we haven't had a huge amount of rain but the water level is up and there's a brown tinge to it...) but it might be a good time to put the bass fishing on hold for a couple of weeks and investigate some sea fishing... Watch this space!