South East Queensland

Kayak Fishing

Cressbrook Dam

For those who are looking for a change from the coastal waters, and that are looking at chasing some willing natives, then Cressbrook Dam is for you. Cressbrook Dam is approximately 56km north east of Toowoomba and is a relatively small dam only covering 517ha which makes it ideal for kayakers who are put off by big open bodies of water. There are plenty off little bays to get in out of the wind if you happen to be unlucky with the weather and no shortage of weed banks that provide most of the cover for the fish. A permit is required to fish here and the main species targeted are Cod, Yellow belly, and the good old Australian Bass.

Date:7th November 2004
Time:3:00pm - 7:30pm
Tide:N/A
Launch site:Cressbrook boat ramp
Water temperature:23°C
Lures/baits used:Spinnerbaits, surface poppers, bibless rattling minnows
Report:After a long couple of months without fishing, I decided to see how Cressbrook Dam was holding up with the recent rains. I finished up work around lunch time and headed home to start gearing up for a good day's fishing, and hopefully a good night of surface poppers as Cressy is now open till 8pm.
 The day had been producing plenty of rain and was overcast which meant I would hopefully have the Lake to myself, that and the fact that it's still closed to trailer boats, but unfortunately I was wrong in that presumption. There were three boats on the water, all out chasing schooling Bass which meant that the banks were mine, or so I thought. After observing the other craft on the water and noting that they wern't doing very well I had a chuckle and started to fish.
 Instantly I was into some bankside Bass and started catching them one after the other on a little bibless rattling minnow made by Cultiva, (similar to my prized Jackall which I have previously reported on). Needless to say my good fortune did not go unnoticed by my motored rivals on the water. The session continued like this for a good half hour and the next thing I knew was a tinny had moved in on my position and was fishing line over line with me!! Instead of preaching about etiquette to these people I quietly moved on to the next bay.
 With similar action to the first bay I found once again I was in the unwanted company of aluminium and noisy motors, this was getting ridiculous! After a third unsuccessful attempt to get away from these people I decided to pull up on a remote bank and give the legs a stretch and go on foot.
 The fishing did not compare to that earlier in the day, but I did end up catching almost 30 Bass, most on the Cultiva minnow, none of which were monsters, but they made up for it in willingness. Eight Spangled Perch also fell to the little minnow. I also had a ball catching Bass on Spinnerbaits and on the Bubble pop surface lures also made by Cultiva. Another highlight was my very first Yellowbelly, or Golden Perch which also fell to the Spinnerbait.
 All in all it wasnt a bad days fishing, and I still recommend for you coasty kayakers to come up and chase some Cressy Bass while the water is still low, cause if these rains continue up here and raise the water levels it wont just be little car toppers to worry about like I had, it will be every man and his dog out on the water creating a very unpleasant environment for the kayak. When this happens I will be coming down from the hills to chase some Bream!!
 Tight lines to all,
Submitted by:James D.
Date:7th September 2004
Time:N/A
Tide:N/A
Launch site:N/A
Water temperature:18°C
Lures/baits used:Soft plastic and hard bodied lures
Report:Cressbrook is still closed to trailer boats as I have previously reported, and anyone wishing to head up that way can almost be guaranteed the whole lake to themselves.
 "Cressy" is still producing Bass in numbers that exceed the 40cm mark with a couple of little 35cm finding their way onto your line. The water is starting to heat up with the warmer weather and is sitting around the 18°C mark which is creating some insect activity and awesome "boils" the hour leading up to dusk. I havn't tried any surface lures yet but will do once it warms up some more. The little "Jackal" is still the lure of choice, but purple "Slider Bass Grubs" soft plastics with the tail dipped in chartruese dye are proving to be equally effective.
 New gate times for Spring/Summer are 6am-8pm which allows plenty of time for the coastal fellas to come up for a good day, just remember to bring a $2 coin for entry through the boom gates.
 I strongly recommend that all "Yakkers" consider a trip up here soon because if we recieve the spring rains and the lakes levels rise to the boat ramp, it will open to trailer boats again and all the "Boaties" with their withdrawals are going to hit it pretty hard and I doubt that the Bass will be this willing for some time after.
 Wishing you all tight lines and screaming drags,
Submitted by:James D.
Date:20th August 2004
Time:2:00pm - 6:00pm
Tide:N/A
Launch site:N/A
Water temperature:N/A
Lures/baits used:Hard bodied lures
Report:It was after 2pm today that I made the decision to hit Cressbrook. After hearing that the dam had been closed off to all trailer boats due to the declining water levels, the thought of not having to battle some "boaters" wake and some beautiful weather, how could I resist? Time was short as Cressbrook is almost an hour from my home and the gates are closed at 6pm during the winter months (7pm in spring and summer) and I still had to load the kayak and gear. After a quick stop at my local tackle shop for some advice and the purchase of a new lure I was on my way.
 Upon my arrival I was greeted with warm rays of sunshine, a slight friendly breeze, and a perfectly flat mirror like surface with schools of bait fish sporadically breaking the surface trying to out run a predator just below the waters surface, this was going to be a good session. After quickly setting up the kayak and tying on my new super lure -- a Bass Jackall -- I was paddling like mad to the advised destination. A good 15 minute paddle had me where I needed to be, right on a good stretch of shore line consisting of some points and shallow weedy areas. I launched my new lure towards the bank and fished the drop off with all the enthusiasm that one has with a new secret weapon connected to the end of the line. After a few casts, WHAAACK!!! I got absolutely smashed, for sure this fish feels good, definitely going to be a 4 or 5 pounder without a doubt, holy smokes, it's going deep, no under the yak, no around the yak and then for a big run. This went on for a few minutes and I was convinced that I had a monster on my line, right up until the colour showed. I'd been fooled by a healthy Bass that measured in at 38cm and that wasn't happy with having his evening interrupted by me. After a quick photo and release I was into another one with the next cast and this one felt even better. Again after a few minutes battle, this one turned out to be even smaller, measuring in at 35cm, what was wrong with me? Had it been so long since I had done battle with Bass that I had forgotten how hard they fight? Or maybe I had spent too long down in Victoria chasing my beloved Trout. After a few minutes deep in thought I realised the answer to my confusion -- this was the first time that I have used braided line! With every jolt, bump and turn that the Bass were making, I had no dampening effect of the monofilament that I was so used to and was in direct contact with the fish, any wonder they felt like little rockets.
 As the sun started to disappear behind the hills I decide that it must be about time to start making the journey back to the boat ramp, but before that, I had to initiate that famous last cast which landed me a nice little fish which fought just as gallantly as all his friends. I could not of asked for a better finish to the day. All in all I ended up catching and releasing more than a dozen Bass this afternoon, and every one of them fought like they were twice their actual size. My biggest for the day measured at 41cm, and the smallest was 35cm, all of which took the Bass Jackall without much convincing. I laughed silently to myself when I recalled the advice I had received earlier, "take this lure James, it's a real Bass lolly", well he wasn't wrong, I had just had a very memorial afternoon.
Submitted by:James D.
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