Awoonga houseboat trip.4th-6thSep.

[SQUIDDA]

Just a quick note on our houseboat trip last weekend at Awoonga.If you have not tried a trip like this i suggest you do.A great way to maximise your fishing time.We stayed aboard the mighty vessel "Baby Barra".Only 19ft long she is just a place to eat and sleep between fishing sessions.Perfect for 2 mad keen anglers.Fishing was not super easy but we managed to scratch up some great fish.Early morning surface sessions were a highlight.Working walkbait style lures over shallow flats located close to deep water resulted in some awesome strikes.Night sessions fishing 4 and 5 inch soft plastic paddle tail lures produced our largest fish.Submerged points and weed beds in the main basin is were we did our best after dark.9 fish landed for the weekend.Largest was 108cm.All in all a great weekend in a magic place.2 mates and nothing to do but fish,fish,fish.We are so lucky to have these amazing fisheries!
Cheers Dan

PS.The weekend we fished Awoonga an American style tournament was being held on the lake.I was amazed at how rude and stupid some of the competitors were.We had people trolling within casting distance,people steaming at full noise at close quarters.One bloke saw us hook a fish so he decided that he would electric straight over and fish the area we hooked said fish.(Big fat bloke in a black and white Nitro)It is a shame that these people think they have right of way just because they are fishing a comp.I do understand not all tournament fishos are like this but it seems more and more are.Any way.Tight lines.

[flatzie]

Thats great you got some nice fish! Awoonga has been hard latley.
The lack of respect of other fishos is I think just taken onto waterways as the way people drive on the roads. Its worrying that this practice is so high even when a small number of boats are on a dam.
You have to wonder where all this will end. I was discussing this with JM the other day and I mentioned if we had a permit system, even a token fee, it would give the opportunity to place some kind of literature in the hands of every fisho, so a code of practice could become more common knowledge. Surely many of these actions are done in ignorance....
However, It is indeed alarming that much of this behavior is carried out by people who know better, but ego and arrogance mixed with competitiveness just brings out the worst in some people.
Flatzie

[eotbmg]

Great effort Squidda
As i said on my other post of Flatzies Monduran is also becoming the place of rude and ignorant anglers.....They know how to shut down a spot rapidly......Hard to tell them to piss off though.
Ben

[Dave Hislop]

Squidda!

First and last time I will ever reply to these forums......

First of all...it was an Australian tournament called the "Bassin Qld Series Barra Classic" which I have run for the past 4 years. We have never had a complaint at any of the 32 comps that we have already successfully run.

This competition is in your own backyard (Gladstone) and you don't even know what it is!!! (real smart)..... its been there for 4 yrs!

If you want to carry on like an idiot and have a go at people (on websites) why not approach these people at the time, instead of airing your dirty laundry and having ago at 'fishing comps'. We are no different to anybody else, fishing on any waterway and yes we have some very impolite people fishing around us at times as well.....but guess what....thats wherever you go!

Your quote..."I was amazed at how rude and stupid some of the competitors were.We had people trolling within casting distance,people steaming at full noise at close quarters."

My question to you is how do you know these people were in the fishing comp...have you got a register of all entrants and who the public were, or are you just generalising everybody was in the competition?

Most of our entrants like to fish in their own secret spots and they are very experienced with barra fishing.

Anybody who reads your story would question what you have said!

Why would anybody who lives 20 minutes away from Awoonga hire a small houseboat for a weekend....you woud have to be the first, as those small houseboats are constantly moored and rarely used....but then again you might be plugging for the owner!

I'm sure "The BIG FAT BLOKE IN THE BLACK & WHITE NITRO" would be interested in what you have put on here as well.....lol


Anyhow you have had your say and I have only replied... suppose that's what bored people do....anyhow i've said enough and I won't be replying on this forum anymore....

All the best

Dave Hislop
"Yamaha Bassin Qld Series"

[Awoonga]

Why would anybody who lives 20 minutes away from Awoonga hire a small houseboat for a weekend....you woud have to be the first, as those small houseboats are constantly moored and rarely used....but then again you might be plugging for the owner! Quote....Dave Squidda is a friend of mine and the reason for the houseboat was that he had a friend up from NSW ..It was to maximize time on the water. We have had a chat about the weekends comp and the conduct of one particular entrant.

[SQUIDDA]

Squidda!

First and last time I will ever reply to these forums......

First of all...it was an Australian tournament called the "Bassin Qld Series Barra Classic" which I have run for the past 4 years. We have never had a complaint at any of the 32 comps that we have already successfully run.

This competition is in your own backyard (Gladstone) and you don't even know what it is!!! (real smart)..... its been there for 4 yrs!

If you want to carry on like an idiot and have a go at people (on websites) why not approach these people at the time, instead of airing your dirty laundry and having ago at 'fishing comps'. We are no different to anybody else, fishing on any waterway and yes we have some very impolite people fishing around us at times as well.....but guess what....thats wherever you go!

Your quote..."I was amazed at how rude and stupid some of the competitors were.We had people trolling within casting distance,people steaming at full noise at close quarters."

My question to you is how do you know these people were in the fishing comp...have you got a register of all entrants and who the public were, or are you just generalising everybody was in the competition?

Most of our entrants like to fish in their own secret spots and they are very experienced with barra fishing.

Anybody who reads your story would question what you have said!

Why would anybody who lives 20 minutes away from Awoonga hire a small houseboat for a weekend....you woud have to be the first, as those small houseboats are constantly moored and rarely used....but then again you might be plugging for the owner!

I'm sure "The BIG FAT BLOKE IN THE BLACK & WHITE NITRO" would be interested in what you have put on here as well.....lol


Anyhow you have had your say and I have only replied... suppose that's what bored people do....anyhow i've said enough and I won't be replying on this forum anymore....

All the best

Dave Hislop
"Yamaha Bassin Qld Series"

Gday Dave,
First of all to the Big Fat Bloke in the black and white Nitro.I did confront him as soon as he dropped in on us.All he did was keep fishing like we were not even there.As for the others.I was at the final weigh in or what ever you call it and saw for myself the vessels that were mentioned in my post above.I asked the fellas that trolled past us if they were in the comp and they said yes.So i am sorry but all the people i refered to where most definatly in your comp.I did not make a seen there because i new it would not improve any thing.I dont often post on the WEB but i think this is a subject that needed addressing.I know exactly what your comp is.I fish Awoonga alot.I can tell you that there are no SECRET SPOTS just some are better than others.I stayed aboard a house boat because it was a great way to catch up with an old mate and not upset the house hold with our coming and going.If it sounded like i was plugging the owner than i probably was.They run a good show.As i said earlier,not all comp anglers are so rude but unfortunatly a small number ruin it for every one.Being an organiser of these comps i think you should be apolagising for your competitors actions.Not getting up me.If the big fat bloke in the black and white Nitro wants to chat about this topic just send me a PM and i will talk face to face next time you are in town.
Cheers Dan Thoms.

[gladbream]

hi all
im not here to take sides or throw input into the weekend of the competition, but the reports and personal experiences recently of people dropping in when fish have been captured is becoming too common. i cannot speak for regular fishermen such as trevor, guides and the like. my experiences have been catching a fish, tagging it then a photo, and release, and if the photo has been taken after dark, a steady stream of traffic is directed at yourself (green and red lights). im probably 1/10th of the barra fishermen than say the above mentioned, and spend maybe the same on the dam incomparison to them as well, but if this is what they put up with every evening, it is all yours. i only work out there after the last visit, im bream fishing from here in.

the manners also need attending to at the ramp, not just on the water. if the guy is on this forum that was smacked in the face last wednesday night, it may be your chance to have a say. 5 boats in the dam and still people could not be pacient enough to wait.

cheers
kh

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

Yea, hmmm, ok, some personal attitudes towards the fish, thread starters and fisherman are becoming extreme. If the competitive anglers cannot set a high standard for onlookers, well, where do the rest, the other 90 odd % of the angling world end up? Too many stories emerge (from the small number of entrants) because of a seemingly lack of respect for personal space of other boaters. In other comps, even competitors hassle competitors. I have witnessed this on many occassions (and it has been filmed by others) as a guide, and now I stay off the water during these periods due to this. It also seems evident that if an angler is fishing in a basic tinny, anchored, wearing basic clothes that don't match and fishing with ugly unknown lures then they get looked upon as some kind of ancient mark in time, rather than an individual of equal status. Lakes are giant waterways. Awoonga doesn't see the boat traffic like the old days; if a spot is taken, move on to another. Comp anglers should know this before most others, or it should be high priority to share that message considering these anglers are all working from under one roof.
Guys or gals 'dropping in' on another angler aren't usually on the right path for victory either. Silence, quiet waters, and time to fish effectively are key ingredients.
Awoonga Houseboats are often booked out, rarely moored for very long, and offer an awesome base for all types of anglers. For a switched on barra angler, it is a 'no brainer' why a houseboat is a smart call if anglers wish to maximise time in 'bite windows' that aren't predictable from home, and to be ready at the drop of a coffee cup when nature's weather variables open up and create 'unknown time windows of opportunity'. Those smart anglers in crappy little boats have helped work all of this out over the years and these same highly skilled guys take the iniative and utilise the up to date info and tools at hand.
From my experience, I don't think anyone has to question SQUIDDA, he is yet another unknown fishing extremist with worlds of history from ocean to lake, with immense knowledge on all forms of fishing, and barra skill to burn. He shoots straight, an Aussie trademark in my books. Why is it that guys that speak and share a message get ripped apart and named 'idiot like', rather than having the internals of the paragraph addressed peacefully? There is no point sweeping stuff under the mat, it needs to be aired eventually so things become free and flow smoother. Everyone wants to catch a fish, everyone needs to know the do's and don'ts so the road ahead is easily seen.
I have also, like many others, witnessed some extreme 'on water' behaviour on charters recently on Awoonga, that just sees me pick up anchor, electric motor and move on, dumbfounded at what just occurred.
Yesterday saw atleast two guides working Awoonga, one on the eastern side, one on the western side. I'd bet $$ that barra were caught on both of these boats. Techniques varied and areas fished varied. Freinds also caught good fish on Awoonga yesterday and I never even saw them on the waterway. It shows the distribution of the fish and the importance of quiet uninterrupted space.
Johnny Mitchell

[TinarooTriumph]

G'day SQUIDDA,

Well done on a few nice fish from the big A. Have never been on a houseboat before but man that sounds like the life to me! Definetely a fish, sleep, eat kind of lifestyle! I bet they are a bit better priced then the ones up here at Tinaroo too!

Dave - you've definetely gone the wrong way with your post. As the event organiser, I'm dumbfounded at your response. You've said in your post 'how can you be sure the guy in question was part of the Tournament?'. Fair enough too, but how about naming and shaming the bloke if he was part of the Event? Thats sounds fair enough to me. As a future Tournament angler, I have been looking into BASSIN events thanks to Trev and a few others, but your post has definetely just put a new life on things. Other Tournament events on our Barra lakes have a pretty average name, not just because of the anglers that fish them, but how they are ran. Don't drop to their level... fix the issues.

Regards

Theo

[mittykneale]

hi
i would like to thank my mate for a great time and i would also like to thank awoonga house boats for running a great buisness had great time on the dam some very nice
landed and lost cant wait for next trip mate

[rabbi]

G'day,
I used to love fishin there a few years back when everyone was easy going, helpful and friendly, enjoying the company of other fishos and have a few ales, and the boat launching was quik and easy but best of all the Barra were big and eager!
Last time I was up there we would have 5 boats circling us before we even landed the fish when we finally found one!
Couldnt be bothered driving the 800k's up there now!