TEAM Lowrance (Harry Watson/Peter Keidge) dominated the Fishing Monthly Group MegaBucks trial tournament at Lake Boondooma, held over September 7-8, to take home $7500 in cash winnings over three sessions.

Team Lowrance accumulated their winnings by taking out Session 1 and Session 3, while finishing second in Session 2. Fishing only one short stretch of bank of about 400 metres in length for the entire tournament, Watson and Keidge worked spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits and soft plastics to amass their overall catch of 12 bass for 18.60kg.

“We decided to fish shallow for the entire tournament because we knew the fish were there,” explained Watson. And the team’s faith in the chosen fishing spot was vindicated in the first session with the biggest four fish limit for the tournament at 7.36kg.

Watson used his new 6’3” G.Loomis Spinnerbait rod and Shimano Calcutta 50 spooled with 12lb SuperBraid and 20lb Super100 leader to present 1/2oz and 3/4oz purple shad and green shad Greenfish Custom Spinnerbaits.

Keidge presented his Lucky Craft LV-100 (gold) lipless crankbait on a G.Loomis IMX Mag Bass MB782 and Daiwa TD-Z Magnesium, spooled with 15lb SuperBraid and 20lb Berkley Vanish leader.

Fishing shallow, Team Lowrance slow rolled their lures over the weed located close to the edge, occasionally lipping the weed, and looked for reaction bites from active fish. When either angler got a strike and missed, they immediately swapped to a soft plastic outfit and presented an Atomic 3” Shad in gold shad or green, rigged on a 1/2oz Gamakatsu Cobra head to the same area to entice the fish - a tactic that produced several fish for the team.

“We knew the fish were there,” explained Keidge, “and although we had a few ‘discussions’ on moving, we stuck it out and persisted with great success. We’re rapt our tactics worked and loved the skins format”.

In second place, Team Caloundra City Power Boats (John Schofield/Matt Mott) also took out the Big Bass cash prize of $1000 with a stunning Boondooma bass of 2.24kg. Fishing for deep, schooling fish, Schofield and Mott used deep fly techniques and deep soft plastic tactics to accumulate their overall 12 fish bag of 15.7kg.

“Most of our fish came while fishing soft plastics to fish located between 38’ and 60’ on a breakline,” said Schofield, “but the Big Bass came on deep fly in 30’ of water off Pelican Point.”

Schofield used an #8 Sage SP+ rod teamed with a Scientific Anglers LA 8/9 reel and a #4 Striper Taper line, hand-made 14’ 12lb twist leader and his favourite Bass Vampire fly to consistently take fish and to capture the $1000 Big Bass. Letting the fly sink all the way to the bottom and stripping it through schooled fish produced the Big Bass and took the pair’s winnings to $4000.

In contrast, Mott used an Innovator Shogun matched to a Daiwa Regal-Z 1500 threadline spooled with 4lb Berkley Fireline and a 10lb Berkley Vanish leader to fish a smoke/yellow core 3’ Slider Bass Grub on 1/2oz Gamakatsu Flathead jig head. Slow rolling the Bass Grub through schools of fish located on the breakline was the best method, and allowed Mott to add his bag to Schofield’s Big Bass to take out Session 2 and the $3000 cheque.

The Lake Boondooma Fish Stocking Association catered for competitors, and Fisheries and Boating personnel attended to ensure fish were healthy and all regulations were adhered to. Overall, the tournament concept was a great success and future event enquiries can be directed to Stephen Booth on (07) 3268 3992 during office hours. – ABT.