Episode 59: Lake Borumba Bass With Callum Munro

Callum’s Top Tips For Borumba Winter Bass

• Don’t make the run up to the timbered areas at the top end of the dam during the colder months. Borumba bass undergo a false spawn and migrate down to the flats in the main basin.
• Look for flats on the shore adjacent to the lake and then use your sounder to locate the schools, which are often missed because they tend to be down deep and hugging the bottom of the lake.
• Often in the winter time, bass will come on the chew between 8am and noon, so be on the water at those times.
• Don’t strike at winter bass, just wait for the rod to load up and you’ll hook a lot more fish.

Callum’s Preferred Tackle For Winter Bass

• A 2-6kg line class, 6’8″ to 7’2″ rod is about right for winter fishing at Borumba. Callum uses an Abu Garcia Carex rod coupled with a 2000 size spinning reel and 3-6lb braided line with a rod length of 10lb Sunline FCF Rock or Berkley Vanish 10lb leader.

Callum’s Best Bass Lures For Winter At Borumba

• The Berkley Gulp 3″ Minnow Grub is often thought of as a saltwater lure, but it works a treat on Borumba Bass. Callum uses a 5/8 oz SMAK Lures jig head, which keeps the lures down close to the bottom. He casts long, allows the lure to reach bottom and then slow rolls it back, opening the bail to allow the lure to free fall after every ten or so winds of the handle. Fish often take the lure as it’s falling, so be prepared to flip the bail and engage with the fish.
• Untapped Ultravibe Blades are Callum’s prototype lures that he hopes to bring to market in the coming months. The have a wider action than similar blades and are fished in a similar way to the soft plastics, except that Callum recommends winding only about 5 turns before allowing the lure to free fall on an open bail. Blades are great when the fish are feeding freely. 
• A SMAK ice jig is the secret weapon when fish are shut down and not responding. Drop it down on the fish and bang the but of the rod for about 10 seconds, causing the lure to jiggle about and stir up mud like a small redclaw or other food item. Then whack the rod in the more traditional way for a few seconds before dropping the lure back to the bottom and starting the process over.