Australian Bass
Callum Munro
Tournment Angler And Guide
Callum is a talented tournament bass angler and was the youngest competitor ever to win the Bass Pro comp. He’s held the world record for Australian Bass, both won and been runner up for the coveted “Angler Of The Year” award and has consistently been on the leader board in Bass tournaments. When he’s not competing, Callum operates a guided fishing business and is working on a line of blades lures specifically designed with Australian Bass in mind.
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.
Episode 596: Five Days On The Clarence River With Curtis Parker
Curtis has been on the show several times, but today’s episode is less focused on fishing and more on the adventure of an extended, solo wild river fishing experience.
Episode 590: Lake Moogerah Bass with Barry Oxford
Lake Moogerah is a stunning lake with a healthy population of fat bass. Our guest today, Barry Oxford, is a former tournament angler who is nearing having tagged 15000 bass and has mapped 120K acres of storages for CMap genesis.