Pejar Dam - Has it Really Recovered?

[Delraiser]

After hearing the odd report here and there on Pejars recovery after drying up, I decided to head down on Friday for a weekend fish with the wife. Pejar was always a good winter fishery, if a little inconsistent, but always had ample baitfish and mudeye populations, so I figured with 6 years to recover since it was empty and a few stockings over the years might hold some promise.

The weather was perfect, about 13-14 with light winds and a little cloud cover. The dam was 100% full and the water was a little stained but otherwise clean.

So far so good.

We started at the north arm of the dam, using our proven Thommo's tactics of slow rolling Ecogear Grass Minnows and Powerbait T-Tails up through the water column. Two hours in and nothing.......not a touch, bump or look. Moving to the south east arm near St Stephens church, we cast for hours upon hours with not a single look. Soft Plastics, Rapala Minnows, Tassie Devils the whole kit bag was thrown at them and zilch.

My attention started to shift onto the lake itself and I was becoming a bit concerned by a few things. Firstly, there were no signs of fish at all. Secondly, there were no signs of fish food. No insects, no baitfish, no yabby beds. Thirdly, there didn't appear to be any substantial weed growth to support said food; just what appeared to be flooded grass with some slime growing on it.

After a solid day and a half of lure fishing, I reached the desperation stage and rigged a couple of bait rods with powerbait and gulp nuggets but even that remained untouched.

Now it could just have been a bad couple of days, and next weekend the place will probably go off, but I came away from the trip not entirely convinced that the lake has fully recovered. The lack of cover and apparent food is a real worry 6 and a bit years on. By rights, it should have good weed growth and ample food, but it just looked so barren. I do wonder whether it can sustain a healthy trout population in its current state, or whether such a recovery might need a few more years yet.

Has anyone else fished here lately, and do you think it is a chance of getting back to the glory days?

[Jew Stalker]

I have seen a few nice bows come out of there in the last 12 months in different places. Perhaps it was just shut down whilst you were there. Trout are funny like that, sometimes they just shut down. As for features like insects and growth, that is a little strange. I'm sure given the time it will recover to its former glory.

Just curious, what colour ecogear grass minnows do you use at Thommo's with the best success?

Luc.

[Delraiser]

Cheers mate, I certainly hope it was just an off day. Mind you, I don't ever remember fishing a lake that looked so dead under the surface. Even on a blank day at Thommo's you can see what the trout eat.

As for the Grass Minnows, there isn't any particular one that works. At Thommo's I try to match lure colour to light conditions, so if it's bright, I stick to dark or natural colours like Black Gold or Watermelon (same colours in the Powerbait T-tails work well) and if it's overcast I go a bit brighter like Pearl, Gold or Silver . With the water so clear up there, I just try to contrast lure with the brightness of the day. This has seemed to work best for me lately (the fish below was caught on a watermelon Grass Minnow, and I got another later in the day on a Pumpkinseed T-tail)

[Jew Stalker]

Cheers, I am still yet to catch anything on a plastic at Thommo's. Hardbodys don't seem to be much of an issue for me but I have never quite worked out the trout v plastic method. Thanks for the heads up.

[MV Sunray]

My cousin lives in Goulburn and gets out here quite a bit. He has pulled some beauty's out before it dried up and was badly affected by algae. Since filling up it has been restocked and fished well for a short time after that.. A lot of zeros since then. I've been there a few times with him but never seen a rise.

He's assures me the only time to fish it is right on dusk??? Just his opinion tho

[fishermandan123]

Hi Delraiser,

Maybe the trout are just shut down at the moment. I just got back from fishing for five days at lake Lyle for zip. The best I could do was jagged a 12cm bass on the downrigger. I tried down rigging, flat lining, casting at the edges with soft plastics and h/b's and even worms at night.

Regards Daniel.

[Delraiser]

Mate, no doubt it could just have been lockjaw, but for a lake that used to be so food rich and produce so many stonkers, it looks kind of sick up close.

I am keen to see it recover as we could do with another decent trout lake within 3 hours of Sydney. Lyell and Thommo's are pretty much it at the moment

[Matt]

I don't think Pejar has recovered particularly well, it has been restocked a couple of times but like was mentioned earlier there are no weed beds and the smelt schools don't seem to be as thick as they once were.

I have been hitting it on and off over the last two years for a grand total of 6 Rainbows (mainly on Woolly Buggers) all around the 500g mark. I have seen some lovely fish and witnessed a smelt school being hammered by a number of Trout well out of casting range but the return on effort has been aweful.

Still hopeful though that it will return to its former glory. Better off looking at Lyell/TCD or even Oberon at the moment. The rivers in the Goulburn region do fish very well though and are worth checking out (when open).

Windy

[Delraiser]

Cheers Matt. I remember back in the early 90's seeing a smelt school bust up at Pejar that looked more Tuna than trout, so we can only live in hope that it gets back to something like it was.

You mention Oberon. Any news from that neck of the woods? It was my next option before I get back to Thommos in a month or two

[Matt]

To be honest, I don't really know about Oberon. I have heard rumours of good Trout (and some nice Redfin too apparently) and from what I can gather it has recovered better than Pejar. But I haven't hit it personally yet, been meaning to go and start exploring it a little bit and get some first hand information just haven't got around to it.

Be good to see if it has recovered well, another Trout option close to Sydney (well, closer than my beloved Snowies anyway!) is always welcome.

Cheers

Windy

[luderick -angler]

First hand info Matt Oberon has fished well recently just on dusk with good bows being taken if you can get past the Redfin Oberon had always held good fish and you can now take a yak on it!!!! Restrictions on water craft for this waterway have been revised

[ving]

trout close to sydney? I heard a rumour that many years ago they stocked manly dam with trout.... lol. wonder if there is any truth to that.

[Matt]

Yes, they did stock it many many years ago with some Trout. Didn't too well though, not surprising as it isn't ideal climate.

Also stocked with Yellowbelly and the odd one shows up intermittently.

Windy

[Heymar]

Your right windy they did stock manly dam many years ago with trout. We caught 4 in a couple of weeks, tiny rainbows about 5inchs long. Haven't seen one since unfortunately. I thought they should have been able to survive in there it's definitely cold enough in the deeper parts for them to last the summer but I guess not. Caught a few yellas and silvers in there over the years too. My local haunt I grew up around the corner from the dam and have fished it religiously since I was about 2 with my old man. Great spot so close to home

Cheers,

Mark.