Go and get knotted. I’m not being rude at all. What I am saying is that how you tie a knot is one of the most important actions when you are setting up your gear to catch fish.
For example, did you know that you need to use different knots when braiding a mono? There is no worse feeling than when you finally hook up to that trophy fish only for your knot to let go and the fish escape.
So, what to do? Get yourself a knot-tying guidebook that contains all you will need to know about knotting. There is more than what you learn at Scouts. A good knot-tying guide will have easy-to-follow diagrams of what knot can be used and where, as well as what type of line to join lines, such as a mono leader to a braid main line.
So make sure you get well knotted before you go and wet a line.
Let’s look around our neck of the woods. The past week has been a good one; anglers have reported good results in the region’s rivers, with both cod and yellowbelly on the bite.
Despite the variable weather, the rainfall did not affect river levels and water clarity to any great extent, so the fish were taking bait and lures. Meanwhile, Eildon continues to be one of the top locations to catch a variety of fish. Native fish and trout and redfin have been on the bite.
I had the good fortune of meeting a local at the weekend who shares a love of fishing at Dartmouth; he has a teenage daughter who also loves fishing; she attends Notre Dame College, so I wish her well with her studies and with her fishing.
I have a great love of fishing at the Dart, not because of the fishing but because it is one of the most picture-perfect spots in our state, especially when there is snow on the surrounding hills.
Even at this time of year, the trout are near the surface, so you don’t need a lot of weight to reach the fish. The best time of the day is still early morning and dusk.
Just about anywhere on the lake is good for fishing around the boat ramp and the trees in that bay, as well as Larson’s Cutting and both the Mitta Mitta arm and the Dart’s arms.
As for accommodation, you can stay in either a motel, caravan park, cabin or van, or if you are the hardy type, you can camp on the shore of the lake itself.
There is a hotel in the town that sells good meals, and there is a hamburger shop and a general store. Yes, there is a lot to like about Dartmouth, and it is not just the fishing; there is something for everyone.
The cod season closes at the end of August and the trout season reopens on September 7.
There are still plenty of fish on the bite in the irrigation channels, and they should not be ignored; between Shepparton and Rushworth, reports of yellowbelly biting on hard-body lures such as those with a rattle are coming in — the trick is to vary the way you retrieve your lure.
Make sure you cast to structures where yellowbelly like to ambush their prey.
Now, let’s head south to the salt water at Queenscliff. Rod Lawn from Adamas Fishing Charters said the snapper season was drawing closer while, at present, he was catching resident pinky-size fish. He expects the bigger fish to start to make an appearance within the next month or so. Rod said fishing outside the heads along the reefs off Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads was good. He was still getting good hauls inside the bay as far north as St Leonards and Mornington.
Rod said the action was not confined to snapper; he was also catching flathead, salmon, whiting, squid and couta.
Fishing in Western Port Bay was similar. The best spots were along the shipping lanes around Hastings and the steelworks.
Gummy sharks were biting on fresh squid and fillets of fish. The best location was the deep water off Cowes on the run-out tide.
North of the NSW border at both Eden and Narooma, Graham Cowley at the latter and John Liddell at the former said offshore fishing was slow, while bottom bouncing the inshore reefs was providing anglers with good hauls of table fish, including snapper, morwong, flathead, gurnard, gummy sharks and kingfish.
Finally, let me finish with a whale of a story; stop me if you have heard this. An angler fishing out of his tinnie with a mate off the mouth of the Tweed ended up in hospital after a humpback whale struck him in the head with its tail. A true story — nothing fishy about that.
Stay safe and good fishing.