One week of winter is gone, and we have so far enjoyed a mild and mainly dry start to the season.
But that is sure to change. It has been wet north of the border in NSW and Queensland, and it will undoubtedly get wet this side of the Murray as well.
What rain we have had has caused small rises in our rivers, and the effect on fishing has been only minor.
In the Goulburn, fishing baits around the bank and snags should give anglers an opportunity to get a bite or two.
I have always said a rising river is the best waterway to fish, as it provides fresh feeding grounds for fish.
Reports from anglers say cod, yellowbelly and other fish have been caught along the banks; about a metre from the water’s edge is where you should cast your bait, either among the snags or other obstacles along the river edge.
Fresh bait such as small yabbies, worms and even cheese or chicken are best this time of the year. You might find shrimp and even yabbies are not available due to the cold, so use whatever bait you can get your hands on. Scrub worms or garden worms are best, but don’t discard any of the others.
You can try lures, such as a diving one in a frog pattern, dark green with black spots. I have found this to be one of the best at this time of year. Surface lures, such as poppers, used just on dusk, or soft plastics, are all worth trying for cod, both big and small fish. Redfin have slowed down at Waranga Basin and Eildon, but I did hear of several anglers bagging out with good-sized fish taken with worms and lures at Lake Eppalock near Bendigo.
Speaking of Eppalock, it is fed from the basin and the channels.
Eppalock is the haunt of the ‘Yellowbelly Demon’ (Mick) from the Rushworth area. However, he said it was still early in the season for the yellows to be on the bite.
With the first snowfall this week, the trout at Dartmouth have started to move to the surface. During the day, they can be found later in the morning until lunchtime. Trolling a Ford Fender with a bait or lure should result in good catches in both Dartmouth and Eildon.
I know I have said this many times, but I prefer the Dart for a number of reasons.
It is nowhere as crowded as Eildon, which attracts many anglers from Melbourne, while Dartmouth is more remote. You can stay at Mitta or the town of Dartmouth; there is a caravan park, motel, or house to lease, and you can also camp on the shore of the dam itself. There are some facilities, such as a long drop toilet and fireplaces.
It's time to head south to saltwater fishing. Rod Lawn from Adamas Fishing Charters at Queenscliff said the past week in his neck of the woods had been fishing well, with resident pinky-size snapper providing anglers with enough action to keep them interested.
He said while the snapper were on the bite, so were the seals, which were taking every second fish that was being hooked. In addition to the snapper, Rod said he was bagging whiting around the entrance to Swan Bay and White Lady marker. He said the best bait for whiting was squid; he gave the squid a good pounding with a meat tenderiser before baiting his hook. He said the trick to getting whiting was to fish the sandy patches between the seaweed. Furthermore, he was also catching squid using artificial lures and baited jigs; the best spots were between the jetty at Point Lonsdale and the ferry terminal, and on the opposite side of the heads.
Outside the heads, the inshore reefs off Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads were also worth fishing, and the submarine dive wrecks were worth fishing for small whole squid and salmon fillets for gummy sharks. The salmon can be caught on the run-out tide in the rip; look for birds diving on the bait balls.
The fishing in Western Port Bay is also worth fishing, and the channel rubble off Hastings is worth trying.
North of the NSW border at Eden, Mark from Freedom Charters said he was bagging snapper, morwong and other reef fish between Boyd’s Lookout and Green Cape. He said there were also schools of kingfish but little action off the shelf.
Further up the coast at Narooma, Graham Cowley said now the weather had settled down, the fishing had improved, and snapper, morwong and other reef fish were being caught off Montague Island. He said when it was too rough to go outside, blackfish, bream and flathead were being caught around the oyster leases.
Well, that is it for this week; good fishing and stay safe.