Closed season for cod on rivers
A
From 9:30am to 12pm, the author and his wife are at the dam wall watching male cod set up their nesting sites.
N O T H E R lure and tackle show is over and, with that said, it’s time to recognise the Fernvale team who made it happen. A special thanks to all those who gave their time to make it work and a big shout out to Gary, with his usual commitment ensuring a successful Australian Lure and Fly Expo. Yet again, the lure makers excelled, and it was good to see all the stands with cashed up people looking to purchase that special lure. Given that it’s spring and conditions are good – with most storages up in the high 80 percent capacity – fishing should be good for the next six months. There’s movement
DAM LEVELS CURRENT AS OF 16/08/2023
DAMS Atkinson * Awoonga Bjelke-Petersen * Boondooma * Borumba * Burdekin Falls * Callide * Cania * Coolmunda * Dyer/Bill Gunn * Eungella * Fairbairn * Glenlyon * Hinze * Julius * Kinchant * Leslie * Macdonald * Maroon * Monduran/Fred Haigh * Moogerah * North Pine/Samsonvale * Peter Faust/Proserpine * Somerset * Teemburra * Tinaroo * Toonumbar Wivenhoe * Wuruma * Wyaralong *
PERCENTAGE APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
84 63 89 88 97 101 23 35 101 94 100 43 98 93 98 83 93 82 99 99 94 58 72 79 100 101 98 75 90 96
80 61 89 87 96 97 23 35 99 86 100 42 98 92 95 78 94 82 99 98 92 57 71 80 100 98 99 74 89 96
77 60 87 85 95 94 21 34 99 80 99 41 98 90 93 74 92 85 98 97 90 55 70 79 100 95 100 73 88 96
73 59 86 83 94 90 21 31 98 71 99 40 98 87 97 72 90 86 97 96 88 53 70 79 100 91 100 71 87 95
69 58 84 81 92 87 20 30 96 61 100 38 97 86 95 77 89 84 97 95 86 51 69 78 100 89 98 70 86 94
For updates on dams, visit sunwater.com.au or seqwater.com.au *This symbol indicates that a Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish these dams.
Page 80 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2023
Glenlyon Dam by BRIAN DARE
along the rock ledges around those storages, which have Murray cod on hand. The surface water temperature is now about 18C and this will rise over the next two months – bringing the big males out to feed after breeding is over. Brendan Vendt caught a nice 101cm cod that was tagged at 64cm in 2017 – that’s a growth rate of 37cm in five years and eight months – it was first tagged November 26, 2017, then caught July 29, 2023 at about nine years old. When we sat down and worked out the growth rate – Dr Stuart Rowland made comment on Glenlyon in his book The Codfather – this growth is still the same at 1.52lb a year or close to 0.5-1kg a year, which indicates good storage food supplied on a regular format. Most storages have
different catch prime times. With Glenlyon, it’s been found that there are three prime times. From a 5:30am rise and at your selected sight through to 9:30am, then return for a quick breakfast. Back on the water again at 11:30am until 2:45pm, then head in for lunch. Evening is a late start, from 5:45pm through to 9pm, and finally back to camp. Quite a few anglers don’t fish in the middle of the day, that’s their choice. But I, along with other regular anglers, do. This is because I’ve found humidity to be a prime inducer for cod to rise up and take hard-body lures, which troll well at 4m below the storage surface. With Glenlyon at near-full level, you need to fish in close to ledges that have a drop-off of 5m. * continued P81
If you want to see these big fish, you’ll need to bring a good pair of polarised sunglasses that take the glare off the water and a small pair of binoculars to zoom in on the fish you’re watching.
www.bnbfishing.com. au
