OLD
Cold brings on the cod TOOWOOMBA
Jason Ehrlich fishability1@bigpond.com
We will really be feeling the cold this month and the fish will be suffering the same fate. Water temperatures drop, thermoclines disappear and the lake’s core becomes a consistent temperature. With the disappearance of the thermocline, oxygen levels can be found very deep and this allows the fish to move right through the water column. They will still have their preferred depths dictated by food, comfort
and the availability of light. It is a time of year where fish, which like warmth will seek out even the slightest temperature rise. Barramundi can be found in ridiculously shallow water where they soak up the sun’s warmth. Winter days can also bring on clear water conditions. Some of the lakes, which had an influx earlier in the year may clear a bit more. The clearer lakes can go gin clear and this calls for more stealth when approaching fish. Presentations which are more subtle will still attract the attention of fish when they are able to rely heavily on their eyesight for hunting. Keep your
SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND CRESSBROOK CLOSEST TOWN: CROWS NEST The fishing is pretty tough at Cressbrook over the winter months. Occasionally you can score a good day where the bass want to chew. Schooling fish in 5-9m of water are a good daytime option but are pretty hard to find. These fish can be tempted with soft plastics and smaller profile spoons and metal jigs.
Last year they were pretty keen on the bigger spoons too and the 30g Raptor Jig was a standout. I haven’t heard of too many caught on Raptors this winter and the colder it gets, the less likely it is to happen. They should however be the standout lure at the end of winter and beginning of spring. Edge fishing is the other option at Cressbrook and seems to produce plenty of smaller bass for each good
louder, flashier lures for the stained waters. It’s the time of year to pull out your warm clothes and dust off the cod gear. The big fish come out to play during the middle of winter prior to settling in to their nesting sites. The frisky fish feed up and can be found holding together in groups. Some lakes may have dirty water not ideally suited to luring while others are ready to produce some excellent fishing. Copeton, in northern NSW, seems like the place to be, but Queensland may have something to offer. Read on! Until next month, buckled rods from The Colonel. one. The reaction style lures, which were working can now be replaced with something a little more subtle. Suspending jerkbaits and soft plastics are probably going to be the standouts. The fishing on the edges are going to be best in the mornings. Try to avoid the days with strong westerly winds as it seems to shut them down a bit. Quite a few golden perch were getting in on the action prior to winter. These fish will go a bit quiet over winter but
Matt Taylor used the ‘big lure, big fish’ theory to fool this Wivenhoe bass. The lake continues to fish well, if you can find them.
Gary’s Marine Centre
3201 6232
217 Pine Mountain Road, BRASSALL 46
JULY 2021
Use your sounder to get the most out of your session. Murray cod can be found in small groups leading up to their breeding season. should make their presence felt when things start to warm up again. • Fish’n’Bits in Toowoomba has all the gear and tips on how to chase the Cressy fish. They are an excellent store specialising in all freshwater lures and tackle. The dam hours are 7am to 6pm over the winter months. SOMERSET CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY It’s a typical winter at Somerset. The fish are pretty hard to entice even when they are found in good numbers. There are quite a few schools on the drop offs just outside the main riverbed. These fish can be found from Pelican Point right up to the Kirkleigh timber in smaller spread out gatherings. Some days they will have a bit of a chew but usually they are ridiculously tough to get a bite out of. Spoons and metal jigs seem to be the most reliable lures to get fish to bite. It really is a hard time to pinpoint a favourite lure though and fish will also take blades, soft plastics and mask vibes. Fish a little bit slower than normal if you are on the fish and keep that lure close to bottom. Some winters, ice jigs come into their own. It has been a few years now since they went nuts over them so hopefully we see them getting the bites again. They are always worth a try vertically on fresh patches of bass. The Smak ice jigs are the best out there in my opinion so make sure you always carry a few in your box. It’s not my favourite way to fish but if it is working, I’ll run with it. The healthier weed edges around the lake may be worth an early to mid-morning flick with suspending jerk baits. Some good weed was growing around Pelican Point and I reckon it is worth closer
investigation. • Somerset Fishing has their store based at the area above the day use boat ramp. The store is open over holidays and otherwise from Thursday to Sunday. Orders can also be made online via the website www.somersetfishing.com. au. They have an excellent range of gear suited to fishing for bass and golden perch. WIVENHOE CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, LOWOOD The fishing has slowed at Wivenhoe but if you are prepared to have a look around, you should be able to find some deeper bass schools on the flats. These fish can take a long time to locate as they are very mobile and at times they aren’t bunched together. Trolling hardbodies seems
your selection. Colours can make all the difference so mix it up when you find the fish to see what they want to eat the most. The flats within sight of Billies Bay are a good starting point. The boat ramp at Billies Bay is out of action due to low water levels but you can still slide a kayak down to the water. If you are boating, you need to launch at Logans Inlet and make the trip around. Allow a good hour to get there and home as the speed limit is 6 knots. Wivenhoe edges can produce reasonable numbers of fish over the winter months. The medium sloping banks near Billies Bay and either side of Platypus Cliffs are worth exploring with silent lipless crankbaits and suspending jerk baits.
Trolling hardbodies is usually slow over the winter months. The Wivenhoe bass don’t seem to mind it though. to work well right through winter at Wivenhoe and is a great way to explore when you think you are in a fishy area. Last month, trolled lures were a standout and kept catching even when cast offering were failing. Lures that dive 6-10m can be used and the depth of the water and the depth fish are holding should dictate
If the fish are there in numbers on the sounder, move out a little wider from the edge and hit them with soft plastics as well. There are boating restrictions in place. If you are petrol powered, you need to have a 4-stroke or low emissions outboard and travel at 6 knots when on this lake.
