NSW
XL cod are bulking up NEW ENGLAND RIVERS
Adam Townsend
If there were a set time to be on the water for only a few weeks of the year, for me, it would definitely have to be the month of July as it lies right in
in the New England, the fish numbers have started to dwindle along with the smaller natives. However, the fish being caught are making up for the quality and to be honest, I have not seen the Tablelands area fish as well and look this good in many years now.
major factor in why they have been fishing so well for several weeks now. Stable conditions usually make the fish a lot more relaxed and they seem to let their guards down more (presumably because they don’t have to continuously look for a new home or
The best time of year to be catching dream fish is in winter, when XL Murray cod are bulking up. This fish was caught in a couple of metres of water out of the kayak during the new moon.
A beautiful winter morning at Copeton Dam from seasons gone by. A rainbow shines as the sun rises from the mountains behind. the middle of the coldest part of the year, and this is where you will find those XL natives out and about looking for food as they bulk up for the spawning season in the months to come. With the consistent cold weather we have had
It gets me excited for what is to come for the rest of the winter. Both Copeton and Pindari dams have been sitting pretty steady since the floodwaters settled back in March, only fluctuating 1-2% between levels. I feel this is also a
find new structure). This has proved to be the case of late at Copeton. With the dam currently sitting at around the 41% mark, the water is covering old fishing haunts again and is also back up over the old wattle trees in some places. This has created some
This cod really wanted this 380mm lure, eating it head first.
Surface lures are very productive in winter for both cod and the odd by-catch yellowbelly, and are a really good option during low light periods. The Kingfisher Timber Paddlers put out an awesome noise and catch their fair share of big winter cod. 72
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good opportunities for the baitfish to get up into and hide, and the big Murray cod and golden perch are never too far behind. Fishing in depths of 5m or less and casting into shallow bays and/or wattle trees can be very effective at this time of year, especially if you can plan a trip out to the dam around one of the two bigger moon phases. With the new moon
on the 10th of this month and the full moon on the 24th, I recommend planning your trip around one of those moons if you can. Although my favourite moon is the full, I have enjoyed some crazy sessions in complete darkness when the big cod have been up in the shallows smashing anything that is in their way, including massive
lures almost up to 400mm. Lure choices do not always play a massive factor. As long as your lure choice looks realistic and is being worked methodically, you should have a very good chance whether it be a topwater lure, chatterbait or even a preferred swimbait. Don’t forget to just keep on casting because it will only be a matter of time if the effort is put in. Pindari Dam has been fishing as well in recent weeks, just without the quality of fish that Copeton seems to hold. Still, with the bigger carp around these days and their numbers growing rapidly in there, it will only be a matter of time before the cod start eating these as a main food source instead of shrimp/yabbies, and bulk up quicker than ever. If you pay attention while fishing out there, some days you can see the carp free swimming under the kayak or boat along the edges of the dam in big numbers, and casting into these areas has proved to be fruitful in past fishing trips. Pindari Dam is currently sitting at around half of its capacity at 50%. The local rivers are also in beautiful condition and are fishing well of late. Just like the impoundments, the fish numbers have started slowing down but there have still been some quality cod being caught. It is very hard to throw anything else other than surface lures this time of year in the rivers as the cod find topwater very appealing in the colder weather, especially realistic lures that match the hatch such as frogs, reptiles (wakebait) or waterhens To page 73
