Fishing Monthly Magazine | May 2023

Page 73

NSW

Catching quality cod off the surface CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

‘Magic May’ is upon us here in Canberra and, as always, there’s a plethora of fishing options for locals looking to pick up a freshwater native in the local lakes. There

caught of late, there have been plenty of rats feeding close to the shoreline from Batemans Bay up as far as Conjola. While the fish are no longer hitting surface lures with the same enthusiasm as they did in the summer months, they are still on the bite and it can’t be long before the big fish

Small pelagics are hanging around the ledges at the South Coast

May is a great time to take the kids fishing. are also plenty of saltwater options for those willing to make the short journey from the ACT down to the South Coast of NSW. For me, May is all about two species: big cod on surface lures and kingfish off the rocks. Given the excellent weather, I am expecting a bumper month for cod fishing. The big goodoo look to put on plenty of size in preparation for the freezing conditions that will inevitably hit the region in a few months’ time. A lot of areas have been fished heavily throughout the early stages of cod season 22/23, so the fish have wised up to a lot of the usual suspects like spinnerbaits, so the trick will be to cast something the cod won’t have seen. The kingies have hung around a little later than usual, and while there haven’t been many fish of serious size

turn up in good numbers. This will make for superb fishing before the cold sets in. LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin is fishing well. One thing I really enjoy about fishing in May on LBG is that the redfin tend to really fire for a few weeks, which gives me an

With such a huge variety of species to target and many waterways to fish, as well as little to no heat during the middle of the day now, May can be one of the better times of

the year to be out exploring the New England rivers or impoundments. Redfin and trout are plentiful, and we have been seeing some good catches of late. With many trout streams closing

opportunity to get my kids onto plenty of fish during short sessions in between inclement weather. Like the bigger natives, redfin tend to feed up through May and on LBG, it is a case of finding the older structures which line the lake and casting beetle spins of small divers near structure to attract a solid red. The concrete wall behind the yacht club is a great place to start. The pontoons on the opposite side of the yacht club are also a great spot to cast a line for redfin, and also golden perch. Speaking of golden perch, the resident population of goldens tend to tail the reddies as the water cools. If the reds are on the bite in a particular

spot, there will most likely be a few yellas hanging around, and these fish will take the same lures used to chase reds. Lake Ginninderra is a

Carp are ever present and feeding up in our local lakes.

Golden perch are feeding up in preparation for winter.

The cod are hitting surface lures. next month to fishing for the 3-month spawn period (starting after the June long weekend), now is the time to make the most of the opportunities while they are here.

Not bad for an after-work fishing session! Luke Brooks caught this cracking New England redfin after only a few casts.

good option as the weed issue is not quite as prevalent as it has been in recent months and therefore, the natives can be targeted from the shore as well as from a boat/kayak. A creature bait attached to a ned rig worked slow along the bottom is a great tactic to employ when fishing the points and will result in plenty of hits from golden perch and redfin. The surface fishing has also been good with anglers catching small to medium sized cod on paddler-style lures fished along the flats. Late May represents the best time to try for a giant golden perch, with the 100m from Diddams Close to the dam wall being a great spot to slow roll wriggler-style plastics in search of a yellow football. Lake Tuggeranong did have a significant algae outbreak a few weeks back but that has cleared to an extent thanks to some rain during April. There have been so many small to medium sized golden perch caught over the last few weeks by anglers fishing right across the lake. However, there are areas which do seem more profitable. The small rock wall behind the College is a top spot to flick vibes and blades for cruising yellas, while the spillway continues to produce good fishing. There have also been plenty

of cod caught on surface lures by anglers fishing the points at dawn and dusk from boats and kayaks. The Murrumbidgee River has been a bit hit-and-miss lately, and this is because it still hasn’t settled completely after recent rain. That said, the fishing should get better and better in the coming weeks

a tiny clump of twigs can hold an exceptional specimen. SURROUNDS Googong Dam is pumping. The redfin are feeding up along the margins of the dam, the golden perch are hitting lures along the drop-offs in the middle of the dam, and the cod are hitting surface lures. I first wrote about the surface fishing on Googong Dam a few years ago now but, for the most part, it has remained on the downlow as anglers shied away from posting cod caught on surface. This is starting to change though, with several metre fish landed by anglers targeting the shallow areas of the dam where the Murray cod are actively hunting the redfin. Photos of these fish are on social media and are causing plenty of excitement. Lastly, I do want to make mention of the pelagic fishing on the South Coast. I have spent the last few weeks making several day trips to the coast and hitting the rock ledges. I have caught

This redfin was caught around old structure on Lake Burley Griffin. as the fish move from the faster water into the slower pools. As mentioned in my introduction, casting lures which the fish may not have seen this season is the best way to fool a river giant, but be prepared to put the hours in and work every snag. Even

plenty of salmon, bonito and kingfish, along with small tuna. It is a case of casting deep divers which best mimic a ‘yakka’, as these small baitfish are in plague proportions at present, and the bigger species can’t get enough of them. MAY 2023 73


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GEN III

0
pages 118-119

Edencraft 233 Formula with Twin 300HP Mercurys

2min
pages 116-117

DUO The Captain Risky Coota comeback

6min
pages 112-114

Open on Lake Awoonga

2min
page 111

Team Tracker win Venom BARRA Australian

2min
page 110

Tagging Tales

3min
pages 108-109

Ewen Maddock Fish Stockers Teams Tournament

0
page 108

A day with Carl Jocumsen: Bassmaster Classic

8min
pages 106-107

Dry, hot summer punishes winter freshwater fish

7min
pages 104-105

Billfishing remains steady LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…   INTUITIVE CONTROL

3min
page 103

A sea of blue swimmers

3min
page 102

Durable Oztent AT-6 Air Tent

2min
page 101

Offshore antics running amok this autumn

1min
page 101

Better boating in May

2min
page 100

Changing targets set for the cold

4min
page 99

Fishing choices are endless

2min
page 98

Salmon are slow running

5min
page 97

It’s an autumn pink paradise

3min
page 96

Lots to do for land-based anglers

1min
page 96

Productive fresh and salt outings

5min
page 95

Get ready: May is jumbo tuna time

4min
page 94

Big trout numbers being reported

5min
page 93

The friends we made along the way

3min
page 92

Stocked fish are stacking on the pounds for winter

3min
page 91

Lake Wendouree’s trout are biting

4min
page 90

Anglers descending on cod central at Mulwala

2min
page 89

Hunting yellowbelly over freshly-flooded edges

2min
page 89

Native species are taking a back seat this autumn

3min
page 88

It is time to think big

3min
page 86

Quintrex Freestyler X

3min
pages 84-85

Big schools of fish are throughout the system

0
page 84

A bumper season in review

5min
page 83

Change tactics in the cold

1min
page 82

Astronomical numbers of bream

3min
page 82

Record dusky flathead stocking

0
page 81

Protecting the future of fisheries

4min
page 80

Best baits at the best times

4min
page 79

May is better than you might think

3min
page 78

NSW DPI and VFA team up to fight fishing crime

2min
page 77

Soft plastics are picking up plenty of pinkies

4min
pages 76-77

Remember to keep your cool if you hook a beast

2min
page 75

It’s been great weather for chasing bluefin tuna

1min
page 75

Favourable fishing results for keen lure casters

1min
page 74

Getting stuck into quality tuna

2min
page 74

Catching quality cod off the surface

4min
page 73

Time to get out and enjoy the autumn weather

2min
page 72

Finding right depth for active fish

2min
page 72

May the cod be with us?

2min
pages 70-71

Late season stream trout bounty

2min
page 70

There is still good fishing to be had around Tathra

1min
pages 68-69

Sea temperatures are still warm

1min
page 68

Things are still holding up

4min
page 66

Hunting out the best spots in May

5min
page 65

Enjoying the autumn mornings on the water

5min
page 64

Locals taking on the torpedoes

3min
page 63

Autumn fun for Central Coast shore-based anglers

1min
page 62

Autumn sessions off the stones

3min
page 61

First class flathead fishing action

2min
page 60

Plenty of productive days in store

3min
page 59

Looking back on great pelagic run

2min
page 58

Catching whoppers off the walls

4min
pages 56-57

Bountiful autumn transition period

5min
pages 54-55

Bread and butter on the chew

3min
page 53

Latest releases from Daiwa

2min
page 52

Anglers are working towards consistent fishing

1min
page 52

Good value in the Okuma Ceymar HD spin reels

3min
page 51

THE FREEDOM To Escape.

5min
pages 48-50

Gary’s Marine Centre

4min
pages 46-47

Last chance to catch warm weather species

5min
page 46

Vale Jack Beattie

1min
page 45

National Recreational Fishing Survey of 2019-21

9min
pages 42-45

Epic wet season will spell a great dry season

2min
pages 40-41

May Mayhem to come

2min
page 39

Impressive angling in FNQ

2min
page 38

Clean waters make for great bags

1min
page 38

Cool weather transitions

2min
page 37

Don’t pack away the barra gear!

3min
page 36

Best of both seasons

5min
pages 34-35

Time to catch XOS fish on live baits

5min
pages 32-33

Women spearheading recreational fishing

1min
page 31

Why fish passage is vital for fish migration

0
page 31

How boat ramp surveys help our fisheries

1min
page 30

PROVEN WORLD LEADING ANCHOR DESIGNS

2min
pages 28-29

Change of season is a great time!

1min
page 28

Excellent fishing across the board

4min
pages 26-27

Layer up for autumn sessions

9min
pages 24-25

Taxman has arrived early

1min
pages 22-23

Mack attack through May

4min
pages 18-21

The big push for winter species

2min
pages 16-17

A boat called Compromise

3min
pages 14-15

Hunting for redfin

5min
pages 8-11
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