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 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.

May is a great time to take the kids fishing.

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

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 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 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. a tiny clump of twigs can hold an exceptional specimen.

SURROUNDS 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 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. 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.

The cod are hitting surface lures.

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

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 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.