New England Rivers

NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam

Townsend As we head into August for 2021, the rivers are flowing nicely from recent rainfalls and the impoundments are slowly filling up, seeing the country in awesome condition as we head into the last month of the Murray cod season.

August is a good time of year to be out and about with the cooler, lengthening days, however it also leaves us with only four weeks left of targeting Murray cod before the official spawning closure period which starts 1 September One of the best yellowbelly lures to be throwing at this time of year: the Mazzy Vib in brown frog colour.

A chunky yellowbelly caught during the last Murray cod spawning period. Fishing the right sized lures limits Murray cod by-catch.

(and finishes 1 December). If you want to get out and catch a cod, this is the time to be on the water making the most of it.

Copeton Dam is still one of the more popular waterways for activities at this time of year, with plenty of water about for the families and kids as well as good-sized fish still being caught on both lures and bait. With another change of season fast approaching, it will not be too long before the golden perch start to fire back up again in good numbers, which keeps things interesting; there is always something happening at Copeton. It is pretty hard to beat targeting Murray cod at sunrise and then soaking in some warm sun while chasing yellowbelly only a short time after or even just relaxing in good weather.

For the golden perch, it is difficult to go past the Mazzy Vibs at this time of year right through to the end of spring, as they match the hatch perfectly and replicate the baitfish well, which will become more abundant in weeks to come. For the Murray cod, swimbaits and chatterbaits have still been the stand-out lures of late. With the stable weather patterns around, topwater lures have been raising some good-sized fish as well, however the hook-up rates never seem to be as good as a swimbait that can sit in front of a cod’s face a lot longer. Just be confident in the gear

you are throwing and fish it slow. Copeton Dam is currently sitting at just under the 49% mark.

Pindari Dam has also been producing some quality fish this winter between the Murray cod and other perch species. With all the rain we were receiving in winter in 2019, the dam was sitting at over full capacity. However, at the moment it’s around the 58% mark (as it was last year), so there are a lot of exposed banks, which also means there’s lots of structure to actively target fish around.

The Severn River has been fishing well in recent weeks despite the colder weather and windy conditions. Working lures across the deeper sections of the pools, and the tops and bottoms of weed beds, seem to be most productive methods of late. Most lure types will still catch fish in their right conditions; however, I think with the cold-water

temperatures, slower retrieves are definitely the key. This is where the more natural presentations really pay off at this time of year, such as frog-style lures and/or wakebaits (waterdragon style lures).

The Beardy River is fully closed for trout breeding season (local DPI Fisheries have been present, making sure people are doing the right thing). There are also several other rivers around the New England Tablelands including parts of major river systems such as the Severn, Macintyre and Gwydir rivers etc which are closed or partly closed. Check the DPI website for more information if needed.

Good luck for the last month of cod season. Tight lines and I will see you on the water somewhere.

It’s the last month to fish the rivers for Murray cod.

Golden perch in dams can be a lot of fun when the cod are quiet and the rivers are closed for the spawning period.