NSW
Quality fish on swimbaits NEW ENGLAND RIVERS
Adam Townsend
There is a lot happening in the New England on the fishing scene at the moment, despite the trout closure. The closure will continue until the October long weekend
these waterways is now prohibited. The Beardy River as well as upper Macintyre, Deepwater and Wellingrove rivers just to name a few will be completely closed for this 3-month period, however there are still some major waterways that are fishable. The Severn
above Copeton. It is the bigger native species such as Murray cod and golden perch that seem to be on everyone’s agenda during the winter months, as the natives start bulking up for their own spawn period in the weeks to come. Since the early morning frosts really
Rugging up and staying warm is the biggest key to having good success. Here’s one tip I have learnt over the years fishing the impoundments: if you can get yourself out of bed at least two hours before the sun breaks and stay up and active, you will end up being a lot warmer than waking up on daybreak. That’s because the coldest part of the morning is actually just before the sun pops its head over the hill, sucking the cold air off the ground. I have also found that the hours between 4am and 9am have been my most productive times for catching 1m+ cod in July. At the time of writing, Copeton Dam is at 98% and Pindari Dam is at 100%. Both dams have
Golden perch are usually not the intended target species during the winter, but they are fun to catch on any style of lure.
A beautifully-conditioned Murray cod caught on a slowly worked swimbait in the river just before dark. kicked in, the temperatures have stayed consistently cold, with some nights getting well below zero, and this is what seems to trigger the XL natives to be out actively hunting. July is one of those months where braving the conditions can be really worth it, especially when you catch that fish of a lifetime. However, it is also the coldest time of the year in Australia, so having the right gear is essential, not just the tackle you are using but your clothing as well.
Looking for baitfish and other action on the surface can sometimes lead you to a hot bite. After seeing baitfish milling around, one cast in the middle of the action was enough to find this greedy golden that ate a slowly worked swimbait.
The Megabass Garuda swimbait doesn’t look like the conventional golden perch lure, however with half a dozen captures, it has proven effective on both Murray cod and goldens in winter. (3-month spawn period), and during this time a lot of the smaller systems are shut down so to speak, and targeting of any species in 70
JULY 2022
River, both above and below Pindari Dam, can still produce some nice fish at this time of year, as well as the Gwydir River
The author’s greatest Murray cod capture and the biggest ‘swimbait’ fish he ever landed. It was 121cm of Copeton Dam Murray cod on a foggy morning this time of year, on the 16th of July to be exact!
been sitting around full capacity for several weeks now and as mentioned in previous reports, it can only be a good thing when the impoundments have had time to settle without water levels fluctuating too dramatically. The fish are always more comfortable, feeding in familiar patterns, and it’s easier for anglers to load and unload boats, due to the hardened surfaces along the dams’ edge. This time of year is my favourite time to be walking along the banks of the impoundments casting surface and sub-surface lures, looking for Murray cod as well as the odd by-catch golden perch. As always, I would recommend having a variety of lures in your tacklebox so you can cover most situations pretty easily. However, if I had to choose only one lure, it would be a small swimbait that slowly floats in the water column. I have always felt the longer you can keep the bait in the fishes’ face, than the bigger the chance of it getting eaten. Chin-weights definitely have their time and place, however with the fish sitting higher in the water column during the colder periods, it is easier keeping the bait high and, in their face, as well. Paying attention to any type of bait-life milling around on surface can sometimes put you in the right location, then it just comes down to patience, fishing slow and hoping the fish will do the rest. The larger moon phases are also something to consider this month, with the full moon on 14 July, and the new moon falling at the end of the month, on 29 July. Good luck to all braving the cold this month, and tight lines.
