Hunter Valley

Big, fat winter bass!

HUNTER VALLEY Nick Price

The winter bite is currently insane, with big, angry bass. As predicted, the bass in Glenbawn are growing fast and have become big, powerful brutes. ways, from out on deep suspended fish to weedless plastics in tight cover.

Before we start, however, I’d like to give a big congratulations to the members of Aberdeen Fishing Club who (along with the Dollar For Dollar program) recently released 12,000 bass fingerlings there should be a very good survival rate for these fingerlings. PLASTICS DOWN DEEP

This month I will look at catching the deep schooled fish using plastics. The fish will be found schooled off points, along rock walls or on flats. Look in these areas

The Brains Trust from Aberdeen Fishing Club, which recently released 12,000 bass fingerlings into Glenbawn.

Last month I focused on jerkbaits, which have been producing big fish. Over the next two issues I will look at plastics fishing. Winter is plastics time, and these baits can be fished in a variety of into Glenbawn. These fish were spread out throughout the dam, with members taking them out in boats and releasing them in suitable cover. With all the inundated vegetation and ample food sources, but also keep an eye on your sounder when moving from spot to spot. Once you’ve found the fish, try a variety of techniques until you find what the fish are biting on, including using blades, tail spinners, ice jigs or plastics. If a school doesn’t bite or stops biting, move onto another school.

When fishing plastics to suspended school fish you can either fish

vertically or horizontally. I always try vertically first. Drop the plastic down and slowly wind up through the fish. Keep an eye on your sounder and watch what the fish do when the plastic moves up through the school. Are they interested? If not, perhaps you entice a reaction bite by jerking or dropping the rod tip, or another change in retrieve. Try a variety of things to try to induce a strike. If you’re feeling confident,

try winding your reel backwards (a trick used by a select few anglers).

When fishing horizontally the trick is to cast to the school and then keep the plastic at the correct depth. This is made much easier with a sounder like the Garmin Panoptix where you can watch your plastic. Again, it also allows you to watch the response to the plastic from the fish.

I like to use a 7g or 1/4oz jighead when casting out to schooled fish. This heavier jighead allows the plastic to track straight through the water column for a bit longer before it starts to rise. Often the fish move under the boat because it provides cover in the form of shade, so you may find it necessary to keep moving the boat off the fish and then casting back to the fish. Again, keep an eye on your sounder.

The size of plastics matters when chasing these fish. Sometimes the fish want a 2” plastic with a slim profile, while at other times they want a larger 3” plastic, or even a 3” cut down!

When it comes to colour I always throw a natural colour and a chartreuse plastic. Generally, I find the fish want one or the other. Size and colour definitely matter when throwing plastics. I always put scent on my plastics in winter, too. I keep the scent in my pocket so it stays warm and easy to use. It definitely makes a difference.

Next month I will continue looking at winter fishing, with the second instalment of fishing plastics, specifically fishing plastics shallow using weedless and dropshot techniques.

Remember if you’re heading to Glenbawn or St Clair, please drop into the shop at the turnoff to Glenbawn in Aberdeen and ask about the different techniques and what they are biting on. We stock all the quality tackle that you need.Bass are in fantastic condition with the rise in water and abundant food.

Graham Ford from Australian Inland Fishing Charters with a thumping Glenbawn bass.

Jerkbaits and plastics are the go-to over winter.