NSW
More than one way to catch cod NEW ENGLAND RIVERS
Adam Townsend
The New England area received some solid rainfall at the start of February. This gave the creeks and rivers a well-needed flush, as the water levels were sitting low and the snot weed was starting to build up pretty thick in some spots. With the summer season now over and autumn just kicking off, the fishing conditions will be noticeably different, with both the heat and algae levels sitting a lot lower now. It’s now more comfortable for anglers who want to head outdoors and spend some time on the water.
Swimbaits worked at a slower pace always catch their fair share of big fish this time of year. It is worth having one or two favourites in the tacklebox. bass over the eastern side of the range, all within a short drive of each other in country terms. The local impoundments have been fishing really well in recent weeks, and March should not be any different. Local keen anglers Dino and his son Mitchell Petrie had the experience of a lifetime while out on the water one
Head first down the hatch! Imagine what that yellowbelly thought when it had three big cod chasing it at once.
Mitchell Petrie with a cracking 96cm Murray cod that ate his 45cm golden perch mid-fight! At this time of year, the fishing opportunities amongst the Great Dividing Range are endless. Almost any of the creeks and rivers
from the Queensland border right down south will pretty much all hold some type of fish species, whether it is a stocked species or not.
You can encounter Murray cod, redfin perch, golden perch, silver perch, eel-tailed catfish, trout as well as carp in the odd rivers, and With some snot weed (didymo) still sitting in certain spots, it can be productive to use floating hardbodies or weedless frogs, which can be worked slowly above and through the weed beds.
Father and son duo David and Olly Henry with an awesome catch – a black marlin caught out of a kayak at South West Rocks. 76 MARCH 2023
afternoon. After hooking a 45cm golden perch, they witnessed three big Murray cod attacking the fish that had just been hooked, and within seconds, a chunky mid-90s cod had swallowed the yellowbelly head first. After fighting both fish and successfully landing them, they realised the cod had only been hooked by the yellowbelly’s dorsal fin! After a few quick pictures, both fish were released separately to fight another day. One thing’s for sure, you don’t get to experience something like that by sitting on the couch. The following are the New England dam levels (current at the time of writing): Glen Lyon Dam 94%, Copeton Dam - 88%,
Pindari Dam - 93%, Split Rock Dam - 100%, Keepit Dam - 93% and Chaffey Dam - 100%. With a handful of the local impoundments sitting below 100% capacity now, there are lots of positives as well as a couple of negatives to take out of it. The positives are more camping spots available along the dam’s edge, more structure to catch fish out of, and (if the fish are not biting) looking for lures along the banks in rocks and snags. This can be very fruitful. One of the negatives worth mentioning would be the really soft edges along the dam as the water first drops. This can usually bring a lot of keen anglers unstuck as they try to unload
and load their boat. To avoid this, it can be a good idea to stick to the boat ramps and main tracks for the first few days. With so much bait life around at the moment, and rivers and impoundments in such good condition, there has not been a standout lure amongst the rest, as most methods have been working well. Surface lures, hardbodies, spinnerbaits and swimbaits are all good options, however having a good variety of lures is always helpful for the right situation. The full moon will be above on the 7th of this month with the new moon falling on the 22nd. Goodluck to all getting outdoors this month and Tight-lines.
