Lithgow/Oberon

Last word at Lithgow

LITHGOW/OBERON Glen Stewart

stewie72@bigpond.com The time has come: I’m moving north to the Yeppoon area in central QLD, which means this report will be my last piece for Fishing Monthly magazine as the Lithgow/ Oberon correspondent.

It’s been a wonderful journey for me, ever since my good mate Alex Hickson handed me the reins all those years ago. To be able to communicate and interact with anglers, and to share some of those stories and pictures is indeed special.

The fishing media space has changed immensely in my time writing for Fishing Monthly, and it’s a testament to all the staff that the magazine still thrives. This publication reaches out to a broad range of anglers, from casual fishers who dangle a prawn off the pier once a month, right through to serious tournament anglers. It’s a time-tested formula for success that at its core has local Fishing Monthly correspondents across the

The author is looking forward to the challenges that lay ahead.

From page 64 there a plenty of bass in Glenbawn and St Clair to go round, it’s just a matter of getting them to bite!

Here’s what the jerkbait technique basically involves: do an accurate cast near the bank, over a weed edge, next to a laydown. Wind the jerkbait down, then pause. Keep the jerkbait on a semi-slack line for the pause. Vary the length of the pause from one to as long as 60 seconds. Then give the lure a couple of jerks, pause again while winding in the slack. It’s important when winding in the slack to not wind so much that you pull the lure. The lure needs to stay on a semi-slack line at this point. The bass will hit at any time, during the jerk but more often during the pause. Sensational fun and hang on!

Next month I will continue looking at winter fishing, in particular plastics. The winter bite is going to be insane. It’s my favourite time to fish, with late starts, good weather and fish biting all day. But 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. The ability of Fishing Monthly to reach a wide variety of anglers via its dedicated contributors is quite special.

country keeping everyone updated with all the good oil on what’s biting and what’s not. MAY FOR COD

Cooler water temperatures confine or restrict bait to shallower margins as we ease our way into May. This trend will continue as the weeks get into winter. The adage of finding the bait or finding the fish close by is a good one.

Wyangala has fished well over the warmer months but I’m expecting that catch rates will increase this month (especially on bigger cod) as more anglers hit the swimbait scene. It’s a steep learning curve for many but one that’s well worth the effort.

The learning goes both

Savvy cod anglers using this technology have it well and truly sorted. Reading the body language of a large cod on screen is front and centre to the operation.

Casting bigger soft plastics will be a growing trend in the swimbait scene for cod, especially in open water low-light feeding scenarios. The underwater acoustics or lack of in these big rubbers sets them apart from other baits especially in harder hit areas.

Windamere has a good population of cod and could be well worth checking out if you need a change of scenery. The weed will put a few anglers off but it’s key in a lot of cases to finding the bait and the cod. targeted presentations at those big slabs in brown overcoats that I see from time to time.

With a month to go before the trout season closes in the local streams and rivers, it’s a great time to get organized and go. I’ve not seen better trout fishing in the Fish River, the Duckmaloi, or the Turon in my time living in the area. All this could not have been possible without the hard-working people at various stocking groups working in conjunction with NSW Fisheries my hat is off to you all.

Seasons such as this are indeed rare fingers crossed weather patterns are kind and help foster the hard work that

The swimbait scene for cod is constantly evolving. Always keep in mind the learning goes both ways, and adjust accordingly.

ways. I’m not sure that too many anglers have included that in a game plan going forward. This is especially the case with modern technology. We are now able to see big cod in real time, and we can watch and react to what they do. I’m not sure that some anglers have realized that following a big cod around for an hour pestering it with all manner of presentations is a good thing. All we are doing is educating it to get away and stop feeding when a boat is present. BIG BROWNS

In a lot of ways, chasing big brown trout in Lake Lyell and Thompsons Creek Dam (TCD) is a lot like chasing bigger cod as the cooler weather kicks in. There is preference for feeding in low-light situations in shallow water which is very similar.

The bait is obviously a little smaller but not as much as you’d think. I’ve had a rethink on this over the last couple of years, and am looking forward to more deliberate has gone into distributing all those trout. SIGNING OFF

In signing off I’d just like to thank the many readers who have taken the time to correspond with me personally over the years via e-mail or in person on the water. It’s a very humbling experience to know that my writing has occasionally made a difference in some one’s life.

Hope to see you all on the water soon. Until then, tight lines.