Hunter Valley

HUNTER VALLEY Nick Price

The fishing in Glenbawn and St Clair is really picking up. With the warmer weather the water temperatures are rising and the fish are active, and they can be caught both on the edge and in the deeper water.

When fishing the edge, plastics and jerkbaits are still the go-to lures. The fish on the edge are the feeding fish and will be more accepting of a bait. Early morning and late afternoons in the low light conditions give the fish confidence to move to the edge. A windy day where there are small waves or ripples also changes the light as it refracts through the water and gives the fish confidence to move to the edge. I like to fish when there is a little bit of wind; it gives me confidence also! With the rising dams the water has inundated thick vegetation and the fish are in this vegetation. I like to fish weedless. There are a few different ways I fish weedless, depending on what’s underneath the water. If the terrain is rocky then I go with a weedless ned head and fish something like a Daiwa Bait Junkie which floats, and I hop the plastic down the rocky edge. The ned head and floating tail help the plastic sit vertically, and it must look like a little feeding baitfish with its head in the mud. The bass love it.

When fishing timber and weed I use a small 1/8oz or 1/6oz tungsten weight and a worm hook. Sometimes I peg the weight and sometimes I let it move freely. If fishing weed pockets I do not peg the weight as it allows the plastic to flutter down after the weight in a more natural fashion. I use any plastic that sinks, such as Sliders or Keitechs when fishing like this. I change the shape, length and colour of plastic often until I find what the fish are after. As talked about before, I will always try a chartreuse as they work well in both Glenbawn and St Clair.

The fish can also still be caught deep. Once the sun is up you should head deep, particularly if there is no wind. As per last month, fish plastics, ice jigs, blades or tail spinners. Find the fish on your sounder and then try different baits until you find what they are after. When looking for fish, go to deep water just off timber. The fish will often move out from the timber and sit in the shadow of the boat. Finding what they are biting on at that particular moment is the key!

One of the best things about bass fishing in Glenbawn is the variety of techniques you can use to catch them. When fishing plastics there are many different ways the plastic can be presented, and how you fish them can be the difference between an average day, a great day and a fantastic day. We are lucky enough to have a local guide who not only was pre-COVID ABT Angler of the Year who has won many bass and yellowbelly competitions, but more importantly he is a great down-to-earth country bloke. His name is Graham Ford and he runs Australian Inland Fishing Charters. If you are heading to Glenbawn and are struggling to catch fish, or just want to learn some new techniques, give Fordey a call. Fordey also works casually in the shop so drop in and pick his brains (or mine) if you’re driving past.

Next month I will focus on fishing the edge using spinnerbaits, and look at some of the different techniques and spinnerbaits to use. In the meantime, if you’re heading to Glenbawn or St Clair, you are welcome to drop in and ask about the different techniques. How plastics are presented is the key!

Going with a guide such as Fordey is not only fantastic fun but a great way to learn how to catch more fish.

From page 66 Lake Hume. As I write this, Lake Hume is sitting at a beautiful 81%, and is still on the rise. to late October, through to the end of November. However, you will start to pick golden perch up as early as the start of

A snapshot of Bell Bridge, on Lake Hume. In this photo the lake is sitting at just over 80%.

With such high levels, the lake should start to produce some fantastic numbers of golden perch, especially as it starts to get even warmer.

My favourite time of year in Lake Hume for golden perch is mid September if you’re willing to put some time and effort into finding them.

Rising lake levels are always good for edge bites, and often you’ll pick up great numbers of these fish once you get onto them. Like many places, you just have to key into their behaviour and feeding patterns to really crack the code. They can be frustrating to catch sometimes because they can be finicky and short striking, but with some time on the water and trying different things you’ll be keyed in before you know it.

Lake Hume usually fishes well across the whole lake. There are no real stand-out areas as such for me personally, however once you do find an area that is producing a few fish, generally there’s a reason for it and you will continue to get them there. A lot of the time it can be a confidence factor, and at other times it can be obvious based off what is around for fish to feed on, for example, bait schools, creek run-ins or structure.

Over the past few months, Lake Hume has also produced some fantastic numbers of trout. Most have been caught flat-line trolling, but some anglers have also had good results on the cast. There have been some crackingsized trout caught too; many locals are saying that it’s the best the lake has fished in years. It’s certainly shaping up to be a great spring, thanks to recent rainfalls. The whole area is beautifully green, Sight fishing for carp with minnows or small soft plastics is fun. During spring it’s not uncommon to see huge numbers of carp free swimming.

and many small creeks are back flowing again after not flowing for quite some time!

Over the past few months, COVID restrictions have made it very difficult for border residents to travel to fish. It’s been frustrating for all, and continues to be a challenge.

As the law sits currently, we can still get out and fish, luckily. While we can’t travel great distances, it’s still better than being in full lockdown mode.

At times, it’s small things such as being able to just go for a cast that we need to appreciate, so stay strong readers, and continue to dream about what’s to come. Tight lines!