Freshwater

TOOWOOMBA Jason Ehrlich

fishability1@bigpond.com

We will really be feeling the cold this month and the fish will be suffering the same fate. Water temperatures drop, thermoclines disappear and the lake’s core becomes a consistent temperature. With the disappearance of the thermocline, oxygen levels can be found very deep and this allows the fish to move right through the water column.

They will still have their preferred depths dictated by food, comfort and the availability of light. It is a time of year where fish, which like warmth will seek out even the slightest temperature rise. Barramundi can be found in ridiculously shallow water where they soak up the sun’s warmth. Winter days can also bring on clear water conditions. Some of the lakes, which had an influx earlier in the year may clear a bit more. The clearer lakes can go gin clear and this calls for more stealth when approaching fish. Presentations which are more subtle will still attract the attention of fish when they are able to rely heavily on their eyesight for hunting. Keep your louder, flashier lures for the stained waters.

It’s the time of year to pull out your warm clothes and dust off the cod gear. The big fish come out to play during the middle of winter prior to settling in to their nesting sites. The frisky fish feed up and can be found holding together in groups. Some lakes may have dirty water not ideally suited to luring while others are ready to produce some excellent fishing. Copeton, in northern NSW, seems like the place to be, but Queensland may have something to offer. Read on!

Until next month, buckled rods from The Colonel.

CRESSBROOK

CLOSEST TOWN:

CROWS NEST

The fishing is pretty tough at Cressbrook over the winter months. Occasionally you can score a good day where the bass want to chew. Schooling fish in 5-9m of water are a good daytime option but are pretty hard to find. These fish can be tempted with soft plastics and smaller profile spoons and metal jigs. Last year they were pretty keen on the bigger spoons too and the 30g Raptor Jig was a standout. I haven’t heard of too many caught on Raptors this winter and the colder it gets, the less likely it is to happen. They should however be the standout lure at the end of winter and beginning of spring. Edge fishing is the other option at Cressbrook and seems to produce plenty of smaller bass for each good one. The reaction style lures, which were working can now be replaced with something a little more subtle. Suspending jerkbaits and soft plastics are probably going to be the standouts. The fishing on the edges are going to be best in the mornings. Try to avoid the days with strong westerly winds as it seems to shut them down a bit. Quite a few golden perch were getting in on the action prior to winter. These fish will go a bit quiet over winter but should make their presence felt when things start to warm up again. • Fish’n’Bits in Toowoomba has all the gear and tips on how to chase the Cressy fish. They are an excellent store specialising in all freshwater lures and tackle. The dam hours are 7am to 6pm over the winter months. SOMERSET

CLOSEST TOWNS: ESK, KILCOY

It’s a typical winter at Somerset. The fish are pretty hard to entice even when they are found in good numbers. There are quite a few schools on the drop offs just outside the main riverbed. These fish can be found from Pelican Point right up to the Kirkleigh timber in smaller spread out gatherings. Some days they will have a bit of a chew but usually they are ridiculously tough to get a bite out of.

Spoons and metal jigs seem to be the most reliable lures to get fish to bite. It really is a hard time to pinpoint a favourite lure though and fish will also take blades, soft plastics and mask vibes. Fish a little bit slower than normal if you are on the fish and keep that lure close to bottom.

Some winters, ice jigs come into their own. It has been a few years now since they went nuts over them so hopefully we see them getting the bites again. They are always worth a try vertically on fresh patches of bass. The Smak ice jigs are the best out there in my opinion so make sure you always carry a few in your box. It’s not my favourite way to fish but if it is working, I’ll run with it.

The healthier weed edges around the lake may be worth an early to mid-morning flick with suspending jerk baits. Some good weed was growing around Pelican Point and I reckon it is worth closer

Matt Taylor used the ‘big lure, big fish’ theory to fool this Wivenhoe bass. The lake continues to fish well, if you can find them.

Use your sounder to get the most out of your session. Murray cod can be found in small groups leading up to their breeding season.

investigation. • Somerset Fishing has their store based at the area above the day use boat ramp. The store is open over holidays and otherwise from Thursday to Sunday. Orders can also be made online via the website www.somersetfishing.com. au. They have an excellent range of gear suited to fishing for bass and golden perch. WIVENHOE

CLOSEST TOWNS:

ESK, LOWOOD

The fishing has slowed at Wivenhoe but if you are prepared to have a look around, you should be able to find some deeper bass schools on the flats. These fish can take a long time to locate as they are very mobile and at times they aren’t bunched together. Trolling hardbodies seems your selection. Colours can make all the difference so mix it up when you find the fish to see what they want to eat the most. The flats within sight of Billies Bay are a good starting point.

The boat ramp at Billies Bay is out of action due to low water levels but you can still slide a kayak down to the water. If you are boating, you need to launch at Logans Inlet and make the trip around. Allow a good hour to get there and home as the speed limit is 6 knots.

Wivenhoe edges can produce reasonable numbers of fish over the winter months. The medium sloping banks near Billies Bay and either side of Platypus Cliffs are worth exploring with silent lipless crankbaits and suspending jerk baits.

Trolling hardbodies is usually slow over the winter months. The Wivenhoe bass don’t seem to mind it though.

to work well right through winter at Wivenhoe and is a great way to explore when you think you are in a fishy area. Last month, trolled lures were a standout and kept catching even when cast offering were failing. Lures that dive 6-10m can be used and the depth of the water and the depth fish are holding should dictate If the fish are there in numbers on the sounder, move out a little wider from the edge and hit them with soft plastics as well.

There are boating restrictions in place. If you are petrol powered, you need to have a 4-stroke or low emissions outboard and travel at 6 knots when on this lake.

COOBY

CLOSEST TOWNS: HIGHFIELDS,

TOOWOOMBA

Cooby is a tough fishery over the winter months. The golden perch have been hard to catch. Some years they will bite all winter with vertically jigged ZX40 blades outperforming bait. It doesn’t seem to be the case this winter though and if you plan to fish the lake, you might be better off targeting Murray cod. Just over a month ago, a massive 119cm specimen was landed. Big metreplus cod roam the lake but they aren’t found in big numbers like the lakes further south. Smaller cod are more common but they always seem less active over the cold months. This is the time of year to set your sights on the big one and target them. Bigger spinnerbaits and swimbaits are the way to do this. Using side image, Active Target and Live Imaging sounder technology is a great way to go about locating fish and presenting lures accurately to them. LESLIE DAM CLOSEST

TOWN: WARWICK

I have a feeling Leslie will be one of the Queensland dams to head

AWOONGA

CLOSEST TOWNS: BENARABY,

GLADSTONE

There will be no trouble finding parking spots at the ramp this month. Barra fishers tend to stay away over the winter months. The barra on the other hand will still be there and seeking the most comfortable conditions. A mix of deep and very shallow fish are

to for big cod this year. The water is still a bit coloured from the rise but there have already been a few caught. Hopefully winter helps the suspended sediment settle and clear the lake right up to improve visibility for luring.

Good numbers of fish were roaming the flats last month but refusing to eat. As they get closer to choosing nesting sites, the cod should number up in the suitable breeding areas and feed. Big spinnerbaits and chatterbaits would be my first choice if the water stays dirty. If it clears to over half a metre of visibility, big swimbaits will come into their own. Leslie Dam’s bigger cod are over a metre long and there are plenty 70-90cm models. • Warwick Outdoor and Sport in Palmerin Street has all your fishing needs covered. They can set you up and point you in the right direction.

COOLMUNDA

CLOSEST TOWNS: INGLEWOOD, TEXAS

The water remains dirty at Coolmunda. Venturing up into the Macintyre Brook it starts to clear up but the basin looks like it will take a while to settle. I know of one big cod taken on a lure and there are sure to be more that have flown under the radar. While the lake is dirty, it will be tough going when lure fishing. If you want to have a crack, opt for 1oz spinnerbaits with Colorado blades to make plenty of noise and flash.

Bait fishers will stand a reasonable chance of tangling with big cod. The timbered parts of the lake now have plenty of water and will hold good numbers of cod. Live baits or even a chunk of raw chicken could attract a bite from a freshwater giant. GLENLYON

CLOSEST TOWNS; STANTHORPE, TEXAS

Glenlyon had a good rise and was very dirty a couple of months ago. It is the type of dam that can clear up faster than other cod lakes. The lake fished exceptionally well last winter with plenty of big Murray cod caught. It was very clear then and swimbaits did a lot of the damage as the fish could easily see and hunt them down. Earlier in the season, topwater lures accounted for a lot of fish and this is how I’d start my session if the visibility is under half a metre.

likely. The colder it gets, the harder those deep water fish will get to excite. The lake’s core temperature will be the same right across the basin. The smarter fish will seek out pockets of warmth where there is also a supply of food.

Bays that are fed by the wind without being stirred up too much will hold barra. The fish will venture shallow into the weed and even into the clear water behind it where the warmth may be trapped. These spots requite a lot of stealth to successfully fish. Use long casts and light lures capable of working the pockets around the weeds. Soft plastics rigged on weedless hooks come into their own. Frogs and paddle tails can both be effective. A slow retrieve will give the big lazy fish time to hunt your offerings down.

In the open basin part of the lake, the wind will also push into the bays. These may not warm as much as the more secluded ones but will attract fish when the edges turn dirty from the wave action. The dirty water line is the ideal spot for fish to ambush prey. You can fish a bit faster here with soft plastics or even hard bodies if the weed allows. The fish in these areas will be there to feed but you’ll need to work to find the best spots. • Justin Nye from Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing runs fishing charters on the

Winter sees the big cod on the prowl. Glenlyon and Leslie dams are showing signs that they will fire up this month. Don’t leave it too late though as the bite will slow when the fish enter breeding mode before the end of winter.

lake. He caters to the needs of the angler and can do fly or conventional tackle trips to target the lake’s barramundi. He successfully guides clients onto fish right through the year and has a good understanding of fish movements. It is hard to beat time on the water and this is a great way to learn more about this lake and its fish. You can contact him on 0429 223 550 or visit the website gladstoneflyandsportfishing .com.au. • Mark from Awoonga Gateway Lodge always has a few productive secret spots to share. The Gateway lodge is on the way in to the dam after turning off at Benaraby. The accommodation is great with plenty of boat parking space right beside the comfortable air conditioned, selfcontained cabins each with its own veranda. To book in a stay give Mark or Lyn a call on (07) 4975 0033.

Noisy surface paddlers and wakebaits will attract the attention of the cod even in coloured water conditions. A steady retrieve will allow cod to pinpoint the lure and hopefully find hooks when they attack. Surface action will be rare once the sun has been on the water for an hour. The fish drop deeper and can then be located on the sounder using side image and live sonar technologies. This is the time to use swimbaits. If the water goes very clear, try casting and be stealthy about your approach.If it has a bit of colour, the cod will be less spooked and you may be able to cover heaps of water and troll to catch them. When searching for cod, look on the shallow to medium tapering banks that have plenty of structure before they drop into the deeper water. There is a good chance the majority of cod will be found in 1-4m of water. • The Glenlyon Tourist Park is a great place to stay. You can opt for a campsite or stay in the warmth of one of the cabins. Brian and Debbie are very passionate about Murray cod and their kiosk has a good range of lures for sale to target them. You can make bookings by calling (02) 6737 5266.

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