Smooth flows ahead for April!

Connor Heir

It has come up fast – April is here, and as autumn progresses we are seeing the cooler weather starting to set in. April is always a really good time to be chasing natives, because the days aren’t uncomfortably hot but it’s also not too cold to comfortably fish, whether it be from a boat/kayak or walking the banks.

In the lead up to this month, we’ve seen some really good fishing, particularly on the small clear water systems within our region. Flows and clarity have returned to more normal conditions, in comparison to what we were having at this time last year. It’s super factors such as water temperature and carp.

No matter the size, casting hardbody lures for cod in small water is super addictive.

And remember that if you are struggling to get the bass to bite, you can always fall back on the reaction baits. I like to use a TN60 in brown dog and non-ultraviolet colours.

Looking ahead, May is a month where the fish are moving more to the edge. Next issue I will further explore transition fishing with a focus on edge bite plastics. The fish are not on the winter bite but are getting close. And remember, if you’re heading up to the Barrington, 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. exciting for anglers to see this, as the fishing is much more predictable when the conditions are normal.

During April, it’s fair to expect good numbers of Murray cod being caught, as the conditions are usually the best around this time of year in general. Also, as it does cool down a bit, the bigger fish do start to pop up a little bit more, which gets anglers excited about winter fishing for big cod.

An interesting capture by Jarrod on a recent Punt float.

The fishing around the region for the past month has been fairly consistent on most outings, and the fish caught have all been in exceptionally good condition, which is fantastic to see. As spoken about in my last article, after floods the fishing always is more productive once things returns to normal. This has been evident of late for many anglers who are lucky enough to also fish in this region.

Looking past the small water and river systems, there are a few competitions in Lake Mulwala coming up. As I write this, I’m just about to go and fish the Lake Mulwala Cod Nationals. There’s also the Teams Fishing Australia comp coming up, which I’m personally not doing but many other keen anglers are from around region. Some people are travelling a fair distance for this event, too. It should be really interesting to see the results from these upcoming competitions at Lake Mulwala. With the weed gone it has totally changed the lake, so tactics that worked well last year might not be as effective this year.

Regardless of where you’re heading for the month of April, it’s a really good time to be on the water. It’s not too hot or too cold, and with Easter being in the month too, this is often a good chance to get away and do some camping and fishing with the extra days to make it worthwhile going away. It gives you a chance (if you’re keen enough) to get up early and fish for cod off the surface, which is often the best time to fish for cod across most waterways. If you do plan on getting away during Easter, or just going for a casual cast during the month, I wish you the best of luck with it all! Tight lines!