Fish respond to cold

Jason Ehrlich

fishability1@bigpond.com

With a longer break in the heavy widespread rain, the fishing has improved a lot across most of the dams and rivers. There are now so many options to consider when planning a trip.

The days will start to get cooler and shorter this month, and this will see a few changes. Golden perch numbers will drop off a bit, especially for the lure trollers. More fish will be found in shallower water. You’ll see cod and barra spending more time right up in the skinny water looking for food.

There are still very few reports of bass are coming from the lake. Golden perch are more plentiful, and redclaw crayfish are everywhere. Lure trollers stand a good chance of picking up fish out in front of the ramps and in the start of the Beams Creek arm. Medium to deep diving hard bodies should pick off a few suspended fish in the deeper parts of the lake. Trolling can also work on smaller bass around the edges. Here you are more likely to pick up a few golden perch as well. Goldens should remain quite active for the next couple of months. While they will take a trolled or cast lure at the moment, the best way to get them is to hop ZX style blades vertically or close to the boat. The points are always worth a look as they will hold both goldens and bass.

Bass fishers will continue to pull the occasional fish around the lake. The longer points, and the flats they form, are a good place to start looking. The flats between the shallow ramp and the pump tower in Bass Bay are also worth a look. Further up both arms there are also some pretty good flats once you venture out of the deep water of the main creeks. Try searching in 6-10 metres of water.

The bass are very hard to find in numbers, and only the committed anglers are likely to find and consistently bang lots of the bigger models. Spoons will be pretty effective if numbers are found. If you’re searching by fishing lots of water, a spinnerbait or chatterbait will be a better option over the next month. Heavier lures around 5/8oz can be fished faster to cover more water while looking for fish. The 5 to 9 metre mark around the edges will be a good place to start when casting. Concentrate wider on the long points and in closer on medium to steep edges.

Bass will bite better throughout the day but their habits may start to change, so be prepared to mix up lure selections until you find out what they prefer most.

All in all, it’s going to be a cracker of a month on the freshwater. Until next time, buckled rods from the Colonel.

• 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 access gates to the ramp and day use area will be open from