Shepparton

BALLARAT Shane Stevens

Spring is one of my favourite times of the year, it marks the start of a new trout season, even though trout fishing is open all year round on our lakes and reservoirs around the state. It’s part of the tradition for those of us in the angling fraternity who have been around for a long time.

Years ago there used to be a closed season on all waters during the winter months to allow the trout to breed/spawn, but commonsense prevailed as trout in impoundments do not/cannot breed, as they need running water like that in our streams for their breeding cycle to be successful.

The majority or rivers and streams, apart from some in the South West of the state, are closed from the long weekend in June until the first weekend in September, allowing the trout to spawn freely without anglers’ intervention.

This year’s winter has been another cold one, as we get older we feel the cold more every year. The water levels are rising from our winter rains and hopefully some good spring rainfalls will ensure all our lakes and reservoirs are full to ago that the redfin continue to bite during the winter months, it’s only us anglers who stop chasing them due the cooler weather conditions. This year is different, there has been plenty of anglers chasing a feed of winter redfin at Tullaroop. on one of his most recent trips, he was catching a few smaller sized fish, when all of a sudden he latched onto something that pulled some serious string. After a good tussle, Paul landed a ripping 47cm yellowbelly, not a bad bit of by-catch.

Paul Dawson landing a ripper bit of bycatch, a 47cm yellowbelly while fishing for

redfin. Photo Courtesy Paul Dawson.

Tullaroop is one of the author’s favourite winter fisheries when chasing trout. This 1.5kg rainbow trout found the T26 Bent Minnow lure too irresistible not to eat.

overflowing. The water will have risen over fresh ground, exposing worms and grubs, etc, which will entice trout to move into the shallows to feed on these tasty morsels.

Tullaroop Reservoir has seen plenty of anglers hitting the water over the past month, chasing both trout and redfin. I mentioned a couple of months

One of my work colleagues Paul Dawson who lives close by to Tullaroop has been getting amongst the reddies, Paul has been using ice jigs to catch them, he has been sounding the redfin up on his fish finder then dropping his jig down into the school with excellent results. Paul got a bit of a shock Ben Young landed this ripping male brown trout casting Ecogear Power shad soft plastics from the shore on his way to work. Not a bad way to start the day!

I have spoken to other anglers at the boat ramp in Galloways Bay who have just returned from a day on the water. Most have been rewarded for braving the cold, landing good bags of feed of redfin, mostly jigging lures or fishing local minnows for bait. I have targeted the trout myself, with excellent results, one trip I managed to land three feisty trout around the 1-1.5kg on Bent Minnow surface lures. The trout this winter have not fed on smelt for some reason, which I am trying to work out why? Other anglers have commented about the lack of smelters as well this winter at Tullaroop.

We now look forward to rising water levels and the trout, mooching around in the shallows.

Lake Wendouree has been fishing well over the past month with some good reports filtering through. Some excellent trout have been caught on a variety of methods. The most productive methods have been fly fishing and casting lures, from both the shore and from boats.

Bill Reddick and Doug Kimberley spent a few hours drifting around Wendouree fly fishing recently. The guys started off casting streamer type flies, which are smelt or minnow patterns and are generally the staple diet during the winter months, but without success.

They then downsized to smaller sized flies, nymph patterns, which produced immediate results with Bill landing a ripping big brown trout measuring in at 64cm. After a few happy snaps the brown was released on her way. Doug was not going to be outdone by Bill, so he landed a well-conditioned brown at 45cm and then followed it by another the same size.

Ben Young has landed some excellent brown and rainbow trout over the past few weeks casting Ecogear Power shad soft plastics from the shore. Ben normally has a quick cast on his way to work

The author battled the cold wintery conditions on Lake Wendouree to land this mid-40cm brown trout on a T26 Bent Minnow surface lure.

in the mornings. He likes to cast the plastics along the windward shores after strong winds from the day previous, where the wind has pushed all the food into that shore, this philosophy has worked well for him over the years.

I have ventured out on Wendouree myself a few times casting lures. The fishing has been a little bit slow, but not abnormal for this time of the year. Although I have managed to tempt the odd brown trout on Bent Minnow surface lures.

At Lake Wendouree the fishing will improve as we move out of winter and start to see some insect activity, which will bring the trout out of hibernation.

Moorabool Reservoir