Locations covered in this report:
Blowering Dam, Tumut River, Talbingo Dam
Latest Report: August 2016
Written by: Rhys Creed
We are now into the last month of winter and the cod season is only a few weeks away from closing. Winter is a tough time to fish but this year has been a cracker! The fishing over June and July in the impoundments was exceptional in comparison to previous years.
Blowering Dam
It’s no wonder we are starting with Blowering as it is the place to be fishing. It’s hard to believe that one of the toughest locations to target cod in the country is the hot spot at the moment. Murray Cod are up in the shallow at first light feeding on baitfish and small Trout. Casting big soft plastics has been the go to at the moment in the very shallows at first light.
Best technique is to hold the boat in 3-4m of water and cast to the bank. Get your lure as close to the bank as possible and let the plastic sink. From there give it a lift and begin a slow roll retrieve right back to the boat.
Once the sun rises above the hills and begins to penetrate the water, you will need to back the boat out to 6m and cast at a diagonal angle towards the bank. Let the lure sink and slowly work it back to the boat. It would be hard to believe but the shallow and grassy banks are the best location to work on first light. This is where the food is and where the fish will be hunting. Once the sun is up try to find the steeper rocky banks.
What a great feeling it is to cuddle a monster cod - this 109cm cod took the Rainbow Trout pattern FX Fury
If you want to find out more about the soft plastics we have been using and how to fish them read this article: Big Plastics, Even Bigger Cod
Spinnerbaits are also a good option in the early hours and especially during the dark. Jack Zyhalak from the Social Fishing team has had some luck landing big fish on the 1.5oz Mud Guts Big Guts.
Only 3 weekends left of cod season so make sure you give it a crack. In saying that there will be a lot of people on the water so you may want to consider an alternate location.
Murrumbidgee River
The river has been very sad at present. With up and down water levels and dirty in colour is makes it a tough option at the moment. I have seen a couple of fish coming out for those who work hard but you have to make sure you time your trip. By this I mean you need to fish it when it is steady for a few days. Due to the releases from Burrinjuck Dam the river has been fluctuating rapidly and this turns the fish off. Watch the water height and choose a time where the level is steady. The river will pick up in September when the Golden Perch become more active.
Alpine Dams
The alpine lakes and dams; Talbingo Dam, Lake Eucumbene, Tantangra Dam and Lake Jindabyne are all hot spots at present. Even better the fishing will pick up right throughout spring. The Social Fishing crew are heading up to the dams in mid-September to film the Lure Fishing for Trout in Dams series for the Complete Guide. This will be a fun trip and I’m sure we will bring back plenty of reports.
If you would like to find out more about where the fish are biting throughout NSW and VIC make sure to watch the August Fishing Video Update 2016
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