Fishings Winter Woes.
Shane Atze with a solid winter cod taken on a Bassman spinnerbait.
Winter is here and the aspirations of many keen anglers seemed dashed for yet another season. Is it really time to pack the rods away, to sit and skulk around the house all the time wondering what might be biting at your favorite spot? Not a chance, while the fishing does slow down a little during the winter months the quality of what’s on offer is just too good to miss. The cooling of the weather and just as importantly the water gives the green light for the larger of many fish species to feed more freely. In our local waters, numbers of Murray cod captured will drop over winter but the size of those landed will for the most be large. The same can be said for golden perch; while you may catch fewer the ones you do land will be quality fish.This phenomenon is not just reserved to our local waters and the fish within, its common throughout a number of species and different locations alike. In the southern estuaries, black bream a commonly sought after fish seem to double in size with the cooling of the water. Their smaller counterparts seem to vanish, in their place trophy sized fish often as large as 2kg or more. This same occurrence takes place in the Gipsland lakes as not only large bream become available but super sized dusky flathead also begin to feed. Where these fish were hiding during the warmer months is anyone’s guess, but as soon as the water cools, they just seem to appear.
Snapper are also viewed as a summer species, but those aware will tell you that while their numbers are fewer at this time of the year, those you do encounter are absolute honkers. Places like Whyalla in South Australia are testament to this event with fish up to and above 13kg landed with common regularity.
Even along our surf beaches, those prepared to brave the elements find not only large snapper an occasional catch, but also huge mulloway and oversized gummy sharks are often found lurking the gutters in search of an easy meal.
So don’t be too hasty in packing those rods away as winter’s chilly bite can be a pleasant surprise for those anglers with aspirations of landing the big one.
Good to see the big ones are on the chew,
And most fishos do pack up the gear then go freeze there butts off not me off to the river this weekend for a week ,Hope to catch a big one for some pic’s and some nice crays to chew on.
till then fish hard, Nuffster
Good luck with that nuffster, hope you land a biggen and as for the crays mmmmmmm love em.
Gday All,
Your spot on as always about the quality of the fish increasing across mostspecies during winter mate. We always get our largest land based gummies and snapper at this time of year, even in the frigid waters of victoria. The murray cod are a lot harder to entice in our neck of the woods during this time but I think that has more to do with creature comforts ( my electric blanket ) than actual fish availability. However some of my best cod captures have been during winter, not to mention the bonus Atlantic Salmon becomming more active in the Waranga basin when its blanketed in fog.
Steve
sounds great. the trout fishing goes alright in the winter to but its a bit cold for me to go yak fishin!
had a fairly big 89cm cod on my line the other day and boy do they fish. just the sheer weight of the fish makes ya weak! caught him on a pink oil slick bassman mumber in no mere than 4 meters of water off the bank.
good angling, Stuart
cath for the thrill, NOT for the kill!
strange as it may sound, winter is my favorite time to fish, no anoying insects, big winter fires, and bigger fish, they may not come around as often in my part of the world but when they do it’s well worth the effort.
Can’t wait o get back on the water, Cheers.