Monthly Archives: March 2010

A lifetime Of Fishing Destinations.

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1000 Great Places to Fish in Australia is Steve Coopers latest book that features some local Murray River destinations.
1000 Great Places to Fish in Australia is Steve Coopers latest book that features some local Murray River destinations.

A life spent fishing is a life spent well and if it becomes a part of your day to day business then even better. And so it has been for author and noted fishing journalist Steve Cooper whom I have had the pleasure to fish with on many occasions. With fishing related newspaper columns in the Weekly Times and herald Sun Steve provides countless anglers the information that often puts a bend in the rod and a feed on the table. From top to bottom, Cooper would be one of Australia’s most travelled anglers whose chosen fishing destinations are not reliant on a flash cabin or soft sheets in a fancy hotel. For a city lad Cooper wears the country manner well and will happily scoff a feed from the pan and wash in the river at least once a week whether he needs it or not. We have kicked out the swag in many a location from the banks of the Murray River to the open ocean swell some 50 mile offshore near Wedge Island in South Australia. Sleeping on the floor of a charter boat in the lumpy brine brings new meaning to the term being rocked to sleep. Another that springs to mind is a trip mid June to the Wallagara River in Gippsland where we were lodged in an ever so humble riverside cabin. The early morning minus temperature was unaltered to the tune of a heater that resembled a red drawing and smelled suspiciously of crayon. Out on the water though, the morning chill was quickly thawed with some red hot fishing action on super sized Dusky flathead. It seemed that every where I fished with Cooper the bite was preordained and on most occasions we would leave the water smelling of fish and wearing the grin that accompanies fishing success. Several more spots come to mind, again in South Australia offshore of Whyalla I was to catch my first 10kg plus snapper this was followed by a few dozen more all caught on soft plastics. Back in Victoria and a few months on and an offer to fish for Thresher shark off Queenscliff was a trip not to be missed. Within a few hours of being on the water we were treated to the aerobatic antics of a 100gk thresher that took to the air after scoffing down one of our baits. It seems that all of these trips have two common denominators, that being excellent fishing and Steve Cooper himself. Cooper has spent a lifetime fishing all over Australia and his success comes from knowing where, when and how to fish for different species at different locations. He has placed much of this in a book simply titled 1000 Great Places to Fish In Australia. It even features some of our local Murray River destinations from Swan Hill through to Wentworth and beyond. It covers both fresh and salt water and provides not only great fishing destinations but all the tips, baits and rigs to use when you arrive. You too could spend a lifetime looking for a thousand places to fish in Australia or you could simply buy the book and spend the rest of your life fishing them.

Fishing Is On The Improve.

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The first ever Murray Cod caught on the new 90mm Codzilla, not a bad start.
The first ever Murray Cod caught on the new 90mm Codzilla, not a bad start.

With water temperatures on the drop, many anglers are hitting the river with high expectations of what the cooler conditions might yield. Autumn is a great month to target larger Murray cod in most of our local waters and they start to feed up for the leaner months ahead. Early reports have been positive with some very nice fish landed over the past few weeks. Golden perch too are on the chew with the Sunraysia Lure Fishing Club holding their monthly comp at Merbein last weekend. Eighteen very keen anglers hit the water managing to land no less than 20 golden perch on lures while a few carp were also taken on fly. The club meets once a month and are always looking for keen anglers to attend these events. For more information on the club and a run down on up and coming events, drop into the Got One store in Mildura and talk to Allan. In other areas, anglers fishing the Hattah Kulkyne stretch of the Murray River have reported good numbers of small to legal sized fish on lures and bait. One crew with kids in tow managed 14 cod for the day while most were undersize it’s great to see so many cod in our rivers.
Big fish too have been in the mix and a few good cod have been landed down Nangiloc way on lures. Whilst testing a new lure model a few weeks back we managed to boat a fish that would have knocked the scales up to around 50lb or better. After the local success of the 120mm codzilla lures this season we were casting a new shallow running 90mm version amongst the snags. Two hours in and the small lure was engulfed by a giant that lay in wait under a branch in the heavy current. In less than two meters of water, the take was a ripper as the water bulged like the effect of an underwater explosion. It was a great tussle as the fish used the current to its advantage but it was well hooked and within a few minutes was led to the boat before being photographed and released. Not a bad start to the day and great wraps for the lure when you consider the first ever fish caught on this size and model was over a meter in length. Can’t wait to get back on the water and give them another run. Belsar Island, upstream of Robinvale has also been producing a few good cod with at least two cod in excess of the meter mark landed on bait in this stretch of river over the past week. Wood grubs were the bait of choice with several good golden perch also landed on scrub worms. In the Neimur River near Swan Hill two lucky anglers caught an 80lb cod on bait. And cod to 18lb have been landed on spinnerbaits in the Merrin creek. The Wakool is still producing cod on surface lures and if you’re after a feed of redfin, Kangaroo Lake is still producing good numbers of fish. With this great autumn weather why not get out on the water and get amongst a few fish? 

Top Water Tucker Time

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This solid Murray cod was taken on a Koolabung Codzilla surface lure.

Anglers digging bardie grubs for bait these past few weeks will no doubt have noticed that they are starting to turn. By this I mean they have reached the stage where they transform from grubs into moths and this happens about this time every season. Over the next few weeks these large moths will break free of their earthen tunnels and take to the wing to produce the next generation. The timing of this event is predetermined by the seasonal change and the prevailing rains that are hoped should follow. The moisture acts to soften the hard earth lined cap on the tunnels making it easier for the moths to break their way through the crust. It also allows the next generation of grubs to burrow deep out of harm’s way, where they can grow fat on a diet of fine vegetation and gum roots. Murray cod too are in tune to this event and they will now turn topside to seek out and feed on a heaven sent harvest that beckons an easy meal. Anglers would do well to seek out and use a range of surface lures that mimic the struggling action like that of these large ghost moths. Most tackle shops will have a range of surface lures that will vary in size from the smaller models right through to the larger end of the scale that look more like a wounded duck than a struggling moth. But they all work; it’s just a matter of getting them in front of a hungry fish.
 Lures for surface fishing are many, but I tend to favour those that create maximum water displacement at minimal speed. Several that meet this criterion are both the 100 and 120mm Koolabung Cod walkers and Jamie Fletts Depth Charge range. Most of these are larger styled lures that tend to attract bigger fish. Buzz baits too are an effective top water lure that create plenty of sound and have an excellent hook up rate. Bassman do an upsized version that carries a larger blade and sizable hook. Buzzbaits do need to be worked a little faster but the hanging hook ensures that most strikes load the rod. Fishing the surface works best during periods of low light and dawn and dusk into the night are the most productive times. Over the next few weeks Murray cod will feed at their best from the surface as they scoff down a bounty of top water tucker. Some of our smaller rivers have begun to produce for those anglers in tune to this event with the Wakool and Murrumbidgee proving popular. Similar results can be expected along the Murray as anglers come to grips with top water tucker time and the use of surface lures on Murray cod. 

 

Dancing To The Blues.

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A couple of toe snapping Blue swimmer crabs.
A couple of toe snapping Blue swimmer crabs.

As the first net came over the side a writhing mass of bright blue legs and claws was strewn to the floor of the boat. Dressed in the finest of nature’s footwear I almost kneed myself in the chin trying to high step all ten toes clear of the scuttling legs and snapping claws. As if the predicament was not tense enough, another net was swung aboard and several more angry crabs were set loose amongst the mayhem. This was my first time fishing for blue swimmer crabs and my well seasoned companions found great humour in my fancy footwork as I found sanctuary on the nose of the boat. Shoes might have been a good option as the crabs were measured and placed in a fish tub. The smaller ones were returned over the side to become next seasons haul and the action continues like this for an hour or more until we had secured enough for a feed. We are fishing just outside the marker poles at Port Wakefield in South Australia. Blue swimmer crabs run during the warmer months and are caught in hoop nets baited with fish offal or meat. When they are on the move they are easily caught in large numbers, therefore strict size, bag and boat limits apply on blue swimmer crabs to ensure the long-term sustainability of the fishery.  The regulations relating to catching blue swimmer crabs consist of a daily bag limit of 40 per person and a daily boat limit of 120 combined.  A minimum size limit of 11cm width measured across the carapace from the base of the largest spines also applies. It is also illegal to take female crabs with eggs and they must be returned to the water straight away without harm. Blue swimmer crabs can also be dabbed in the shallows using either a scoop net or a common garden rake. On the falling tide you can wade the shallow sand or mud flats and search out a feed. Small plate sized patches of disturbed or overturned sand on the bottom hide the crabs as they sit in wait for a passing meal. Simply run your net across these areas and the crab will appear from the sand, claws at the ready. Once disturbed, they are easy to scoop using either the net or the rake. Dabbing crabs is great fun for the kids and an easy way to secure a feed if you don’t have a boat. Blue swimmer crabs move into the shallow waters of St Vincent and Spencer Gulf as the waters warm and they eat live and breed on the shallow sand and sea grass beds. These tasty bottom dwellers will run for another month or so yet before the weather cools and they go into semi hibernation. Catching blue swimmers is great fun but might I suggest you wear shoes while doing so, or you too could find yourself dancing to the snappy beat of the crabby blues.