Reel Life | The bite before the chill

Cod will continue feeding until they go into their breeding cycle, which coincides with the closed season.

There is no closed season for yellowbelly, but they do slow down in winter and reactivate themselves during spring and the bloom of the wattle trees.

At this time of year, all the baits such as worms, yabbies, shrimp, grubs, as well as chicken and cheese, will work at attracting cod and yellowbelly to feast on your hook.

Lures will also work due to the clarity of the water.

At this time of year, the water is starting to cool down, and it is best to fish from first light until mid-morning.

The trout will be close to the surface, and you will not need weight to get your bait to the level where the fish are feeding.

After that time, they will move back to cooler conditions until just on last light and into the evening, when they will resume feeding at or near the surface.

During this time, trolling a Ford Fender or similar with a bait or a lure behind it is one of the best methods of catching a fish.

Late at night, you might try just angling a bait off the bank — no weight, just a bait.

You will be surprised at how often trout will strike after dark.

However, a full moon will reduce the chance of the fish biting.

Trout fishing at both the Hume and Lake Eildon can be done in the same way, and you should have similar results.

At Dartmouth, there is a section called Larson’s Cutting.

It is a narrow section joining the Dart Arm to the Mitta Arm and runs into a large bay with the boat ramp and the wall.

I have had good success trolling this area.

First down the left side, then at the end I do a slow reverse turn and troll the right side.

I repeat the journey because if I only wake the fish on the first run, I will get them on the second.

Well, that’s the plan.

It seems to work.

The same method seems to do the job at the Hume and Eildon as well.

Just because you don’t get a bite on the first run does not mean there are no fish there.

At this time of year, rivers and streams still fish pretty well.

It is best to wade them with baits or lures, but try the bladed type as well as the diving type. Also, Tassie Devil lures in the clown pattern.

Early morning is still the best time to fish, as well as dusk when insects are hatching.

If you are not into wading, you might try casting from the bank or find deep holes and angle a bait such as crickets or worms.

One other spot worth trying is the Waranga Basin.

Try trolling a Celta bladed lure or a diving lure, mainly in red or purple, and make sure you bounce it along the bottom.

This attracts redfin.

There are also yellowbelly and the occasional cod in the basin.

Drifting worms or other bait — live yabbies or shrimp — is also a good way to bag a fish at the basin.

Time to take a look at saltwater fishing.

Rod Lawn from Adamas Fishing Charters at Queenscliff said the fishing in his neck of the woods had continued to be good.

Salmon, couta, flathead and whiting — just to name a few — are on the bite, including snapper.

Rod said he was landing good hauls both inside the heads and offshore.

Rod also said he was still catching sharks off the coast, but he had to burley for up to four hours to attract a bite.

He said that when fishing around the cray pots, he was more likely to catch a gummy or a school shark.

Rod mentioned there were tuna in the area, but they were hit or miss.

Western Port Bay is still fishing well.

Flathead, leatherjacket, snapper, whiting and gummy sharks are being bagged by anglers fishing from San Remo up to Hastings.

Down the coast to Portland, tuna are being caught off the coast near the wind farm.

Over the NSW border at Eden, snapper, morwong and flathead are biting on the inshore reefs as far south as Green Cape.

At Narooma, Graham Cowley said it was the same around Montague Island, with kingfish also on the bite.

James Luddington at Flinders Island reported flathead and gummy sharks, as well as snapper and whiting.

Well, stay safe and good fishing until next week.