Blowering Dam has fished really well over the past couple of months and should continue so this month.

Golden perch have been the main target, as they normally are at this time of year, but there have been some nice trout as well.

It’s no secret that goldens fire during Spring wherever you fish but this is especially true at Blowering, where it is not uncommon to land 10 or more a day. The rest of the year, if you manage more then one yella a day, you’re doing very well.

This month will be your last real chance to get good numbers of big goldens.

Soaking worms and yabbies is a popular way of targeting the goldens this month as they start to move off the edges into slightly deeper water.

Lure casting has been awesome in recent months with cricket scores of big goldens. Although there will be still plenty of fish willing to hit a lure, casting should start to slow down a little this month.

Spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits have been the main takers but a few mates and I have caught them on suspending hardbodies and plastics when the fish were too finicky to hit the usual lures.

Trolling in 3m to 7m is another good way to target the slightly deeper goldens. Some of the better lures to troll are the locally made Stuckeys, Trollcraft Double Downers, #3 StumpJumpers and lipless crankbaits.

As most of the goldens start to move away from the edges, the redfin find the nerve to move up to the shallows and can be caught on just about anything.

Worms or maggot baits will almost definitely get you a feed but if you’re keen to keep active, try casting small spinners like Celtas, Rooster Tails and the like. If the fish are fairly active you will catch far more this way than with bait.

Soft plastics around 1” to 2” in white, pink or red or a combination of these are also worth a chuck around the banks.

Trolling is a proven method for targeting the redfin; stick to around 3m to 7m with small lures and you will soon find a school. Once located, I strongly recommend pulling up and casting small lures around the area you just caught a fish; you will increase your catch rate considerably.

This month is probably your last good chance to get among the trout. There have been some really good rainbows caught lately, with most hitting lures aimed at golden perch. Working the flats with big wet flies is another good way to target the trout.

More anglers are clueing onto the awesome fishing available after dark. Most of these anglers are out to target Murray cod but there is a growing number who have worked out that not only cod come out at night.

A mate recently spent a few nights at Blowering and, out of sheer boredom, he decided to go spotlighting in the shallows. He was amazed to see the number of fish in the shallow margins.

Although the main species he spotted were golden perch and hybrid carp, he also saw big trout and the odd really big cod cruising around the same bays looking for a feed.

I have witnessed this many times over the years especially during Spring when the dam rises fairly quickly.

The plentiful frogs draw these fish into the shallows after dark. These protein-packed, easy targets form the main part of the fishes’ diet during Spring and we can take advantage of this.

Casting soft plastics with twin tails, curl tails or paddle tails – it doesn’t seem to matter as long as it looks similar to a frog – is easily the best way to target these fish after dark.

The beauty of this form of fishing is that almost all fish are up in the shallows and you never know what is going to hit your plastic next.

The Lake Hume Classic didn’t look like it was going to go ahead this year but, thanks to some hard work from Dave McKenna, it will definitely be on November 8 and 9 and will feature a slightly different format from other years.

I will be at this very well-run tournament with bells on and I encourage any other anglers in the area to support it, especially fishing families – what this tournament is all about. The prizes given away has to be seen to be believed.

For more details visit www.lakehumeclassic.com.au .