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Cod fishos back in action
  |  First Published: December 2012



Diehard cod fishos have been counting down the days down in anticipation of the new season and if the amazing by-catch rates during the closed season are anything to go by, we should be in for a cracker.

An unbelievable number of cod were caught by those targeting golden perch with small lures and worms but whether they like to admit it or not, there were still a lot of anglers targeting the cod.

I know of several big cod that were taken on oversized spinnerbaits and hardbodies and although there is no law against this – yet – it is just wrong on so many levels.

It would be great to see a maximum size limit for lures and bait during the closed season to help decrease the chances of hooking cod.

The closed season is only for three months so surely anglers can give them a rest and let them spawn during this time. After all, it is going to benefit everyone in the long run by leading to more fish in the future.

BIG LURES

Now that we can legally target them again, the best lures and baits will be big ones because these fish should be hungry after their spawning efforts.

Large yabbies, scrub worms and wood and bardi grubs should work well. Lure fishos should do well using large spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits and hardbodies.

A lot of these fish will be found up in the shallows searching for an easy meal, especially at first and last light and right through the night.

Golden perch will also still be worth targeting in the same areas.

It pays to downsize your offerings to target them specifically. Opportunistic Murray cod will also hit these smaller baits and lures, too.

Over the past couple of seasons I have been having a lot of luck with the Balista lipless crankbaits and hardbodies.

An hour or two before sundown is a standout time for these lures, which have inbuilt red LED lights. I have found that during this short period these lures outfish lures that don’t have an LED.

I find that the LED is hardly noticeable in full light so you don’t get its full effects and benefits.

The little Juggernaut lipless has been catching plenty of golden perch over Spring.

Bait anglers targeting golden perch will do well with garden worms and small to medium yabbies.

The yabbies work best held up off the bottom on a paternoster rig to keep them flapping around. Alternatively, they can be fished with a small sinker running right down to the hook, or no unweighted.

The key to using them this way is to actively cast them and slowly retrieve with pauses, as you would a soft plastic.

BLOWERING CHRISTMAS

Each Christmas Blowering Dam swarms with holidaymakers free-form camping along its shores. Anglers, families, campers, bushwalkers and water enthusiasts from all over the country take advantage of this.

Most years more than 5000 people camp along its shores but there is still plenty of room for everyone.

The only drama over the past season or two has been rubbish.

The local council has placed dumpsters in appropriate areas but they can become full within hours. Then people just throw their rubbish near the bins or make their own rubbish piles.

Last holiday period the council tried to pass the job on to National Parks and State Forests, neither of whom was interested in the responsibility.

I’m not sure of the outcome but there was even talk of charging for camping or banning it altogether.

We can all do our bit to help prevent this from happening by making sure we dispose of our rubbish appropriately. If there are no empty bins nearby, wait until there are. Or simply take dispose of it on your way home.

Blowering Dam is one of very few lakes where you can camp for free and it would be a terrible shame to lose that.

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