Clear nights and temperatures below zero bring some big frosts but that usually indicates clear, sunny days ahead.
I say usually because at altitude the weather can change quickly.
It’s always a good idea to check the three-day weather forecast before heading off for the weekend. Check the wind speed, direction, day and overnight temperatures and pack accordingly.
With trout season in the rivers and streams closed from June 10 until the long weekend in October, we can focus on lakes such as Lyell and Thompsons Creek Dam.
Both dams will still have plenty on offer with clear, cold oxygenated water.
Pre-spawn fish can be pretty aggro, especially those big buck-jawed rainbows.
Don’t be afraid to up the ante at this time of year when it comes to lure size. Big, bright colourful spoons and minnows of 75mm and more should not be overlooked, especially if you see big aggressive fish chasing one another.
If the fish you see are spooky and timid, it could be a case of the smaller and lighter the better.
Fly-fishing comes into its own here because nothing presents micro morsels as well as the fly rod. Micro plastics and spider-web line can also be productive in the right hands.
Flatline trolling at Lake Lyell with the ever-popular Tassie devil is about as easy as it gets.
It does pay to keep an eye on the sounder, though, because the fish can sometimes be a little deeper and you may have to look at other options. Some of the small deep-diving minnows these days can get down to 3m-4m so keep these in mind.
Nothing wrong with pulling up and slow-rolling a plastic through a deep group of fish you have seen on the sounder, either.
If you get a hit, keep your rod tip down and keep winding. It’s hard not to strike but it’s by far your best plan of attack; wait until the rod loads up, then lift and wind.
For bait anglers PowerBait is pretty hard to go past at Lake Lyell; I cannot remember the last time I dug for worms.
The trick with PowerBait is to use light monofilament line as a leader (not fluorocarbon, which sinks). Use a small, light-gauge hook one that one nugget of bait can hide.
Anchor the rig with a pea-sized running sinker 300mm from the hook.
This allows the PowerBait nugget to float up of the bottom (you can test it in shallow water to see if you have it right).
The scent can then dispense more readily and the bright colours can be seen by the fish from some distance.
Rainbow trout can hit this rig at pace and often will hook themselves so make sure your rod is secured.
I have had some good sessions on the cod into June. Picking your days, as always, is the best plan. A steady or rising barometer is a must.
And as I mentioned in last month’s report, it’s an office-hours affair at this time of year for the most part, which is fine by me.
Casting spinner baits at heavy structure in the deeper pools can be very productive.
The lakes can also be good. Wyangala, Windamere and Burrendong have some cracking big cod and this is the time to target a good one.
Leave the small lures at home, troll the steeper, sunny north-facing banks and cast the small north-facing sunny gullies, the ones with logs pushed up into them from the wind.
It will be hard work most days but stick with it and you will come up trumps.
You can mix it up a bit at Burrendong and spend some of the day chasing redfin as well.
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