This month the weather really heats up and, in some places, so does the fishing. Even though the dams will be low and the rivers lower, you can still head out and catch a feed of fish.

It can be worth persisting in the heat because the fishing can be incredible at this time of year and there is always a cold beer back at camp. The dams will be the peak bet this month for fishing, not just because there will be water in them but because the natives became agitated and they tend to smack at lures more freely at this time.

The Macquarie River is a great option and fishing hard here will typically result in a few cod and yellowbelly. Fish in the shade during the day close to the deep banks. Towards dusk and after dark and the cod will come out to play.

In the height of summer shrimp are undeniably my favourite bait in this river, particularly if they are running. Find a deep run in the river and try trolling with green crankbaits or drift with the current and cast spinnerbaits at structure during the day to get an aggravated strike from a cod or yellowbelly.

In the Lachlan you will need to find deep holes with some structure and they should produce fish on bait and lures.

If fishing from the bank, a good idea to get an approximate depth of a hole is to cast out where you want to fish and watch your line feed out and see how long it takes to get to the bottom. Again, for best results fish early before the heat of the day.

The Lachlan will also clear up, especially between Forbes and Condobolin, and this will provide excellent lure fishing. Spinnerbaits in black and red and black and purple seem to work well.

The days are really hot out on these rivers and the best option is to fish early and late. The yellowbelly in particular tend to have a blistering bite really early in the morning and again at dusk. On occasions the fish continue to bite all day but generally will slow once the hot day kicks in.

With these rivers being so low it worries me that algae blooms and weed growth will take over this Summer.

There have been a few reports of yellowbelly being caught at Louth and Tilpa. The Barwon should start to clear this month if we don’t have any more rain and this can provide some excellent fishing.

Wyangala and Burrendong dams can be bloody hot in Summer but the fishing can be fantastic. This is the month trolling and casting become most effective method as the natives get aggressive.

Trolling lures that go deep near structure should produce a few fish. If you get a decent yellowbelly, remember to troll the same section because they are schooling fish and often a big cod will also follow a school of yellowbelly.