This time of year, fish move around the edges of the dam to feed. I find that 10ft or 3m is the magic depth that fish are actively feeding at, so I put my boat around that 15-20ft mark and target the fish. The hard part is to find the lure they will eat and the technique that the hungry fish will respond to.

If the fish are hard on the bottom, a very slow roll will be the best way to target them. If they’re up off the bottom, a burn and kill will be the best way to make them react. For the weekend fishos, trolling is a great way to target the fish. All you need is some small hardbodies around 40-80mm that dive 3m and you’ll be able to catch a few.

For fish that are off the bottom, the best way to target them is with a suspending lure like a Jackall Squirrel. The best lures to target the fish on the bottom must be the TN50 and TN60. Silent lures work well when the fish are shut down.

The Windamere Golden Classic was a tough weekend for some anglers. Only a few teams got their bag of ten fish. This was the first time Aaron Andy and I fished the competition, but there were a few people that had fished it for years and years, like Steve Starling, who said it was a very tough bite and that he’s never seen it as tough.

The raffle draw was unreal with so many prizes given away. We had a great weekend with 15 fish hitting the deck of the boat. Our average was 537mm. Aaron was lucky enough to win the lucky door prize – a 4hp Yamaha outboard motor – and the storm picture competition that was run over the weekend. I won the Dash for Cash on Sunday morning with a 590mm score, and bonus points, which put it up to 622mm for $600.

A good weekend was had by all and I can’t wait for next year’s. Thanks to Pat Morris and Ian miller for a great competition. 

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Fish can be found feeding on the edges in the warmer weather.

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Sometimes it can be hard to get the bite. Using the right technique when they’re stubborn will help you get a beauty like this.