With the hot trout action that Lake Hume experienced last month, things throughout September should keep firing for anglers who take time out to get there and wet a line.

Reports from out on the weir lately have been great with brown trout in excellent condition ranging from 400g up to 2.6kg. Given the stocking of over 50,000 yearling brown trout into the weir last month, the fishing for anglers far and wide is surely going to improve.

Really, the only method that is consistently producing the goods is trolling Tassie Devils around the weir wall area. Tassies no.26 Pink Lady and no.55 Pink Panther have been really productive, as has any lure with the natural colours of redfin.

Although flatline trolling has been very productive, other techniques including casting lures from the bank, downriggers or just trolling bibbed lures like Merlins, Vikings and McGraths have also worked well.

On one recent trip I caught more redfin than trout, which from previous trips out on the weir at this time of year, was really unusual. Using nothing but Vikings and Merlins, I caught over 20 well-conditioned reddies with the biggest around a kilo. It goes to show that anything can happen when you’re using the right gear.

One thing I’ve realised lately is that after rain the trout seem to be pushing deeper, leaving lures like Tassies that run shallow virtually useless unless trolled on a downrigger.

Using a depth sounder, I’ve noticed out in open water that the majority of fish on the screen, probably 90%, are sitting at around 10m after rain. But after a couple of days of fine weather they move up to around 5m – a huge difference.

With the help of a sounder, this information can improve your catches by allowing you to choose the right lure to suit the depths based on the weather. I’ve tried it and it’s worked.

This doesn’t mean that there aren’t fish cruising in other depths, it’s just a guideline that may help.

The Murray River from Lake Hume right down to Mulwala is still producing quite a few crays. Most trips I’ve been on have yielded a bagful for the table. Remember, the Murray cray season closes on September 1, as does the Murray cod season.

From next month on the fishing should start picking up with the weir wall being the best spot for trout and yellowbelly as soon as the water starts rising – that’s something to look forward to!