Gone for another year are the frosts and temperatures that are sitting on the wrong side of zero.

Despite all of the rain (yes, I think it can ease off a little), I haven’t seen Lake Hume looking so good at this time of the year since the mid ’90s. 

The water is lapping at full capacity and, therefore, there is a lot more water between the fish. 

It has a little colour to it and I would be surprised if anyone didn’t expect the lake to be a little dirty. But mark my words, the yellas are kicking off the season in style.

There are three distinct methods to hook onto a good yella out there.

These methods also work in most other dams and rivers, for that matter.

Let’s start with bait. Yellowbelly really find it difficult to pass up a free scrubworm or yabbie, either from the bank or from a boat.

From the bank, it’s best to use a 5kg outfit and at least 4.5kg nylon leader if you are using braid.

Look for structure such as a drowned tree or rock wall, and use the lightest running sinker you can to reach this spot. Often, a bite is very difficult to see as, unlike the old carp, yellas mouth and suck on the bait before having a good chew. 

So, don’t stray too far from your gear.

The other point is don’t cast as far as possible, as yellowbelly usually seek out warmer water of the lake margins, often just 5 or 10 metres from the bank.

The same applies from the boat, although you can use a paternoster rig (sinker on the bottom), instead of a running sinker.

Sometimes, it pays to move the bait slightly up and down or across the bottom as well. The bite, again, can be a little timid.

The second method is by far the most popular, and that’s trolling. 

Because it’s more popular, it’s the method most fish tend to fall for.

The key is to put something down right in front of their face and get them to wrap their lips around it. Sounds simple.

Finding the right depth is critical and a sounder does the job here.

A good rule to follow is 3 to 5 metres through the cooler months, then going deeper down 5 to 8 metres as the water gets too warm for them.

There are so many hard bodies on the market. If put in the right position, they will hook into a decent fish.

So, with so many on the market, just where’s an angler supposed to start?

A good collection should include McGrath wide and narrow, AC Slim and Wide Invaders, Custom Crafted Fish Stick and Tadpoles, Bennet Merlins in both deep and ultra deep, Taylor Mades and Oar Gee Pee Wees – that’s really just scratching the surface.

Natural colours still work the best – green, yellow and brown combinations. Gold is a great colour too.