G'day. Fishos. Well, the long weekend is all over, and just to clarify what that means to local fishos, here's where we're at.
Trout season is now closed in both NSW and Vic, but that doesn't mean you can't go trout fishing.
All the proclaimed trout streams are closed in both states but some sections of some of those streams, lower sections in most cases, remain open.
You can still chase trout in virtually all lakes in both states.
Dartmouth fished really well for just about all participants of the Dart Cup.
The Victorian season opens again on Saturday, September 4, and NSW season opens on Saturday, October 4, this year.
While we're talking legalities, cray season is now open and will remain open until midnight, Tuesday, August 31, in both states.
AT A GLANCE
Dartmouth (64.9 per cent): fished really well for just about all participants of the Dart Cup held last weekend.
Trout seemed to be caught at all depths and on a big variety of lures and baits.
Lead lining was very successful, and there were plenty of fishos using it too.
One crew of three boats persisted with gudgeons all weekend and did as well as anyone, mainly fishing them under bubbles or a split shot in amongst the timber.
Lucky winner of the $7500 "Lucky draw" was Brian Shannon.
Biggest trout caught for the weekend was nailed by Josh Read, with a beautiful brown of 1.8 Kg.
The best bag of 10 fish, which is how the team's event is decided, weighed in at 7.035kg and was won by "Grabmyrod", while the best 10 fish from a club, "Mother Lovers", was won with a bag of 9.160kg.
Organisation was excellent, particularly considering the extra pressure put on organisers by the recent COVID scare, and it seems everyone had a great time, as usual.
Streams: ended up fishing pretty well on the last weekend of the season.
The Mitta, in particular, produced a couple of belters, with a couple of Compleat Angler customers landing a 72cm and a 71cm, as well as quite a few other nice fish.
A great way to finish off what was a very good season for most.
They, and other fishos, commented they'd witnessed quite a few fish in full on spawning mode, so let's hope that equates to a lot more trout in the system in the next couple of years.
Hume Dam (50 per cent): has certainly got a little cooler, with surface temperatures just over the 12-degree mark in most areas now. This has seen a few more trout getting caught, as they become more active in temps they're more comfortable feeding in.
Of note was a 64cm brown caught by Rhys Burles. Rhys's fish was in great nick and was one of the better-looking fish to come out of Hume for a while. Hume trout are generally very silver in colour, but this one had magic colours and markings and was in great nick.
I believe it was picked up flatlining a Tassie Devil, not sure of the colour though.
I do know of a couple that have come in on the K 9 series of Tassies though. They're the ones with the four big UV spots down their back, and they've been working well at Dartmouth as well.
The reddies are still on the chew but are a little harder to find now that the birds aren't working as much.
Dave (Buck) Rodgers and my brother Graham (Crazy) Mason kept 42 last Sunday, with all over 27cm, about 14 over 30cm and four that went 34cm.
All were caught in the Lake Hume Resort area, casting a mixture of vibes and plastics above or plastics and plastics.
I had my worst trip for the season out there on Monday. Kel Smith and I tried quite a few spots where I'd previously caught them, no joy. Ended up bringing a dozen reasonable fish home though, enough for a big feed, and thought, "any time over the past few years, I'd have been stoked with these!"
They're still out there, just gotta drop onto them.
Murray: below Albury is going ok for crays and cod.
It's still very low and will stay that way until September some time, depending on rainfall and irrigation demand, so we've just gotta get used to navigating around in this shallow stuff.
Mulwala: is fishing well or poorly, depends on who you talk to.
It seems that a very early start is the go if you're chasing the big ones on big plastics, swim baits or surface lures, but there's still enough getting picked up on the troll and angling a bait to keep most fishos happy.
Mul's certainly fishing as well or better than a lot of the other well-known cod destinations around the country at the moment.
Blowering (95.4 per cent): is still tough for cod fishos but apparently there are a few reddies still getting picked up.
You'll want your winter woollies on if you're heading to Eucumbene (22.6 per cent) of Jindabyne (76.7 per cent) at the moment! Both have been producing fish, but the consensus is that they're still reasonably tough just at the minute
Anyhow, if you're heading out, have a great time and hope ya catch heaps.
Send your fishing photos and details to 0475 953 605.
