SPRING has sprung and inshore snapper are on the run. Pearl perch and other winter species that come closer to shore in the colder weather, as well as the large mulloway that patrol the mullet highways are done for the year. Gone too, are the layers of “sparrow-fart” jumpers, beanies and spray jackets required to keep feeling in the extremities as pre-dawn temperatures batter the body travelling down-river towards the bar. With the arrival of October, a simple flanny is all that’s needed for the early morning chill, and not for long!
Whilst I have come to love winter and the fishing it brings; I do look forward to spring. If I want snapper, I travel wider of the coast and still have a great time, with the added advantage of tangling with pearl perch, teraglin and tusk fish. The deeper water is slow-pitch jig heaven, and I never quite know what species I’ve hooked until it appears in the water column on its way to the
surface. There’s not much better fish available for the table than pearl perch or Venus tusk fish. Battered pearlie fillets and battered tuskie in citrus dipping sauce are both favourites.
That said, for me, spring is synonymous with bait cast outfits, lure-fishing and often canoes … more favourites. It’s the time of year when big bass are easier to find, and I love big bass. Bass
move upstream towards their summer haunts, and by being aware of the river system in relation to obstacles and river heights, big bass bonanzas are on the cards when conditions are right. Sure, it might take some effort to find where they’re at, but if conditions remain unchanged, there’s fun to be had for a few weeks at least.
Once you do find where the bass are on their way upstream, it’s a simple question of how best to get them to take a lure. If it’s still cool and the water is yet to warm, it might be too early in the season to use a surface lure other than in the twilight and after dark. Daytime bassing will require a sub-surface presentation such as a soft plastic, spinnerbait or diving hard bodied lure.
Casting at submerged timber with a plastic rigged on a standard jig head is problematic due to the likelihood of snagging the hook on the snag, and whilst it’s usually not too hard to get back, going in to get it means the bass will at least shut down, if they don’t skidaddle completely from that snag. Weedless presentations are the way to go, and natural coloured shrimp/prawn presentations are deadly. Daiwa’s Bait Junkie Risky Critters and Berkeley Powerbait Shrimp and Craws on a 1/12th-1/8th oz weedless hook are great. Chase Bait Flicker Prawn (1/8thoz) are also deadly if a pre-rigged option is preferred.
Another springtime favourite is big flathead. Cruising the flats in clear springtime water is awesome fun and in the right river, the number of big fish can be surprising. The heartbreak comes when a big girl scoots off the bottom in an area you have peppered with casts, so it’s obvious they have spotted your lure without interest … bummer. I have three styles of lures I throw at big flatties and all are 15cm in length at a minimum. My most productive lure to date are 25-30cm long plastics rigged on a weightless 9/0 worm hook with a no.6 treble set in the tail on a length of mono.
Glidebaits in the 20cm length are another great way to tempt these fish into striking. I’ve found that a slow pull and pause retrieve seems to create a reaction. Finally, and perhaps most enjoyably, are the large surface lures that work so well in the really shallow stuff. Flatties explode onto these lures, often becoming airborne in the process, and like all lures, they usually belt the lure during a pause (which can be quite lengthy), or immediately after it.
Forget the ultra-light “sportfishing” option though, as the force required to set the hook or the violent head shaking that can ensure, if often too much for light line. Furthermore, I think it is irresponsible to prolong a fight that exhausts any fish if that fish is to be released in a healthy state! 7-10kg line is my preferred option as it’s ok to cast, resists most bit-offs and the braid suffers from minimal wind knots.
So, it’s now spring and we have a new suite of species to target … I wouldn’t be dead for quids
