DAIWA FISHING TIPS: Braving the Cold by Vicki Winter Lear

With temperatures cooling down it means the Cod should be sunning themselves in the shallower bays of our dam systems and no longer lurking the depths to get cooler water.

We are seeing our dam levels rise so it should be perfect to go and hit it up before close season of 1^st September.

This is ideal bait caster action as you are targeting snags such as lay down logs in the water or spindly trees, rocky outcrops and shallow bays which I tend to use the bream term “the flats”.

I have normally used my Daiwa Interline 6’6 bait cast rod, the T3 Ballistic reel but this year I am keen to try the new Tatula combo being. I got the Tatula for a couple of purposes, one for some saltwater applications I have in mind and the other being for cod and yellowbelly. I have received the Tat 601MB rod teamed up with the 8.1R-TW. It is a faster reel ratio for saltwater but I am sure if I fish it slow I can team this up to be perfect for the freshwater at this time of year.

What I love about bait casting rods is the ease of accuracy with the casting, you can point and shoot, so to speak, the Tatula Rod is light and feels like it has a nice action, I can’t wait to report back on it.

When fishing a dam I will look for the temperature breaks in the water as the cod at this time of year will be searching for that warmer water where you will find them to be the most active. Like saltwater fishing bait fish is also important so if you find a school of bait don’t ignore it there is possibly a big fish lurking somewhere near.

Don’t work your lure too fast as cod can be known to be a little lazy and you can cast into that same snag at least three times sometimes before a cod decides to have a go at eating your lure.

Most of my fishing revolves around trying to use lures based around natural colours but like our northern friends the barramundi whom don’t mind something a little zany and out there I have found the cod don’t mind this either.

I like to trip up my lures, sometimes the bigger the better. I have got a brightly coloured fluorescent green chatterbait and rigged on the hook under the skirt a 100mm Squidgy Shad in White Lightening and have found this to be successful.

This year I will be having a go with some big surface lures also just to see what I can entice, it works further north so why not in the shallow water down south.

All I can say is have a go and don’t be afraid to experiment. I have still got a lot to learn about targeting this species of fish but am having a lot of fun trying.