Fishing World – September 2019

FISHING CLUB

Q

Is deep or shallow water

best for large flathead?

Tegan E-mail

A

Each river, creek, lake will have its

own inf luences on what depth of

water will be most successful for large

f lathead. Food is a predominant factor,

with shelter and comfortability being the

next factor that will govern a fish’s

preference. Time of year plays a significant

role with considerable differences in water

temperature affecting daily activity levels.

Preferences are to fish shallower water

through the warmer months as the f lathead

love moving up into these areas as the tide

peaks and feed on all the mullet, prawns

and whitebait escaping the shallows as the

tide recedes. As the water temps drop in the

cooler month’s deeper edges and holes

adjacent to f lats and bays seem to be the

preferred areas as the fish restrict their daily

movements in the cooler water.

With Chris Cleaver

Q

Is a spinnerbait or swimbait

better for Murray cod?

Evan e-mail

A

Both lures work extremely well for cod.

Funnily spinnerbaits had/have been the go

to cod lure for a long time but all the rage is

swimbaits for the moment. While swimbaits are

in vogue and accounting for some very large fish

they do have some limitations, and can be quite

costly compared to a spinnerbait. That said in a

dam or lake scenario fishing low light around

shallower margins the swimbait would be my

number one choice out of the two. Rivers with

running water or heavily snagged locations are

where the spinnerbait would be the better

choice over a swimbait. Spinnerbaits design

does make them somewhat harder to get

snagged and can be fished vertically in

addition to horizontally. Without doubt if

you are going to fish both dams and rivers

I would have both, but if you can only have

one it would be a Red/Black spinner bait in ½ - ¾ oz.

Fishing shallow or deep can depend on many

outsode influences such as time of year

Q

Why do snapper have a bump on their head?

Sam e-mail

A

I always get excited when I land a snapper with a bump on its

forehead; they just look so more interesting and unique. It is believed

snapper knocking their heads on underwater obstructions to dislodge food

is the cause for this but truth be told this is not the case. An enlargement of

fish’s bones known as hyperostosis is actually the cause for the lumps and

bumps in not only snapper but quite a few other species. Not all snapper

have this but certainly it makes them look amazing when they have one.

SHIMANO JUNIORS

70 fishingworld.com.au | September 2019

ait

go

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fish

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½ - ¾ oz.

Swimbaits catch big cod,

but so do spinnerbaits

fished in the right territory.