FISHING CLUB
Rainy days
Q
I’ve heard that rain can
make some fish bite better.
Is this true?
Ben, via e-mail.A
There certainly are various
fish species which can
become very active in periods of
rain. In northern Australia, manyanglers eagerly await the “run-off ”
period after the wet season. This
time of year (around March to
April) sees water recede from the
f loodplain and barramundi
schooling at junctions and drains
to gorge on the tasty morsels
swept in. On the east coast, rain
can come in a sprinkle or a f lood.
Smaller showers will often have
little or no effect. But heavier
rainfall which raises water levels
and discolours rivers and creeks
does tend to inf luence fish
behaviour. Species like jewfish,
bass and bream will use the
discoloured water and higher f low
in the coastal estuaries to huntbaitfish swept downstream. That
said, every location is different.
Only by getting out there with
good rain gear on will answer the
question for your local waterway.Splash down!
Q
Will a big sinker hitting
the water spook fish?
Jeff, via e-mail.A
For many years this was a
pet hate of mine as I tried to
keep noise and disturbance to a
minimum when fishing. Then
someone would stroll down and
hurl a big sinker and bait in where
I was trying to fish. In somescenarios, yes, this sort of
disturbance will spook some fish.
I’m talking here about very
shallow and clear water or a small
pool in a creek. But in other
situations a bit of noise may
actually provoke a bite. I clearly
remember one day bass fishing for
no luck. A mate thought it would
be funny to lob some rocks in
front of me while I was still
fishing. Half a dozen big rocks
later I was hooked up to a quality
bass right where the rocks were
entering the water. All I can
surmise is the splashing attracted
the fish’s interest and then it
found my lure.Q&A
Grin and Win!
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Each month as well as our lucky “Pic of the Month” major prize winner, five more junior
fishos are selected as worthy winners from the entries and kitted out with a cool Shimano
shirt and cap! So keep those Pic of the Month entries coming in for your chance to win!Maiki-Lee Thomson is seven years
old and caught this flathead in the
Tweed River at Tumbulgum.This is a pic of Dylan Faulder
(six) having fun while fishing at
Brooklyn, NSW.Mat thew Burgess
from Kurri Kurri with
a beaut Australian
salmon caught at
Bennet ts Beach,
Hawks Nest, NSW.Species like jew fish
of ten bite well during
periods of heavy rain.Keen youngster Hunter Murray
with his PB mangrove jack.SHIMANO JUNIORS
68 | fishingworld.com.au | February 2015