South Australian Angler – June 2018

back to the ramp. Then it’s a simple
process of visiting each one on the
return leg. The best ones are any that
are over one metre deep. Position the
boat, either using the electric or tying
up, so that you can get your lure right in
the honey hole, which is generally half
way along the snag and in amongst all
the sticks and branches. Sometimes
it can be difficult to find the right spot
to drop the vibe so that it makes it all
the way to the bottom! Be ready, as the
fish can smash the lure instantly as it
reaches depth. I like to make my first
drop with a leader length of line plus
around half a metre of braid out the
end of the rod tip. I can then lower the
jig down into the snag without having
the bail arm open.
It’s really personal preference as to
whether you use a spin or baitcast rod,
but I like to use a spin rod. This is spooled
with 4.5kg braid and a rod length of 10kg

leader. As you lower the lure down into

the snag and the rod tip gets near the

water, give it a couple solid rips to let the

callop know you are there. Vibes with

loud rattles have been producing the

best results and my go-to lure has been

a Rapala Rippin Rap 05. Once you have

let them know there is a meal on offer,

do a couple of more gentle rips before

following up with loud ones again. It

is most important to fish your jig on

both the up and down stroke, as they

will both produce equal opportunities.

Sometimes a pause with no movement

at all can induce a bite.

Once you’ve covered that part of the

water column, lower your jig further

down and repeat the process, or move

your jig and drop into another part of

the snag. Generally, you will know pretty

quickly if a snag is going to fire or not, so

don’t hang around if you don’t get a bite

after five minutes or so.

It’s quite amazing how hard the

callop go when they can use every piece

of the timber to their advantage, and

I can tell you now that you won’t land

every fish you hook! If you do have a

fish that ploughs through the mess, try

giving it slack line before pulling up tight

again, as this can sometimes fool them

into coming out.

GOOD FISHING AHEAD

As we head into the depths of winter

and early spring, we can look forward

to some of the best times to be on the

Murray River. The holiday makers have

all returned home and the wake and

ski boats have been packed away. This

is when the fisherfolk get their turn

to enjoy what is a truly magic piece of

water. Hopefully, you have taken away

a few tips from this piece that will help

you connect with the many native fish

that call the River home.

The author with a superbly conditioned

callop hooked on a vibe

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