Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Sweetwater-Impoundments-Brackish » Wet Season Natives
Wet Season Natives
By David Brace
Adapting techniques and strategies to catch Australian native fish, throughout every season, takes time and being intuitive to what’s happening in your environment. Patterns emerge and soon enough the puzzle pieces start forming a picture. In Queensland, during the months of October through to March, the region is usually inundated with seasonal wet weather, heavy rain and floods. Some anglers would think that, when this inclement weather occurs, it’s probably not the best time to chase Australian native fish. In fact, it is almost the opposite. Although these fish tend to climb all over lures when the weather has been stable, with a high barometric pressure reading, they can be just as feisty leading into an unfavorable weather event.
Have you ever wondered what occurs when a lake rises, seeing the grassy banks submerged by the rising floodwaters? Have you ever noticed, in your own backyard, what emerges from the ground when it becomes completely saturated to a point where the ground cannot hold any additional water? The earth becomes alive with worms, grubs, beetles, and other morsels, all seeking higher ground and an escape from the rising water and saturated ground. It is an absolute smorgasbord for Australian native fish, with species such as Australian bass, Saratoga, and sooty grunter, all taking advantage of the wet season and an ever-changing ecosystem.
Your best chance, to take advantage of these feeding frenzies, is when the lake water levels first rise or when rivers flood adjacent farmland. Just because it is raining, doesn’t mean that these fish are feeding frantically beneath the surface. Let it be known though that these opportunities don’t last forever. If you wait too long to target these fish, during these weather events, then you will have missed crucial opportunities.
Over the course of the weeks following the rise these grassy banks start to decompose, leaving the water less oxygenated and in turn possibly causing algal blooms. Australian native fish prefer water of a higher oxygen concentration and will seek better water quality as these areas degrade. However new opportunities will present themselves throughout the season as the water levels rise from rain falling in their catchment areas.
The beauty about this type of fishing, when it occurs, is that it also creates opportunities for landbased anglers. No longer are the fish holding beyond a cast distance from the bank. In fact, more often, the fish are within metres of the water’s edge. How long the grass is, in the area in which you are fishing, may determine the rod, reel, line, and leader that will be suitable. By looking at the foreshore, you will be able to gauge the density of the grassy structure that lays beneath the surface.
As a rule of thumb, when fishing through and over grassy pastures of more than two feet high, I recommend using an Okuma spin combo that consists of a 7’ rod, rated around 3 to 6kg and matched with a 2000 to 3000 size spin reel. This combo is spooled with 10lb Platypus Pulse X4 braid and a minimum of 15lb Platypus Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader. I’d also highly recommend setting a tight drag and being on your toes, ready for when a fish strikes your lure. Australian bass for instance, that exceed 40cm in length, possess real attitude and fight, along with a zest to challenge the most experienced of anglers and especially in this structure.
‘Match the hatch’ is a common term used in fishing and this scenario is no different. So what lures are best used to target Australian native fish in this situation? Anything that resembles a worm or grub. ZMan soft plastics, being made from 10X Tough Elaztech material, possess an extraordinary natural buoyancy that allows the tail or claws of the soft plastic to float up, even when they are rigged on a weighted jighead.
There are several ZMan soft plastics that come to mind from the Ned Rig System range, such as the ZMan 2.75” TRD BugZ and the ZMan 3” TRD HogZ. A couple of my favourites however include the ZMan 3.5” GrubZ and the ZMan 3.5” Trick SwimZ. These lures also resemble and mimic a worm or a grub that is seeking higher ground within the grassy structure.
My favourites rigged on a 3/0 TT HeadlockZ jighead or the Ned Rig baits on a TT NedlockZ 1H, can be cast and retrieved along the bottom in areas of submerged, short cut grass from grazing cattle that previously fed along the banks.
Where the grass is much longer, these lures can still be fished effectively by rigging them weedless. My favourites rig well on a TT ChinlockZ or SnakelockZ, while the Ned Rig baits can be rigged on a TT NedlockZ EWG jighead.
The advantage of TT NedlockZ jigheads is that they are purposely made for this type of fishing and structure. The NedlockZ flattened nose (mushroom style jighead) encourages the soft plastic to stand taller above the mud and grass. With the natural movement of the water, driven by prevailing winds, these baits are too irresistible for any unsuspecting Australian native fish.
With the ground being aerated prior to being submerged and flooded with the rising water, look for the telltale signs such as bubbles floating to the surface. Many anglers think that these bubbles are caused by amphibians or reptiles, such as turtles, however they can be just as easily produced by scavenging fish. As fish search for food through the grass and the mud beneath, they release air pockets within the grass roots.
Retrieval techniques are simple, however make your movements slow and always keep connected to the bottom. Vary your retrieves and mix it up with small twitches of the rod tip. Take your time. Although it can be unpleasant to fish in the rain, I can guarantee you that you will eventually be compensated for your efforts. Get wet and reap the rewards!
Nothin’ ventured, nothin’ gained…
Cheers, Bracey!