September not only marks the beginning of spring but also where we switch our attention from Murray Cod to their best mates, the Golden Perch.

Luckily for us anglers, spring is by far the best time to target Golden Perch and below are our top tips to help you out this spring.

LURE SIZE – LESS IS MORE

Using small lures will increase your catch rate. Yes, they’ll smash a big cod lure happily, but during this time of year, they’re emerging from hibernation and will eat what they naturally find around them. Think small insects, fish, yabby’s and shrimp. For lures, think;

• 1/2oz or 3/8oz Spinnerbaits – smaller blades and small soft plastic tails
• 50-70mm Hard Body lures – slimmer profiles work well on perch and also produce a more positive hook-up
• 60-80mm Weedless Soft Plastics – the best plastics are yabby or shrimp imitations

RETRIEVE SPEED

This is arguably the most important factor for targeting Golden Perch. Most the time, you’ll want to be running with a slow roll with lots of pauses. This early on in the season, the fish will be sluggish, so you need to give them time to look at your lure.

If you find the slow roll isn’t yielding any results, add some speed to the retrieve with a quick flick of the rod tip or a quick burn of the lure to get the attention of the fish nearby.

LAST HOUR OF LIGHT

Golden hour doesn’t just get its name from the sunset! It is certainly the best bite period of the day. As the days become more sunny, the water temperature will always be at its warmest at last light.

WATER TEMPERATURE

Water temperature is one of the best indicators as to whether the fish are biting or not. Golden Perch are like the three bears. If its not ‘just right’ they’re less likely to come to play.

When the water hits 14 degrees the fish will be starting to feed and can be caught. What you really want is temperatures between 16-18 degrees. The fish will be super active at these temperatures.

With Cod closing fast approaching, we thought we’d whet your appetite and put the spotlight on they Murray Cod’s sidekick, the oversized football, the true slob of the Goulburn River. We are of course talking about the Golden Perch and with big prizes up for grabs for the yellas, it might be wise to read our pointers for fishing Nagambie Golden’s.

Drum roll please…

With Spring being by far the best time of year to target Golden Perch, its time to switch from Cod to Perch mode and practice reeling in the super fun Goldens. These tips could well help you land that PB Golden.

THE IDEAL CONDITIONS

When it comes to water temperature, Golden Perch are like Goldilocks and the three bears. If the water isn’t ‘just right’ the fishing will be tough going. Too hot or too cold, and the fishing will be a real slog.

As a general rule of thumb, when the water hits 14 degrees the fish will start feeding and do get caught, but 16 to 18 degrees is right in the hitting zone for the Goldens. They become very active when the water reaches this temperature.

As for the time of day, they don’t call the last hour of light the ‘Golden Hour’ for nothing. It is by far the best bite period of the day. The water temperature will be at its peak during this ‘Golden Hour’ as the river and lake would have been baking in the sun for the duration of the day. This is by far the pick of times for chasing Yellowbelly.  

LOOKING POINTS

The Goulburn River and Nagambie Lakes is absolutely littered with hot spots for snagging Golden Perch. When looking for hot spots, keep your eyes peeled for fallen timber, sand bars and weed beds. Whether fishing from your boat, kayak or the bank, you want to have one of the aforementioned pieces of structure nearby. Structure and timber give the Yellas somewhere to retreat if threatened or a hideout from the current waiting for a meal to pass by. Where weed beds provide a smorgasbord of food including their favourite menu item, shrimps. Both provide great opportunities to catch a big Golden Perch.

LURE CHOICE

Spinnerbaits, hardbodies, jigs, vibes, blades and plastics all deserve their spot in the Golden Perch Tackle Box.  

Spinnerbaits are the perfect casting lure with excellent accuracy. They provide a great a option for casting at timber and weed beds. Fishing from the bottom up is a great way to tick off the whole water column. We recommend allowing the spinnerbait to sink to the bottom before beginning the retrieval.

Hardbodies are another very effective casting lure and would also be the troll lure of choice.  

Smaller lures are more likely to entice the goldens rather than the Murray Cod. The goldens can’t resist the noise and vibration small jigs and vibes make and just have to have a go at them. Jigging plastic vibes and switchblades in various ways can attract even the most reticent golden.

LEADERS

Use fluorocarbon leaders because they can’t be easily seen by the Golden in the beautiful clear waters of the Nagambie Lakes and Goulburn River. 8lb in the clear lake water; 10-12lb in less clear water or heavy structure; and 30lb leaders in the river areas.

THE RETRIEVAL

Mix up your retrieves. Although a slow, halting roll is usually best, goldens are like us in that different incentives work at different times. For example, it may be early in the morning when they’re still a bit sluggish and disinterested, so persistence will pay off. Or they may have just fed and be enjoying a siesta, or they might simply be feeling a bit lethargic. Trying different tactics might just find the right one that will appeal to the mood of the slob at that moment.

RETURN TO PREVIOUSLY FISHED AREAS

Just because you’ve fished an area without any luck, don’t dismiss it for good. Go back again later because you’ll often get some bites next time around.

And voila! If you follow these tips, the big Goldens will follow soon after. Another quick tip for nothing, when you have success remember what worked for you and try to replicate it!