Deep diving minnows are proven fish takers along deep, narrow corridors found in many impoundments
Andrew McGovern divulges the secrets to a successful narrow water technique that combines trolling with cast and retrieve methods.
It was around a decade ago when I penned a piece on working narrow ‘fingers’ of water for Freshwater Fishing Australia. Within it I detailed how ineffective trolling, and at times casting, these areas can be. A few of my fishing mates and I have tasted consistent success on natives for more than a couple of decades using diving hardbodied minnows in these sometimes hard-to-find and often-overlooked locations. Since that initial article we have continued to successfully use this method, however, through some trial and error we have managed to refine and tweak the technique to open up opportunities on cod, golden perch, bass and even the occasional silver perch.
This method is specifically used in narrow ‘fingers’ of water, which are commonly found in impoundments and occasionally in stretches of some of the larger western flowing rivers sprinkled along parts of NSW, Victoria, and southern Queensland. These narrow fingers of water generally exist in two distinct forms but require a marginally different approach. The first areas are deep gorge or channel type waters and the others are narrow, relatively shallow bays or inlets. There are several issues lure fishers face when attempting to work divers in these narrow passages. Most obvious is that a standard trolling approach is not possible as there will be insufficient space in the skinny corridor for which to turn the boat around. The other issue is that if you opt to cast and retrieve, then your lure will either not be able to attain its optimum diving depth, or if it does reach that depth while retrieving, generally it will only track at that depth for a short period of time before it begins to ascend up the water column, back to your rod tip. This is caused by the limitation in the amount of line, which has been cast out.
If you consider that hardbodied minnows are not the most aerodynamic lures in our tackle boxes, it means that their castability is probably lowest of all native lure options. For most anglers this means casting distance is limited. As an example let us break down a 20 m cast which is an easily attainable distance for most fishers, regardless of angling skill levels. (Note – If you can’t nail 20 m casts consistently then it is time to undertake more regular practice in your local waterway or invest in a new native casting outfit until this distance can be obtained consistently).
This cod nailed a diver right at the end of a short trolling run.
If you are using a lure that can reach a diving depth of say 5 m and you have made a cast of 20 m, then it will take that lure somewhere between 3 and 7 m into your retrieve before it hits that optimum depth. Your lure will then track for another 10 or so metres before it will begin to climb in the water column. As line is retrieved, the amount of line between the rod tip and the tow point of the lure reduces. This results in the angle between you and the lure increasing – forcing the lure to come up to the water’s surface (See Fact Box – Cross Section View of Lure Path). This is a simple, generic example to help illustrate the inefficiency such an approach in skinny, deep water is. Obviously, there are many variables that will contribute to this formula and affect how quickly the lure dives down to its intended depth and how long it will stay swimming at that optimum depth. These variables include diameter of leader line, diameter of main line, wind direction, movement of your canoe and speed of your retrieve.
SOLUTIONS AND OPTIONS
So now that we have established that casting and retrieving is not the most effective way to fish this type of area with hardbodies, it is time to detail how best to fish these narrow channels. Years ago when we first faced this conundrum we decided it was time to devise a more effective method and as such experimented with several options. Initially we worked spinnerbaits or other sinking presentation so that our offering held low and deep in the water for significant periods during a retrieve. Although this approach worked satisfactorily, where we landed a brace of small to medium sized cod over a few seasons, we were still restricted by the distance in which we could achieve in the cast. This meant we potentially missed some quantity fish holding water within that stretch of the waterway.
We were keen to stick with diving hardbodies, rather than spinnerbaits, as we felt this genre of lures allowed us to work structure more thoroughly as well as imparting irregular action into the lure via continuous rod work. The method we devised was actually quite simple and provided us with what we felt was, and still remains, the most effective way to work these narrow fingers of water.
The technique commences by reversing the canoe, kayak or boat into the back corner of the narrow section of water. In many cases there will be a small creek, waterfall, or run off, that will flow into the main body of water in the far pocket of the narrow gorge. Our aim is to cast our lures into this vicinity – attempting to land our presentation as close to the edge as possible. Once we have cast out and satisfied that our lure is sitting near the edge we won’t engage our reels immediately. With the canoe pointed in the direction, heading out of the narrow piece of water, we power up the electric and commence forward movement. Once we have moved somewhere between 10 and 20 m we will then engage the reels. This means we will have in excess of 30 m of line out the back of the boat. The exact amount of line to feed off your reel before engaging it depends on how long the stretch of water you want to fish is. As a general guide, we have found 30 m to be a manageable amount of line to undertake this method.
Once we have engaged the reels it is simply a matter of trolling the lure out of the narrow gorge and past the nearest point found at the extremity of the stretch of water. This amount of line allows the lure to dig down in the water column to reach its maximum diving depth and then proceed to work at this depth for several minutes. Once we have trolled out past the point and are confident that the lure has well and truly cleared the end of the point, we power down the motor and retrieve our presentation. When undertaking this final retrieve it is important to stay alert and vigilant as we have taken a number fish that have struck right near the rod or just as the lure begins to ascend up the water column. Our theory is that the trolled lure has dragged a fish off the point, which has followed it all the way to the boat. Once wound in, it is a matter of driving the boat back into the gorge to repeat the process.
A selection of lures suited for the hybrid method in deep water greater than four metres deep.
SHORT TROLLING TIPS
There are a few tips that will assist in generating strikes along this short, but effective troll run. Impart plenty of action into your lure once you have undertaken 2 or 3 straight, methodical runs. Vary the speed of the trolling run as the occasional burst of speed can ‘fire up’ a passive fish that has seen the lure a few times already. After 6 to 8 passes fishers have the option to move to the next stretch of water or to change lures. If you opt to change lure consider both subtle and drastic changes. A simple change of lure colour, in the exact same lure pattern, can turn the tables in your way. Other times it will require a change in action, body profile, and lure length to elicit a strike.
Patience can be a blessing to native anglers and such is the case with this technique. We landed a solid cod of around nine kilograms after working a narrow finger for nearly 50 minutes. After we released the fish we worked out that we had undertaken between 11 and 14 runs through the same area. That fish was reward for a combination of patience and using a mix of lures over the course of multiple trolling runs.
Skinny, fingers of water are well known fish holding areas particularly for our native species. Many anglers often over look these areas while key opportunities are completely missed when traditional trolling and casting techniques are employed. Using this simple hybrid method will provide you with a more effective way to work these native corridors.
Andrew has been fishing the Canberra, Monaro, Snowy Mountains and south coast of NSW region for almost 40 years and is considered one of the country’s most innovative and competent anglers. He has been a freelance journalist for almost 17 years, has written two extensive books on the region, and featured in numerous AFN tactics DVDs. He regularly undertakes all forms of fishing with casting soft plastics for trout, chasing kingfish from the rocks, pelting baits from beaches, and luring his local estuaries amongst his favourite pastimes. Andrew is currently a Pro Angler with Jarvis Walker Australia and endorses their range of products.
