Time spent watching the behaviour of shallow feeding lake fish teaches you much about how they operate. Recent fishing time in the Snowy Mountain lakes reinforced to Nigel Webster that two very different approaches will always hold you in good stead when it comes to tempting lake trout across varied weather conditions.

I watched as a solid fish cruised a metre from the bank and tried to ascertain where to best get in position to cast a lure. I walked fast, behind shoreline scrub so as to remain hidden from view of the shallow cruiser. I found a spot 10 m ahead of the fish and prepared to cast a small soft plastic in the projected line of its travels. The fish was travelling within two metres of the shore and I gently pitched a short cast. The fish seemed to sense that something had entered its domain and sped up. It pushed towards my plastic lure lying motionless on the bottom and stopped to inspect it; I remember thinking, “here we go”, and hopped the lure. As quickly as it had paused, the fish turned and swam purposefully out into deeper waters until I lost sight of it.

A shoreline feeder hunting yabbies.

The fish hadn’t known I was there and my lure presentation had been subtle. What had caused the fish to respond in this manner was perplexing until I put it at the back of my mind after spotting another shallow water brown cruising. This fish was cruising faster and I had to make a quick cast to put my soft plastic 5 to 6 m ahead of it. Similar to the previous one, this fish sensed food was on the menu and its fins shuddered and it picked up speed. I ever so slightly jigged the scented lure and the fish paused and inspected its location before it too, thought better of it and swam for deeper water. I spotted 15 fish that day and cast at around eight. All fish were following a similar pattern of migration around the lake foreshores and I managed to fool and catch two solid 2 to 3 kg brown trout; the only difference with those fish was that I positioned a lure 20 to 30 m ahead of the projected line of travel.
The next day provided a significant change in weather. Perfect polaroiding conditions gave way to blustery rain which ruined any chances of further sight fishing. Determined to continue catching fish, I dramatically changed my approach but used what I had learnt from watching shoreline feeders the previous day to tailor my strategy. Day two proved to be a particularly special day whereby I managed to land quality rainbow, brown and brook trout all in the same day. The weather is often variable on our alpine reaches and it does have bearing on the fishing you will encounter. A couple of tricks up your sleeve, some knowledge of how lake trout feed and a rounded approach means regardless of what the weather throws your way – you don’t have to miss out!

A rare brook trout shows that all lake species get active along the shorelines when the weather blows up.

The Weather
Over two decades of fishing the Australian alpine areas has taught me plenty about how the fish up there operate. Saying two decades makes me feel old, but does reinforce that several patterns have survived the test-of-time. Over these years I have learnt that trolling, lure cast-and-retrieve techniques and bait fishing can be tough on those days when you are faced with a cloudless sky, no wind and a glassy lake surface. Trolling with attractors will improve your chances of catching fish on the troll but it doesn’t work all of the time. As that southerly change moves across the area however, bringing with it wind, cloud and often rain and snow, the fishing conditions change in an instant. Fish become aggressive and can be caught with a variety of methods. My recent trip to the area proved that having tackle and techniques to combat variable weather will certainly hold you in good stead for catching a few when others may be missing out.

A small rattling lipless lure is a perfect choice for aggrevating shallow feeders.

Understanding Shoreline Feeders
Many species of fish will often feed in shallow water. This is because there is valuable food supply in these areas. The relative level of a lake at any time does have a bearing on the number of fish that will push towards the edges to feed. Rising lake levels usually promotes shoreline feeding activity. At times when water levels drop due to factors such as significant lake release, they often approach the position of deeper weed beds. Fish then find it easy to leave the shelter of weed and cruise the shoreline margins in search of a quick feed. The lesson being that you can find shoreline feeders at any time of the year if you are met with some favourable conditions.
Experience suggests that on many trips you will be able to locate fish feeding near the shoreline. The number of fish and the activity levels will be determined by prevailing weather and lake conditions. Bright and sunny conditions typically mean shoreline feeders will be cautious but if you can see them I believe they can be caught; you just have to work out how. Inclement weather generally means the shoreline feeders will be more active and in this scenario there is often a lot of fun to be had if you can tune into the best approach.
Watching fish cruise a shoreline teaches you much about how they operate. Fish will usually cruise with purpose along a predetermined route watching very carefully for any signs of impending food or danger. They very often move in the same direction. A common path often includes moving into the shoreline via the shallow water that extends from a shoreline point. These fish will then turn and cruise along a shoreline until they reach the back corner of a bay before moving into some deeper water. They will often return to do it all again if they find reason (food) to return. Observations suggest that if these fish are met with anything that seems abnormal, they head for safe territory.
A Tailored Approach
Reading the weather patterns prior to a trip chasing lake trout helps me to develop my plan of attack and resources accordingly. A period of predicted stable weather suggests I will most likely be relying on stealth and a shore based sight fishing approach using soft plastics as my go-to lure. However if there is a predicted weather change moving through the area then I know hardbody lure casting is going to be a solid option. And because the fish are usually agitated during poor weather, I most often opt for an agitator style approach. During the past decade, one approach has caught me more large fish than any other and it involves the use of lipless rattling style lures. There are many other luring approaches that will work when the fish are active but as far as I am concerned, the ‘rattlers’ are usually my first port-of-call.
The absolute key to catching fish on either of the two presentations we are about to review is to understand how you should make your presentation look and that is natural. Notice that I didn’t mention quiet or subtle, just natural! You have to fool fish into thinking that what you have put in front of them is the real deal. So if you land a yabby imitation in their line of sight and it can be seen sinking to the bottom, the fish are probably going to be suspicious. Likewise, a weighted hardbody that lands in the vicinity of fish and then simply sinks to the bottom will be met with scepticism. Think through how the fish are moving and feeding and then how you are going to provide them with an option they have no reason to be suspicious of. I believe that if you tick all the boxes of a natural presentation you will be successful more often than not.
Ticking the Boxes – A Tale of Two Retrieves
The two approaches that we have introduced so far require very different retrieves. In essence they exist at opposite ends of the trout fishing spectrum.
Option 1: Shoreline Sight-Fishing
We’ve established that good weather often coincides with subdued fish; some of these fish will still feed, albeit very cautiously. In the event that you can see these fish an angler stands a chance of fooling one. This requires a stealth approach and any hint of noise or abnormality will spook those cautious feeders. A land based approach using soft plastic lures has produced more quality fish for me than any other on those beautiful glassy days on the lakes. The technique requires some walking shoes, good polaroid sunglasses, a box of jigheads and some soft plastic lures: 2 to 3 inch yabby or mudeye imitation plastics work very well.
High shorelines are great places to walk to try and spot fish. The high vantage point allows you to spot moving fish and the chance to move to a good casting position without being detected. A good tip is to look for moving shadows. Having spotted a shoreline feeder, try to get as far as possible ahead of the direction the fish is moving. The further you can cast the lure ahead of the fish the better your chance of catching it. If able to estimate where the fish will travel, cast a good 20 to 30 m ahead of it for the best opportunity to about its downfall. The technique involves putting the soft plastic lure on the bottom and allowing it to sit for some time before the fish enters its proximity. I believe this enables your line to become still in the water and gives the fish no hint that your yabby imitation has just sunk from the surface to bottom. As the fish moves within 1 to 2 m of the lure, give it the slightest twitch. Remember that yabbies don’t cross the bottom moon-landing-style in huge leaps and bounds. If the fish has no reason to doubt your presentation they will usually eat it. The moment you see that nose burrow into the bottom and the white mouth chomping: lift the rod and strike. This is a very exciting way to catch them and the trick is to not lose your nerve.
Option 2: Rattling the Edges
Fish hunt windswept shorelines aggressively when the weather turns poor. An aggressive technique can produce some awesome fishing. Drifting wind-blown shores in a boat and retrieving rattling crankbaits across the shallows is a very effective method. Try to develop long drifts that allow the boat to be pushed along a cast length from the bank. The rattling approach is noisy by nature but you can still make it look natural. Remember that a small baitfish suddenly finding itself exposed to a predator will behave in a certain way. Let’s look at how you retrieve it to look the part. (Also refer to diagram above).
A. Cast the lure within 50 cm of the shore and use your forefinger to feather the line so that the lure slides into the water as quietly as possible, and here is the important part. As the lure lands, engage the reel and quickly retrieve it approximately a metre. Any trout in this vicinity will think that a baitfish has just flickered near the surface and is now trying to make a break for it.
B. Having retrieved the lure a metre, stop the retrieve dead and with your line kept tight, let the lure sink to bottom. Many bites occur at this precise period. The visuals of a baitfish fleeing and then stopping to head to bottom to evade detection are usually too much for an actively feeding trout to refuse.
C. Once the lure has hit bottom, lift the rod and retrieve the lure at medium speed for 1 to 2 m before pausing again. A continuous retrieve, often referred to as ‘slow rolling’, is effective when moving the lure through the water.
Repeat the process throughout the retrieve watching the line at all times for signs of a bite.
Many bites occur while the lure is paused on the bottom, so always lift the rod with intent as you move to continue the retrieve. A variation to the retrieve includes employing small hops from the bottom as opposed to slow rolling the lure for a distance.
Summary
Many anglers have their favoured ways to catch lake trout. Some of these anglers will persist with a chosen approach come hell or high water. I on the other hand very much like catching fish wherever I go. This sometimes means appreciating that my favoured fishing techniques may have to be put aside for the moment. Reading the conditions and understanding the most likely ways to catch a fish is important if you want to head home having caught a few. Hitting the road with a rounded plan that covers likely weather variables is definitely a good option if catching fish is high on your list of priorities.