It came from where? But that water is only shin deep!
Yep, that same conversation we hear every season from a gobsmacked angler who fooled a Goodoo in less than a Yeti Tumbler worth of water.
But here’s the cold, hard truth.
With the heavens finally opening up after many dry years the fishing conditions, in a lot of areas, have changed. Meaning fresh opportunities and new water to test your mettle against a mottled monster or two.
What does this mean?
Well, suddenly fish start coming from unfamiliar spots that have previously appeared baron. This year we’ve been astounded by the amount of quality fish that have come from shallow, fast flowing water.
The main challenge we find, especially with a little extra flow, is keeping the bait in the strike zone for as long as possible. Especially as lighter, wide profile baits will quickly be swept away before the bait even has a chance to start its underwater waltz.
However, not to fear, we’ve found two simple tips that all anglers can try next time they target the shallows for Murray cod.
Longer and Heavier Leader
An often overlooked option is adding another foot or two of leader to your set up. What that does is increase the buoyancy of your bait through the water column and keep it in the strike zone – a metaphoric life jacket for your bait.
The extra buoyancy is absolutely priceless, as it allows you to keep your slender baits, like a Jackall Gantia swimbait, tantalisingly wiggling in the strike zone for longer.
Alternatively, adding another 10lb or 20lb to your leader of choice, provided the diameter increases, will have a similar effect.
Light Chin Weight
Adding a small amount of weight to the bait when possible, like a swimbait, is also an effective method. The challenge however, is finding a happy medium to keep the bait in the zone and maintain its natural action without plummeting to the bottom.
We have found that the TT SnakelockZ 1/12oz chin weights (pictured below) are close to the money as we are targeting that 2 – 3ft range around flow points.
We have also added chin weights to shallow diving (1 to 2ft) hardbody baits. This not only allows the bait to track deeper, but also throws out different rattle/knocking sounds through the water column.
Other options to adding weight
We have discussed different ways to ‘weight your bait’ more than Ray Warren has expressed his excitement about Damian Cook’s beach sprinting ability. In case you missed it you will find the links below.