with John from Go Fishing

With longer and hotter days as we head into our summer season, it means one thing for fishing - surface action! A great local spot to check out is Hinze Dam which received 100,000 bass, 10,000 yellow belly and 25,000 silver perch this year (2011) so there's plenty of fish to go around.

You’ll also find Mary River cod, saratoga and the red claw crayfish which are an introduced species. You will be doing the council a favour by fishing them out of there.

Try your hand at catching bass or saratoga, as they start heading into shallower water with the warmth. If you're there in the mid-morning, use shallow running Shadsor Minnows in the bays as the bass will retreat to deeper water as the sun rises. You could also use lures such as the 65mm Samys, Suger Penns and even the good old Zara Puppy.

The Maria Crank baits and the Atomic family are also good fish candy. You will still get fish from thedeeper edges and points on lures like TN50, 60 Jackalls and the Strike Pros Cyber Vibe family.

If you’re going to fish in a boat or kayak, stay around the points where most of the fish will hold, and in the mornings and afternoons look on the edge of the banks. Remember, no petrol engine boats are allowed, only electric.

A word about bait - beware that you cannot take in any foreign bait to Hinze Dam e.g. prawns and pilchards. Any bait that you catch from the dam you can use and I’d also recommend good old garden worms.

Hinze Dam is open from 6.00 am to 6.00 pm, however all night fishing is totally prohibited. You will need a Hinze Dam Fishing Permit, available from Go Fishing for only $5 a week, or $40 a year.

If you’re after any advice or hints for fishing Hinze Dam, drop in and have a chat with the Go Fishing team - we’re always willing to share our knowledge.