Spring has well and truly brought the waterways to life, with fishermen and women from the Dubbo district reporting this week that many, if not all, waterways across the central west and beyond are producing good numbers of yellowbelly, bass, red fin, trout and a host of other species.

September and October have always been excellent months to try your luck with rod and reel, as native fish start to shake off those winter shivers and look to feed heavily before the onset of summer.

Seasoned fisherman will often speak of those memorable trips held in the month of October, with many ‘photo-worthy’ fish being caught as spring time rolls into town.

Macquarie River

Dubbo Catches has received numerous reports of some top fishing from the Macquarie River this week, with anglers finding that the yellowbelly have been scoffing both lures and baits.

Reports of yellowbelly more than 50cm in length are common at this time of year and news of their capture has seen many people chancing their luck in and around Dubbo and at many of the reserves close to the city.

Mick Evans reported that he has been having some fun catching large euros on bread in the Devil’s Elbow area, with one large specimen leaving him thankful his rod didn’t end up in the ‘drink’.

Anglers who frequent the South Dubbo Weir who have been casting Jaz Syclone 70s, Jackall TN 50s and Kokoda G-Vibes into the whitewash have had some good results as well, with the occasional 40cm to 50cm golden being reported.

It is expected the fishing will improve further as the shrimp start to become more and more active as the temperature climbs.

Burrendong Dam

Burrendong has also sprung to life, with a stream of boats heading out at the weekend to enjoy the fantastic weather.

Many anglers reported good fishing, with some managing double figure catches by casting the steep rocky banks and heavy timber.

Top End Talk

Richard Teggart dropped Dubbo Catches a report this week, along with some great photos of a recent trip to the top end.