BLOG: Bring on summer!

IT'S funny how a couple of days of warm sunny spring weather can snap you out of the winter fishing doldrums.

The onset of this week's warm weather stirred anglers, boaters and created a flurry of domestic exterior activity in my neighbourhood. Old mate who lives across the road from me even managed to move his rotting boat and mow the three-foot high grass that was growing through the trailer, amazing! Down at the boat ramp at a local creek, outboards that hadn't turned a prop in anger for four long months, cranked and cranked before disappearing in clouds of blue smoke to take advantage of the taste of summer. It seemed like everyone had the same idea - get outside or on the water and enjoy some good weather.

For me the onset of spring means it's time to dust off the topwater lure box and start popping, walking and chugging. My old granddad always used to tell me that the prawns run in Tuggerah Lakes in any month with the letter R in it and the old bugger was pretty much on the money. The by product of the spring-summer prawn activity is everything in the lake and creeks tends to swim with its eyes looking skyward, which is fantastic if you love fishing the surface as much as I do.

After spending more time snowboarding than fishing over the past couple of months it was great to get out on the water this week and cast a few lures. I must say the casting arm was a little rusty and I managed to put a few lures in places that you just don't need to throw something that's armed with six ultra sharp hook points. I'm glad to say by the end of the day I was starting to improve my form and I was placing them somewhere close to where they were aimed.
The water was still stained after the heavy winter rains that we received but It it didn't stop the fish from biting and I managed to sucker half a dozen reasonable bream. Three of which I caught on the surface with a Sebile Splasher.

After a very enjoyable morning paddle I returned home triumphantly to mow the lawn then finished off the day with a couple of cold beers while I burnt some snags on the barbie.

You gotta love spring, bring on summer!

Have you been hibernating over winter, or braved the cold and kept casting?