Reel Life

For the past three months the only cod that could be taken were those in Lake Eildon, which is not considered to be a breeding area.

Anglers may now fish for cod in the Goulburn River as well as the Broken Creek and Broken River, and as long as they hold a NSW fishing licence they may also fish the Murray River as well as all other waterways, including Lake Mulwala.

There are several safety precautions I would recommend you follow.

First, follow the COVID-19 precautions: safe distancing, mask wearing when necessary, hand sanitising etc.

Second, we have just been through a serious flood and the river banks are wet, slippery and muddy. Be extremely careful when fishing from the bank.

Third, the root systems of trees have been compromised by the soil being washed away, and gumtrees have been known to fall without warning. There are also snags in the rivers, so when boating, be aware of them. Take plenty of insect repellent — the mosquitoes are swarming and aside from their annoying bites, they also can carry disease.

Finally, we are just starting to move into warm weather. This, coupled with the water that has disturbed their homes, means we can expect snakes to be on the move. Both tiger and eastern brown snakes are native to our area, as well as red-bellied black snakes.

All three are venomous and are a threat to humans, so take care.

Now let’s get down to fishing. All reports indicate that the fishing in the rivers has been slow — mainly due to the flooding. Better results have been at Eildon and the other larger impoundments.

Redfin have been caught in Waranga Basin — some even from the bank — as well as at Eildon among the tree lines at Jamieson and the galleon at Peppin Point. Even cod have been reported in the river arms, mainly at dusk by anglers using surface lures.

The Hume Weir is still spilling into the Murray. Redfin, in good numbers, are still biting around the tree line on the Wodonga side of the weir. Remember, the Hume is considered to be a Victorian waterway.

I am a lover of trout fishing, and my favourite spot to fish for trout is Dartmouth Dam both from the bank, with lures or angling a bait below a float, and definitely trolling a Ford Fender behind a boat. You need to have either a lure or bait behind the fender and at this time of year, the best time is at first light or dusk.

You may need to use a weight to get your rig down to where the fish are during the day. I also like to wander the rivers and streams in the north-east.

Now the weather has begun to warm, it is time to hunt for snapper. Rod Lawn from Adamas Fishing Charters at Queenscliff said he had been bagging good hauls of snapper both in the bay and off the heads.

Rod said he was also bagging salmon. He was catching them in the rip during the run-out tide. Rod said trolling an occy lure (a small skirted lure) was getting the best results.

Rod said he was also bagging squid, as well as whiting, around the mouth of Swan Bay and St Leonards.

Fishing in Western Port Bay was also good, and one man from Ardmona said he bagged whiting and snapper while fishing in the Hastings area.

Gummy shark were also biting on the run-out tide, with anglers using fresh fillets of fish as bait.

North of the border at Eden, John Liddell said the boys from Freedom Charters said most of the action was on the inshore reefs. They also had good bags of kingfish.

Mark said that there were some yellowfin and bluefin tuna off the shelf.

Further up the coast at Narooma, Graham Cowley said it was a similar story fishing off the coast. Graham said when it was too rough to go off shore, fishing in the lake was an option, with big flathead and bream biting around the oyster leases and other structures.

So good fishing and stay safe. Next week, weather permitting, I hope to have a first-hand report for you.

Trelly’s products

Be prepared for cod opening on December 1.

We have all the lures and accessories you could possibly need to catch that one-metre monster.

Surface, divers, spinnerbaits, swimbaits — the list goes on.

Shown are some of the most popular lures.