Anglers celebrate opening of Murray cod season

On the Murray it’s all about the cod, while on the Goulburn River there’s double-figure catches of trout.

Jas Laity with a 4kg brown trout from Eildon pondage caught on a mudeye.

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MURRAY COD season is open in NSW and Victoria, and early signs offer hope for anglers fishing along the Murray River and tributaries.

Jim Credlin at Swan Hill said Murray cod, 60cm to more than a metre long, were caught at Pental Island on yabbies, bardi grubs and supermarket baits such as cheese. Big cod were also caught at Tooleybuc and Koondrook/Barham area.

Craig Parker at Eildon reports trout were slow to bite in Eildon Pondage due to falling water levels. Once the water started to rise, brown trout to 4kg and rainbow trout to 2kg were caught on mudeyes, Powerbait, local dough, maggots, and gold Kroc and Pieca lures.

The Goulburn River produced double-figure catches of trout on spinners, flies, scrubworms and Powerbait. A $2000 tagged fish was caught at Thornton Caravan Park. The Rubicon River and the smaller creeks produced trout to 35cm on scrubworms and small spinners.

Lake Eildon produced good numbers of Murray cod, yellowbelly, and brown trout on lures. Redfin were also taken on yabbie, scrubworm and lures.

John Clements at Lake Purrumbete said brown trout to 3.3kg were caught on mudeye, and redfin from 28cm to 40cm caught on scrubworm, minnow, soft plastic lures and flies. Chinook salmon to 1.5kg were caught on pilchard strips. In Lake Bullen Merri, chinook salmon and rainbow trout to 1.5kg were caught on glassies and pilchard.

In the south-west at Portland, Ben Johnstone said the local beaches produced salmon, gummy shark, pinkies, and mulloway. In 60-80m of water the catch comprised gummy sharks to 15kg and flathead.

King George whiting were caught between Pt Danger and Blacknose, and along the North Shore. The Lee Breakwater produced snapper from pinkie size to 7kg.

In Port Phillip Bay, snapper to 8.5kg were caught in Corio Bay Outer Harbour, Mornington to Mordialloc, and Altona. Whiting to 40cm were caught off Portarlington and Swan Bay, while calamari squid were caught on artificial jigs at Queenscliff, Portarlington, Mornington, and Rye. Western Port produced snapper off Rhyll and Hastings, whiting off Hastings, Tyabb Bank and Middle Spit, and gummy sharks near the Western Entrance.

In the Gippsland Lakes region at Lakes Entrance, whiting were caught around the islands, silver trevally in Cunningham Arm and luderick from the North Arm and rock wall. Local beaches produced salmon and gummy sharks, with snapper and gummy sharks caught offshore. In Lake Tyers, trevally and bream were caught on prawn. Bream were active in the Mitchell, Tambo, and Nicholson Rivers, and they were biting on shrimp, prawn, and crab.

In East Gippsland, Marlo produced salmon and tailor on lures in the estuary and surf. Plenty of bream, estuary perch and luderick were caught. Bemm River had luderick, trevally, bream and tailor biting on sandworm and local prawn.

In Mallacoota Inlet, the Top and Bottom Lakes had flathead and bream on prawn and soft plastic lures, and the surf was steady for salmon and tailor.

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