Biteline: Murray cod numbers lead to prediction of bumper season

Murray cod season does not open until next month, but already there has been a prediction of a “bumper” season. This is why.

Early signs: Murray cod season is almost here, but already there have been reports of a number being caught and released. Picture: Andy Brownbill

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MURRAY cod season opens next month, and there are reports from the Murray River and tributaries indicating plenty of cod being caught and released. Snapper are on the chew in our bays and along the coast.

Jim Credlin at Swan Hill expects a “bumper cod season” based on the number and size of cod being caught by anglers chasing yellowbelly during the closed cod season. In the Murray River, yellowbelly to 60cm were caught from Swan Hill to Wentworth. Yellowbelly were also caught in the Murrumbidgee, Wakool and Edward rivers.

At Lake Purrumbete near Camperdown, John Clements reports redfin to 55cm caught on minnows and soft plastic lures. Brown trout from 3kg to 4.5kg were taken on mudeyes, while rainbow and tiger trout were also caught. In Lake Bullen Merri, rainbow trout and chinook salmon to 1.5kg were caught on lures and pilchards.

Ben Johnstone at Portland said offshore anglers caught blue-eye trevalla, blue grenadier, ling and gemfish on the Shelf, while inshore in depths of about 80-100m the catch comprised of flathead, gummy sharks, gurnard and morwong. King George whiting to 50cm were caught between Blacknose and Point Danger. The Lee Breakwater produced snapper to 6kg. In the Glenelg River at Nelson, bream, estuary perch and mulloway were caught.

Craig Parker at Eildon reports Fisheries Victoria released 120 ex-brood stock brown trout into Eildon Pondage and 10,000 brown trout fingerlings and 150 “stonker” rainbow trout into Goulburn River. Powerbait, maggots, mudeyes and lures produced rainbow trout. Brown trout were caught on silver and gold Krocs. Brown trout to 2kg were caught in Lake Eildon on trolled lures, yellowbelly were caught on lures, yabbies and scrub worms. Murray cod to 85cm were caught trolling, or casting surface lures.

Snapper to 9kg were caught in Port Phillip at Clifton Springs, Williamstown, Mordialloc, Carrum and Frankston. Calamari squid were caught in Lonsdale Bay and Mt Martha, silver trevally at Queenscliff and whiting off Curlewis and St Leonards. In Western Port, snapper were caught in areas including Lysaughts, Crawfish Rock and Joes Island. Whiting were in good numbers on Quail Bank and Tooradin, and squid were caught at Ventnor and Quail Bank.

In the Gippsland Lakes, bream were biting in the Mitchell and Tambo rivers, and Hollands Landing. Lakes Entrance saw King George whiting take pipi, while salmon were biting on bluebait in the surf. Offshore anglers caught snapper to 6kg, school and gummy sharks. Lake Tyers fished well for estuary perch, flathead, bream, tailor and pinkies.

In East Gippsland, the estuary system at Marlo produced estuary perch and bream. The surf was consistent for salmon and tailor. Bemm River had bream and luderick biting on local prawn and tailor taking lures in the channel. The surf produced salmon on bluebait. In Mallacoota Inlet, the Top and Bottom Lakes were steady for flathead to 76cm on soft plastic lures.

 

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