Closed season for cod on rivers

Another lure and tackle show is over and, with that said, it’s time to recognise the Fernvale team who made it happen.

A special thanks to all those who gave their time to make it work and a big shout out to Gary, with his usual commitment ensuring a successful Australian Lure and Fly Expo.

Yet again, the lure makers excelled, and it was good to see all the stands with cashed up people looking to purchase that special lure.

Brenden Vendt with a monster 101cm Murray cod that was tagged at 64cm in 2017 – good fishing on Glenlyon.

Given that it’s spring and conditions are good – with most storages up in the high 80 percent capacity – fishing should be good for the next six months.

There’s movement along the rock ledges around those storages, which have Murray cod on hand.

The surface water temperature is now about 18C and this will rise over the next two months – bringing the big males out to feed after breeding is over.

The large females move out about 5m wide to look for a clean site to lay their eggs, as the males move out to entice them to their individual nesting locations.

Brendan Vendt caught a nice 101cm cod that was tagged at 64cm in 2017 – that’s a growth rate of 37cm in five years and eight months – it was first tagged November 26, 2017, then caught July 29, 2023 at about nine years old.

When we sat down and worked out the growth rate – Dr Stuart Rowland made comment on Glenlyon in his book The Codfather – this growth is still the same at 1.52lb a year or close to 0.5-1kg a year, which indicates good storage food supplied on a regular format.

Most storages have different catch prime times.

With Glenlyon, it’s been found that there are three prime times.

If you want to see these big fish, you’ll need to bring a good pair of polarised sunglasses that take the glare off the water and a small pair of binoculars to zoom in on the fish you’re watching.

From a 5:30am rise and at your selected sight through to 9:30am, then return for a quick breakfast.

Back on the water again at 11:30am until 2:45pm, then head in for lunch.

Evening is a late start, from 5:45pm through to 9pm, and finally back to camp.

Quite a few anglers don’t fish in the middle of the day, that’s their choice.

But I, along with other regular anglers, do.

This is because I’ve found humidity to be a prime inducer for cod to rise up and take hard-body lures, which troll well at 4m below the storage surface.

With Glenlyon at near-full level, you need to fish in close to ledges that have a drop-off of 5m.

The best formats to use are casting morning and evening and trolling lures or surface – both at a distance of about 7m behind the boat at roughly 2-3km/h – keeping both styles of lure working hard.

With spinnerbaits, willow blades are best to troll at a weight of 2-2.5oz or mumblers in the middle of the day.

From 9:30am to 12pm, the author and his wife are at the dam wall watching male cod set up their nesting sites.

I guess you could say that both Debbie and I are blessed at this time of year.

Using the morning sunlight from 9:30am to 12pm, we are at the dam wall watching male cod set up their nesting sites.

As well as watching the large females move out about 5m wide to look for a clean site to lay their eggs, with the males moving out to entice them to their individual nesting locations.

This occurrence will take place for about eight weeks, and the same takes place on the local rivers and streams.

So, if you want to see these big fish, you’ll need to bring a good pair of polarised sunglasses that take the glare off the water and a small pair of binoculars to zoom in on the fish you’re watching.

Have a look at the photos of what we’re seeing at the wall.

These give an insight into why we’re not at the kiosk… and why you have to phone us to come back!