VIC
Locals catching crankbait-crunching golden perch SHEPPARTON
Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com
I have been receiving some positive reports from the Goulburn River lately, with some nice fish caught around Arcadia, Murchison and in the heart of Shepparton. Single-bladed spinnerbaits, Old Mates and Tremors have all featured in recent reports, with dark colours working best. Bait fishing for natives has slowed up a little, but there is still a heap of carp on offer for those anglers using worms, and who are just keen to catch a fish. Worms or corn floated around the shallows has been the best way to target carp recently. BROKEN RIVER The Broken has slowed up a little bit recently. Sessions of 6-10 fish have been replaced with sessions of 2-3 fish. Casting small hardbodies around larger timber has been a great way to target cod. Lipless crankbaits with single hooks have been working well for yellowbelly. Gun spots recently have been the two weirs, below the Benalla Lake, and also the Goulburn Broken junction.
The author with a couple of nice yellowbelly from the irrigation channels near Shepparton caught on the Hideup 150 crankbait.
Worms are outstanding carp baits, and chicken has been working well for cod. IRRIGATION CHANNELS It won’t be long until we see the channel system around Shepparton drop for the winter period. However, prior to this you can still have some fun chasing cod, yellowbelly and redfin in the channels. The bridges seem to be holding more fish currently, with some reports of 2-3 yellowbelly being caught in a half hour session under a local bridge. Slow rolling Hide Up 150 crankbaits with the odd pause has worked well. Some fish have smashed the crankbaits at the feet of the anglers, so make sure you retrieve your lure right to the bank. KIALLA LAKES Catfish, yellowbelly, redfin, cod and carp have all been reported recently from those fishing Kialla lakes. They aren’t in high numbers, but there is still plenty of activity in the lake. Carp and catfish have been caught on worms just off the edge of the drop-offs, which are usually 4-6ft from the banks. These species seem to bottom feed around these areas, so you can run your
sinker just about your hook. Casting small cranks and jerkbaits has still been a great way to target fish on the edges. The odd redfin is also being caught off the top on small cicada type lures, with the ‘shake and pause’ method working best. Out a bit deeper it’s best to be casting small chatterbaits or beetlespinrigged soft plastics, and slowly rolling them back with the odd pause. SHEPPARTON LAKE Trout amongst the weed are now being reported, with some nice fish being caught early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Small jerkbaits, crankbaits or plastics have been the best way to target these fish. You will get hung up on the weed a lot, but if you can get a decent run through the weed you will get plenty of action, with the trout very active at the moment. There have been some redfin caught on Bent Minnows running just below the surface, with both boat ramps being the best areas. Bait fishing with PowerBait and worms has also worked well in the low light periods, especially for those anglers fishing their baits under a float.
There are fewer fish but bigger sizes this month YARRAWONGA
Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com
As our daylight vanishes and the moccasins get pulled out of the cupboard, our cod fishing tends to slow down. For those anglers who are switched on and can put up with some ordinary conditions, this is the time of year when the big girls tend to appear. If you put in the hard yards, the rewards can be great. Upsizing your lure presentations can be the difference between catching 1-2 fish of average Mulwala size, to a fish of extra-large proportions. At this time of year, personally I would be using 1oz mumblers/ chatterbaits cast along the edge of the channels, 100mm+ hardbodied lures with shallow diving bibs (Cod Dogs and Big M 2.0) cast in the 1-3m/3-9ft depth range, or swimbaits slowly worked in the deeper water. Surface lures are another great option, but the surface action tends to slow at this time of year. Looking back, April was a very consistent
month, with many cod reported. Those trolling the open section of the lake around the town end tended to turn up the best numbers of fish, with the majority in the 40-60cm size range. As per the last couple of years, the ‘scopers’ landed the majority of the bigger cod with meteries being fairly common. One fella had an amazing few nights on the scope, and that was Mick Massier. Mick managed exactly 50 cod over three full nights, with 30 being landed in one hectic 12-hour session. Two meteries and the remainder measuring over 60cm made for a memorable evening. Downstream in the river below the weir, the fishing has been phenomenal. Those who have been lure fishing have been achieving super results trolling shallower mid-sized lures. Local character Pete Megarrity accompanied by ‘Squeaker’ Lewis & Co had an amazing day out recently, landing close to 30 for the day. Over the school holidays the number of smaller fish (especially carp) reported was crazy, but kept most kids entertained. One individual fish that deserves special mention
is that caught by Mike Proctor. This fish is the third biggest I have heard of here in 30 years, and measured in at an amazing 133cm! Mike was using chicken as bait, and fishing about 600m below the weir. After a few quick photo’s this monster was released for some other lucky angler to catch one day. Great effort Mike! For those interested, in my 30 years of fishing in and around Lake Mulwala, the biggest two I have seen both measured 135cm. Murray cray season opens from June 1, and as per usual, putting in the effort will reap the rewards. Make sure you are fully up to speed on bag, size and net limits before you head out. If you’re visiting town, call into Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski, the shop with the big green cod out the front (opposite the post office) in Mulwala, or check out our Yarrawonga store located between Rivers and One Zac in the main street. We’re Yarrawonga/ M u l w a l a ’s fishing specialists and specialize in all things ‘green’! For any information on the upcoming events or fishing reports, give us a hoy on 03 5744 3133.
Mike Proctor with an amazing 133cm monster. JUNE 2023 89
