Robinvale

Just go with the flow

Yellows on the chew

ROBINVALE Rod Mackenzie

codmac@bigpond.net.au

“A land of drought and flooding rains.” Poet Dorothea Mackellar was spot on when she penned this line, and it’s as Aussie as blowflies and BBQs.

It was but a short time ago when many of our inland rivers were in the grip of drought, with the Darling amongst those worst hit. I remember all too well trudging the parched river bed, dry and dusty, with the crunch of mussel shells underfoot, and the sad sight of sun-bleached tortoise frames upturned in the heat. It was a lunar landscape far removed from the tranquil flows of a river that’s normally full of life.

Roll the clock forward and the Darling is running a banker, awash with good numbers of golden perch and yabbies on the move. We do indeed live in a land of vast extremes, where the ebb and flow of life, as Mackellar reminds us, ‘pays us back three-fold’.

Most of our rivers are running high to overflowing, and anglers Darcy Hann with a couple of good-sized golden perch from the Darling River.

have had to go with the flow to get a fish. Backwater bait sessions are norm for high river conditions, and can turn up some ripper golden perch as they prospect over new ground. In fact, I find it easier to catch golden perch from almost any river when it’s running high and turbid. It’s a simple procedure

SHEPPARTON Nick Brown

teamriverrats@hotmail.com We have seen some super high levels again this past month in the rivers around Shepparton, and at the time of writing this article we were expecting even more spring rains.

There have been limited reports coming in, but I have had the odd one trickle in. Worms fished on flooded grass banks have been working, with a few yellowbelly and carp caught down towards Jordans Bend and out Rafterys.

With a very wet spring predicted, we may see heights run high for a longer period. Finding ways to target fish in the flow is key, and using smaller lures in the flooded banks (or bait in the same areas) will be key. Bassman Compacts, small Codgers, Old Mates and TN60 Jackalls rigged with singles are all great options this spring in both the Goulburn and Broken rivers.

IRRIGATION CHANNELS

The yellowbelly are on the chew in the channels around Shepparton, and also those channels heading in and out of Waranga Basin. Targeting bridges and drop bars has been the best way to target the yellowbelly, with the standout lures being TN60 Jackalls and small Bassman Compact spinnerbaits.

Drifting worms along the shallow, grassy banks has been the best method for those bait fishing, with redfin and yellowbelly both being caught this way.

KIALLA LAKES

It’s now golden time at Kialla, with heaps of reports coming in over the past month of yellowbelly biting regularly on both bait and lures. Scrub worms, either floated or lightly weighted on the drop-off ledges, have been the best bait fishing method.

Casting soft plastics and small chatterbaits has been the best way to chase these Kialla yellowbelly, with the rock walls and sandbars being stand-out areas.

WARANGA BASIN

It’s been a windy and wet spring so far, which has made fishing at the basin a little tricky. However, when the wind has dropped off, those who have been on the water have reported plenty of smaller redfin being trolled up in the 8-12ft range. The 3m RMG in the orange/white or redfin colour has been working great.

Anglers casting lures have used the windblown banks and points to their advantage, as the wind pushes all the water and bait to the blown banks. If it’s safe enough, fish these areas as it’s always more productive then the calmer waters.

Bait fishing from the bank is still producing plenty of carp and some smaller redfin, with worms working best, especially from the banks at Harrimans. STOCKING

With plenty of rivers in flood, we now have to shift our focus to some less affected waterways. Thanks to the VFA, these areas have been heavily stocked in recent times, with some waterways receiving a lot of catchable sized fish.

The following areas have received a stocking boost for all of us to enjoy: • Victoria Lake – Shepparton; • Arboretum Dam – Euroa; • Bartlett Lake – Tatura; • Golf Course Dam – Longwoood; and • Mooroopna Rec Reserve Lake – Mooroopna. A drink for the trees and the reason the yabbies are on the move.

where the bite is always out of the main flow, close to a snag. A running sinker rig straight to a hook loaded with worms and you’re in the game. Most bites come in the first few minutes of placing the bait, and a good snag will often produce numerous perch in succession.

As the weather continues to warm, the occasional carp will hoover up your bait, but the bite is different, as too is the fight. It’s actually been good to get a few carp in the mix of late, as they are first-class yabby bait and you only need a couple to bait the nets, especially if they have a bit of size about them.

Small cod too have been muscling in on the baits, but generally where the water has a little more flow. If you are catching more cod than perch, look for snags just out of the flow. This should put you in the right spot.

With most of the locks out or under, the general perch onslaught has been non-existent. No barriers means no stacking in numbers, where fish are evenly spread, pausing and feeding in natural pockets and eddies close to the snags.

Local river shrimp have been a little slow coming on, but they should grow in number as the water warms. They make great bait, with the perch finding these translucent critters hard to resist.

Good numbers of yabbies have already started to run, and this should only get better as the rivers get bigger. Remember, there are bag limits on these tasty crustaceans, so enjoy the bounty the big flows bring. All up, the fishing has been great and this should

Clinton Hann with a good boil of yabbies.

continue as the water temperatures climb and the weather improves.

An unfortunate side of a big river and heaps of water is the prolific breeding of mosquitoes. Remember to bring insect repellent and make sure you cover up or these things will drive you insane. Not to mention the health risks they pose with Ross River virus, encephalitis, Barmah Forest virus, and dengue virus all on the list.

With bigger flows to come, we can hope on a ripper breeding season for our native species, and fingers crossed no Black water.