Be ready: Trelly’s has all the lures you need for catching cod. Jackall, Bassman, Old Mate, Balista and so many more. Catch that metre-long cod on day one of the new season!
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Friday is the start of cod season, following the three-month closure that allowed the fish to breed.
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Rivers, streams and other waterways that have been closed for the taking of cod reopen at midnight on Thursday, November 30.
Rivers such as Goulburn, Broken, Murray and Ovens will be reopened to anglers to fish for and keep cod that are of legal size and do not exceed the bag limit.
Reports from anglers who have caught cod as a by-catch during the closed season indicate that we could be set for a good season, although most fish caught and, of course, released were juvenile fish, which augurs well for the future of cod in our waterways.
During the closed season, most anglers reported reasonable catches of yellowbelly, the second most sought-after native fish in our region. Yellowbelly are like cod in many respects, particularly in the way they are caught, and they are also table fish.
The opening is being celebrated in a number of ways. I know of locals who have, over a number of years, gathered as a group on a particular part of the Murray and spent a week together to celebrate the opening of cod season.
This year, for several reasons, they will shift their campsite to a part of the Goulburn, hopefully for a good time catching cod and celebrating fellowship in the great outdoors. Some anglers will begin fishing in the early hours, while others will cast a line this weekend.
Over the past couple of weeks, water has been released from Eildon, which has kept the Goulburn higher than usual. Recent rain has affected water flow and turbidity. The banks of the river have been constantly wet and slippery. If you do intend to fish on opening weekend, take care to avoid ending up in the water.
At this time of year, you should be able to catch shrimp; they are among the best bait for cod. Yabbies too have become more active; they, along with worms, are also effective bait for cod.
Unfortunately, the Jordan’s Bend boat ramp in Shepparton remains unusable due to the huge gum tree that was washed over during last year’s floods, so you will need to find another spot to launch your boat.
I hope you have a good cod opening, and remember to stick to the size and bag limits.
Around our region, the fishing has been good, with redfin being caught in Waranga Basin, the Hume Weir and at Eildon. There have been trout caught at Dartmouth as well as in the rivers and streams in the north-east.
Saltwater fishing continues down south, with anglers chasing the big redfish and snapper as we move from spring to summer. The big fish should be moving in, although according to Rod Lawn from Adamas Fishing Charters at Queenscliff, most being caught were still pinky size.
Still, there was at least one “horse”-sized fish among them.
Rod said at this time of year, snapper were moving up the bay from the heads as far as St Kilda, Werribee, Altona and St Leonards.
One of the best spots at Mornington is on the eastern side of the bay, just below Frankston and Mount Martha. Rod said there were snapper along the inshore reef off Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads.
Rod said he was not chasing snapper but was catching plenty of other species, including flathead, salmon, couta, trevally and mako, blue and gummy shark. The fishing around the heads is providing anglers with plenty of action.
Fishing in Western Port Bay is similar, with snapper being caught along the rubble beds off Hastings as well as King George whiting along the grass beds in the inshore areas. Apart from flathead fillets, fresh whiting is my favourite fish to put on a plate, closely followed by gummy shark.
North of the NSW border at Eden, John Liddell said record-breaking rains had affected fishing. Before the rain, John said the crew from Freedom Charters had been bagging out snapper and morwong, also known as ‘queen’ snapper, as well as other table fish along the inshore reefs.
Off the shelf, there was the occasional tuna and early signs of marlin.
The same was happening further north at Narooma.
According to Graham Cowley, heavy rain affected fishing in the lake as well as along the inshore reef around Montague Island.
Down south at Flinders Island, James Luddington said they were not affected by the rain, but the strong winds had stirred up the sand, which affected fish in shallow water. However, he had been catching good bags of flathead and gummy shark.
Well, have a good and safe cod opening, keep an eye out for snakes and watch for slippery river banks.
Must-have accessories: Here are a few in stock at Trelly’s that everyone should have in their tackle box. Scissors, lip grips, gloves and a bait protector. And, of course, a brag mat to show off that huge cod.
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