The amount of rainfall that we receive over the next couple of months will be the greatest determining factor for our fishing.

At the present time conditions are looking perfect and if we receive even minimal rainfall over the next few months the river systems will settle and there will be some excellent fishing. If we do get large amounts of rain then the river systems will stay dirty and the best fishing will be found in the local impoundments.

This location continues to be the most productive destination with large numbers of redfin up to 1kg being caught by anglers, especially by experienced anglers prepared to hunt around for better quality redfin. These larger redfin are in 4-5m of water.

Water temperatures are increasing slowly and we should see most redfin move back into shallower water soon. Most redfin have now spawned and it will not be long before the whole food chain explodes again with millions of juvenile redfin fry to feed on.

Trolling small deep diving hardbodied lures, casting blades, jigging ice jigs and soft plastics have all been productive methods. I personally have been producing my best results casting and retrieving soft plastics. Anglers wanting to learn about targeting redfin, this season in Lake Eppalock is going to be fantastic. We will be very busy with Cod Hunter Fishing Tours this season; plenty of trips will be booked at this destination targeting redfin.

The fishing for the golden perch in the lake has been slow. As water temperatures have increased the golden perch have become more active. I believe the golden perch fishing will be below average this season at this destination and it will be a couple of years before recent stockings grow large enough. The golden perch fishing will improve next year but should be very good again by the 2013 season.

There continues to be some very good fishing in the Campaspe River directly below Lake Eppalock with large numbers of redfin caught casting soft plastics and hardbodied lures. There has been a significant increase in the numbers of golden perch caught here over recent weeks.

Good numbers of golden perch are being caught on ice jigs and by anglers casting medium-sized hardbodied lures, especially lipless crankbaits. Due to recent rain and increased flows down the Campaspe River water clarity is currently poor as you travel further down the system towards Echuca.

The poor water clarity has reduced the productivity of the fishing at most other areas along the Campaspe River. How long it will take to settle will depend on how much rainfall we receive in the short term.

The fishing continues to be good at this location, and there are small numbers of quality golden perch being caught. The majority of the golden perch have been caught in 2-3m of water. The numbers of these golden perch being caught has been low however the size of the fish being caught has been excellent with golden perch measuring up to 62cm and weighing 8kg being landed.

Trolling hardbodied lures around the edges of the lake has been successful, as has casting lipless crankbaits. At this stage the redfin fishing has been disappointing; reasonable numbers are being caught but the average size has been small. At the present time only the occasional quality redfin is being caught in Cairn Curran.

As water temperatures rise we should see an increase in the numbers of larger redfin being caught.

Unfortunately the recent rain has seen the water clarity become poor again at most locations along the Loddon River system. There has been some good fishing in the Loddon River directly below Cairn Curran with good numbers of redfin and the occasional golden perch being caught.

The fishing in the Loddon River below Laanecoorie has been reasonable with quality golden perch up to 3kg. European carp are also being caught here by those anglers fishing with bait. For most other locations along the Loddon system the fishing has been poor.

Hopefully we will only receive minimal rainfall over the next couple of months and we then should have some very good fishing along the Loddon River system this season.

This quality redfin was caught at Lake Eppalock on a Sebile soft plastic lure.