It’s summer time! This means busy boat ramps, large crowds, and hot, hot days on the water.

December fishing around Albury/Wodonga is usually a very busy time of the year, as almost all of the ramps at Lake Hume are full of people in boats and other water craft, so as always keep your calm, and lend a hand when needed, it helps everyone have a better day.

December also is the opening of cod season, all though most locals head to Lake Mulwala to target the green fish, options such as Lake Hume and the Murray River are worth a go if you find the other waters a little busy.

This time of year the Lake is excellent for big yellow belly and an abundance of redfin.

If you want target the redfin population it won’t be too hard to muster up a feed. Worms, yabbies, soft plastics, lures, cast, and trolled will get you onto this tasty little fella; just about anything will catch redfin from either a boat, or straight from the bank. The bag limit has now been lifted too.

It’s all about finding the schools of fish moving around, and the afternoon sessions usually brings the fish up into the warmer shallow water which is great for the land-based family, and a punnet of worms.

Early morning sessions are still finding the odd trout moving around, but they are a bit deeper, so if you targeting them, lead line, or a downrigger will help you get you lure into the strike zone, but if you get to the water’s edge just as the sun is coming up you can wade out into the shallows and find little baby recently stocked trout cruising the flats. Target them with either a small spinner, or hardbodied lures. A well presented fly could do the trick.

For those targeting yellowbelly, it’s been hard to pinpoint one particular area that’s been the ‘go to’ place. Reports from people getting fish from Wymah, all around to Tallangatta, there’s just so much water to choose from.

The north side of the bridge, up to Bowna is an area where every year people get onto the bigger yellowbelly, and in recent years the catch and release attitude has greatly improved, as people understand the importance of putting the bigger fish back, which is great to see!

A big trend this year is the use of slowly-presented soft plastics, vibes, and sinking lures. Anglers are getting off the points, and finding hidden ledges around the 5-10m mark. Other anglers and I have been finding fish hanging around these areas mostly in the afternoons, from 4pm until the sun goes behind the hills.

Below the lake wall has been very busy lately, people have lined the banks, either bait fishing or casting lures. Reports of trout, redfin, and yellowbelly have been positive.

For those fishing off the rocks, it’s been pretty hit and miss as the current is so fast in this area that the lure either gets swept along the top, or dived into the rocks, snagging up. It can become an expensive day. Further downstream, the water is a little more forgiving you just have to get there early enough to get a spot.

A few of the local family fish ponds around the area were recently restocked for the school holidays, with the intention of children getting the feel of fishing, but I don’t think the message is getting through to a few as I’ve been told more than once of people sitting around catching there bag, dropping them of at home, and returning for more. This is very disappointing to hear.

Anyway I hope you all have a safe Christmas, and a great New Year.

Sunset after another cracking day – this is what summer is all about.