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Still plenty of options at Seymour
  |  First Published: June 2008



When it comes to fishing for our native species, many anglers tend to put the gear away as we move into the cooler months. I will concede that the fishing can be a little tougher, and you may not catch the numbers that you do during the warmer months, but now is the time to target the bigger fish.

Over the last month there have been mixed results on the fishing scene in the Seymour region due to the erratic nature of the Goulburn River. With both the level and the clarity of the water changing regularly, the fish have slowed down – although the Mitchelton area is still producing some good cod and redfin.

In May the river settled down and results improved. Murray cod to 16kg and redfin to 1.5kg have been taken on No.2 StumpJumpers and spinnerbaits. One area of the Goulburn that has been far more consistent has been around Toolamba. Some very good-sized Murray cod have been taken on both lures and bait. Access to the river is very good and there are plenty of areas in which you can camp.

For those keen on trout fishing the news is good. Trout have already been quite active, with good catches being made using all methods. Between the Trawool Bridge on the Goulburn Valley Highway and the Trawool Resort, some nice trout have been caught along with some sizeable redfin.

The very popular spiny freshwater crayfish will also be receiving plenty of attention as they become active from now on. The Goulburn River has a very healthy population of these crustaceans, but make sure you check the current regulations. The rules vary from one area to another, so it is important that you make yourself aware of them and abide by them.

The upstream reaches of the Goulburn River have also been good for trout anglers. The section of the river between Alexandra and Thornton has been the best. The fish have not been huge but provide very good sport just the same. Again, all methods have been taking fish.

Lake Eildon has been inconsistent this year and very hard to work out. A lot of anglers have spent many hours on the water for little or no return. Then on another day the lake fires up and produces some very good results. Redfin to 1.5kg have been taken in very good numbers. The trout have also been very good, with fish to 1.5kg taken on trolled Loftys lures. Early in the day try flatlining, but if the fish go quiet then you may need to switch to lead line, downriggers or deep diving lures. Even early in the day when flatlining, I like to keep at least one deep diving lure out. This will often account for a bigger fish. It can often also result in a bonus of a redfin or golden perch.

So, it may be getting colder but there are still plenty of angling options to keep you out on the water.

This young angler caught a trout at Thornton. It is getting colder, but there are still plenty of freshwater angling options around Seymour.

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