It was almost the end of May before the Echuca district received its first decent frost.

This set off the alarm bells for the anglers who enjoy catching Murray crayfish that the time had come to drag the nets out and try their luck with these spiny critters. The bonus with the nights and mornings being so cold has been the generally warm and windless days until about 5pm, when it starts cooling down again.

The best cray reports have come from Barmah back to Picola and the Goulburn Junction upstream towards Cape Horn. Some big males have been caught in this area as well as females with eggs (which must be returned to the water immediately). The pick of the baits has been carp chunks and ox liver.

The Edward River has been quiet with only a few reports. Cod in the 40cm range are still taking 60mm Oargee Plows in yellow/black while a couple of campers spent the weekend on the river catching two cod of 64cm and 66cm in 10 minutes and then not much action for the remainder of the day.

Martin from Picola fished the shallower water around Barmah and picked up a nice 75cm cod while trolling a green and black StumpJumper. Lighter coloured spinnerbaits cast into the timber in the slack water have accounted for golden perch in the same area.

Geoff from Maidens Inn Caravan Park recently had some guests who managed a few yellowbelly from the bank using scrubworms. Below Torrumbarry Weir, Russell Farrell had a good run on the yellas, landing 14 for the day. At that stage the river was still dirty and all fish were caught on bait. The lures were left in the tackle box.

Greens Lake has been hit and miss on the yellas, which bite one day and are off the next. Worms have been the pick of the baits and extra long casts from the bank at the boat ramp have increased the chances of hooking up.

Recently one of our customers, John ‘the Pom’ Norton, 73, came into our store with a story, a couple of photos and a proud grin on his face big enough to step around. John writes, “On the Edward River upstream of McLeans Beach at Deniliquin I have a caravan and annexe. My ambition for more years than I can remember is to catch a Murray cod from the bank.

“Having only recently part-resided in Deniliquin I decided to do a recce of possible good timber areas to fish. There was a substantial tree partly submerged in the spot I chose half-way across the river. I cast out several times to get the flow to put my bait parallel to the tree.”

“Prior to baiting up I threw a few cubes of cheese upstream to drop by the tree; it worked! I used 9lb line to a brass swivel above which a 2oz running sinker was threaded; below I had a 12lb trace 18” long to a size three stainless steel hook. I put a big piece of cheese on and a smaller piece under the barb exposed.”

“I’ve lived in this fabulous country since New Years Eve 1965. The girls are the best looking in the world and it has the best fishing on the planet! I’m now (with a 20lb plus cod) a very happy pom!”