This cod season is shaping up to be one of the best in years.

The river was still fluctuating in late November and early December but this seemed to really fire up the local cod. The cod seemed to be caught more as a by-catch with the local anglers targeting yellowbelly, which never really came on.

With this, it shows that smaller lures and baits are a very successful way to target cod in the rivers around Shepparton. I know I have gone on and on about the smaller low profile spinnerbaits on the market mainly for lake redfin or yellowbelly but I would be stocking up on these when chasing cod.

There are two or three quality types of low profile spinnerbaits on the market to choose from. With the low profile lures you seem to get less snags and can really throw them deep into the snags. Small lures still catch big fish so don’t feel you have to throw massive lures or hooking up oversized baits.

On the bait front I always say fresh is best, live grubs, shrimp and yabbies are the go when fishing the rivers. Another tip is keep your bait active; a twitch or a crank of the reel can sometimes entice a fish to strike.

Unlike some bait fisho’s who drop the lip with passing boats; I love it, as it means the boat is rocking and the bait is doing something different.

How often do you see a shrimp sit lifeless in the water?

The lake is full of weed and its really making fishing tough from the bank.

If you have access to a kayak I would be using it in there and targeting the edges of the weed beds, and conditions look great, so maybe try a surface lure. Walk the dog type or a popping surface lure will work well.

You probably cut yellowbelly out of the equation but the redfin and trout will take a lure off the top most times.

Well I hope the Mayan calendar was wrong and the world is still in one piece and we are all enjoying some A-grade fishing conditions.

As always I love seeing your photos and hearing your reports so don’t be scared to shoot through an email.

Andrew Dalton Murray cod off the surface.