A wet, wintry few months has finally given way to almost summer like conditions.

Water temperatures are slowly beginning to rise which has really switched on the redfin. Some beauties approaching 2kg or 50cm are currently being caught. The trout are still active and should stay that way until mid summer when they tend to go deep where only down rigging can reach them. But that has yet to happen!

Lake Bullen Merri has been solid for trout, both rainbows and browns weighing in between 1.1-1.8kg with the vast majority falling to local ‘bullhead’ gudgeon pinned through the upper lip live and suspended under a float. Most fish are falling to bank anglers casting around 8m from shore. The smaller fish are being caught throughout the day whilst the larger specimens are taking gudgeon after dark.

Now that the evenings are warmer, fishing at night has become a more viable proposition.

Lake Purrumbete has browns around 1kg and rainbows to 1.3kg with many fish falling to mudeye fished at least 1m under a bubble float around the lake fringes. Casting 8-10m out from the bank will see one fishing in a similar depth.

Deep Lake near Derrinallum has some solid rainbow trout approaching 2kg taking either mudeye or Powerbait fished under a float, with most fish falling to bank anglers fishing from the reserve on the southern shore.

Lake Tooliorook at Lismore has a plethora of redfin almost nudging 1kg. Anywhere on the lake has seen both bank and boat anglers taking fish but the north shore is still favoured by boaters using either bait or lures. Local minnow fished alive either unweighted on the bottom or under a float has seen plenty of reddies placed in an angler’s creel.

The cast and retrieval of soft plastics and trolling deep diving minnows (3m plus) has also accounted for many a fish.

Rainbow trout in two distinct release sizes are also on offer. Fish around 1kg are fairly plentiful with fish well over 2kg a welcome surprise. Most fish are falling to Powerbait either fished unweighted on the bottom or, once again, under a float.

Last but not least, Lake Elingamite has fished extremely well in recent times with some superb redfin knocking on the 2kg/50cm door!

These fish are being taken in all depths and trolling winged lures for trout has often seen a large reddie take the lure instead. Speaking of which, both brown and rainbow nudging 3kg are still about with smaller fish around 1.5kg more common.

Anytime now a new boat launching facility is to be built at the lake which should be a vast improvement on the current ramp and pontoon. Let’s hope so.

Congratulations must go to young gun angler Travis Beal who took out the junior section of the Bullen Merri Classic Trout competition held recently at both Bullen Merri and Purrumbete. During the course of the weekend Travis caught four brown trout to 1.8kg using gudgeon minnow fished under a float.

Close to 150 competitors wet a line for just over 100 fish.

Travis Beal with his Bullen Merri Classic Trophy.