The wait for Murray cod season to open is finally over. No longer do we have to hear “there’s only so many sleeps until cod opening”. It’s been like the kids counting down for Christmas!

If we can keep the river levels at a reasonable height we should be in for a cracker of a season.

Increased inflows in late October were welcome, but reduced water clarity. During this time, bait fishers had success on golden perch, fishing with the usual baits of shrimp, worms and yabbies.

The lure casters were out and about once the water cleared up. Reports of three or four golden perch in an evening were not uncommon. Spinnerbaits with a small grub tail and orange/brown and red/black skirts have been effective.

Small hardbodied lures like the Extractor from the Custom Crafted range in the natural colours (browns, greens) have worked a treat in the shallower water.

Most reports from the Murray River at Barmah came from over the Melbourne Cup long weekend. Only the odd golden perch was caught from the bank, but there was no shortage of under-sized cod taking their share of bait.

With the water running more quickly through The Narrows, a good way to bait fish is to tie the boat to a snag upstream of the snag you want to fish and cast your bait about 1m in front of the target snag to entice a fish out. Yabbies and bardi grubs work well in this situation.

Trolling is another method that has been responsible for plenty of quality fish in past seasons.

Below Torrumbarry Weir the local golden perch have again been turning it on for lure casters, with many bagging out quickly. Lipless crankbaits have been the pick of the lures, with spinnerbaits with a soft plastic trailer coming a close second.

Closer to Gunbower, a few goldens to 2.7kg have been caught by anglers fishing from the bank using medium-sized yabbies on a paternoster rig. This allows the bait to sit up off the bottom and drift around in the current. The biggest golden perch in the last few weeks stretched out to 60cm and was taken by a bait fisho downstream from Gunbower.

For more information on what’s biting around Echuca and Moama, drop into J.T.s Fishing & Camping, Moama (opposite the Border Inn) or phone Justin on 03 54 803 868.

Golden perch have been keeping anglers happy around Moama, but finally the wait for Murray cod season is over.