After a very welcome wet winter our waters are now looking the best they have in a long time and with the warmer weather of spring now just around the corner, we can expect plenty of great fishing action for many months to come.

As we head further into spring, keen yabbiers will also be out in force and trying a number of waters that look set to produce another great yabby season after all the rain we have had boosting their water levels. Popular yabby waters in the Wimmera include Green Lake, Clear Lake, Miga Lake, Lake Bellfield and numerous other swamps and waterholes across the region.

The wonderful Lake Toolondo is still the pick of our waters and looks set to be for some time yet. Some magnificent brown and rainbow trout up to 2.5kg have been coming out lately, as well as some nice catches of redfin to 1kg or so. The average size trout are around the 1-1.5kg mark and are being taken in good number whether you are into bait, lure or fly fishing.

It’s at this time of year that the mudeye fishing is at its best. Bug or ‘couta mudeye fished under a simple bubble or quill float rig is a sure fire way of catching the trout here, particularly concentrating around the timbered or weed bed areas.

Trolling continues to be very popular and is also taking plenty of fish. A wide range of lures are working but I have been doing well on pink, white or gold Tassie Devils, Rapala minnows and Pegron spoons. Drifting and casting hardbodied lures or soft plastics amongst the snags is also doing very well.

The best flyfishing has either been from a drifting boat or from wading the west or north shores. At this time of year there is a lot of bug mudeye and baitfish about in the shallows so good flies have been Mrs Simpson, Woolly Buggers and Hammils killers.

The fishing has been getting better here with some nice brown trout to 2kg and the occasional rainbow trout also being caught. Anglers have had to work a bit harder for results at this water lately but those that have put the time and effort in have been rewarded with some very nice fish, and you definitely can’t beat the great scenery on offer here.

The best fishing has come to those fishing mudeye under bubble floats and the early mornings have been producing the best fishing. Good areas have been at the wall, the island and up the north end. A few nice redfin to 1.5kg have also been caught by anglers chasing trout.

With the terrific rains freshening up the river the fishing has been steadily getting better here and once we get some warm weather it is really going to fire up I reckon. The Jeparit stretch of river above and below the weir continues to impress with some very nice catches of redfin over 1kg along with some very nice yellowbelly. Trolled or cast lures have been working well as has bait fishing with scrubworms and small yabbies.

Around the Horsham stretch there has been some nice yellowbelly around the 1-1.5kg mark about along with plenty of carp and the odd redfin on worms and yabbies. Good areas have been at the show grounds and the weir. The Dimboola section has also been good for yellowbelly and stacks of carp as well. Bait fishing and lures have been working at Dimboola.

Trout fishing has been pretty good lately with some great browns and rainbows up to 2kg being caught. Bait fishing with mudeye under bubble floats has been working very well right across the lake whether fishing from boats or from the shore. Bug and ‘couta mudeye have been both working well. Those chasing redfin have been getting some good catches simply using small yabbies or scrubworms on paternoster or running sinker rigs amongst the timber.

Trolling Tassie Devils and shallow minnows is also catching plenty of trout and redfin but floating weed can be a problem on some days. Flyfishing the shoreline with wets such as Mrs Simpsons and Woolly Buggers should also do very well here at the moment. The lake has been steadily rising over the last month or so which has really fired the fish up here again and I would expect this good fishing to continue right through spring.

The rainbow trout fishing has been pretty good lately with plenty of fish around 1-1.8kg caught. There have also been a few reports of much larger rainbows well over 3kg. I have been making a few trips here lately and doing well off the west shoreline simply using Powerbait or glassies on a running sinker rig. It has been pretty easy to get onto the rainbow trout here and they have been in terrific condition and full of fight too.

Other anglers have also been taking trout trolling lures with pink Tassie Devils, even though the water has been a little dirty. Bait fishing with mudeye under bubble floats has also been picking up a few rainbows. With all the rain we have had I am hoping the lake fills up again as it did get pretty low over the last summer and the fishing will really fire if it starts rising.