After a wet start to spring our waters are now looking and fishing at their very best with plenty of action coming from the majority of waters.

Plenty of yabbies are also getting caught at many local swamps, lakes and water holes; just going by the number of ox livers I have been selling for yabby bait at my butcher shop in Horsham. As we head closer to summer the fishing and yabbying will go from strength to strength in the Wimmera, so get out there and amongst the action!

This is without doubt our most popular lake with good numbers of brown and rainbow trout being taken to well over 2kg, along with a few nice redfin as well.

Baitfishing with mudeye under bubble floats or Powerbait on running sinker rigs has been best with good fishing to be had right throughout the day. I actually find I catch most of my trout at Toolondo around midday, which goes against what most trout anglers believe are the best times for trout fishing but it works for me.

With the huge number of bug mudeye about the fly anglers have been doing well working wets such as Mrs Simpsons and Wooly Buggers along the north and west shores. After dark has also been very productive for the fly anglers, especially after a hot day.

The trout fishing has been very good with some nice browns and rainbows being caught on mudeyes and trolled Tassie Devil lures.

Visiting angler Ray Caruana had a great trip to Fyans recently catching a swag of trout on trolled Tassie Devils. There havn’t been many big trout getting caught here lately but most have been around the 1-1.5kg mark.

A few good redfin have also been about and are being caught on trolled lures and baits such as gudgeon, yabbies and worms fished amongst the timber.

The river has been fishing very well and looking the best it has for many years. The water is still a bit discoloured after all the flows so baitfishing with worms and yabbies has been best.

Between Gross Bridge and riverside there has been a few good yellowbelly about, along with a few redfin and hoards of carp. Most of the yellowbelly are around the 1kg mark with the odd better fish to 2.5kg.

Around Horsham there are still heaps of carp as well as some nice yellowbelly, silver perch and the occasional redfin.

The stretch of river at Jeparit below the weir has been fishing well for some thumping big yellowbelly to well over 3kg on lures and spinnerbaits, with good size redfin there as well.

Baitfishing has also been good with yabbies and worms working well.

With the warmer weather, the fishing has been on the improve with a number of good size redfin being caught along with some nice yellowbelly, small silver perch and a power of carp.

Boat and bank fishing is working well here and due to the discoloured water, bait fishing has been the best. Good baits have been worms, yabbies and gudgeon fished on the bottom and around the timbered areas.

The inlet channel is well worth a look with some very nice redfin being caught along with a few yellowbelly and large numbers of carp on worms.

1

Zephyr Vanstan with a decent brown trout he caught at Lake Toolondo.

2

A couple of trout the author caught off Toolondo’s west bank on mudeye.