Not being Nostradamus or a fortune teller, predicting when and where the yellas will fire up in and around Lake Mulwala this spring is only an educated guess at best.

Water temperature, rainfall and who knows what else makes these lure-bashing bruisers turn on. One thing we do know is it will happen and when it does! So it's time to pack the lighter native gear and get among them.

Traditionally the water above Majors Creeks up to Bundalong and surrounding backwaters or areas with increased current flow should be your first port of call.

TN60Jackall's, hardbodied lures in the 50-70mm size range or smaller profile spinnerbaits in natural colours would be my preferred option.

The last weekend of cod season proved fruitful for numerous visiting anglers with some nice cod reported. A 107cm beauty was the best reported while the unluckiest cod fell victim to local character Joe Linehan! A quick arvo jaunt with his 4 year-old daughter Emily saw the pair troll no more that 100m before they had hooked up to a nice 65cm model that made for an enjoyable outing.

A few diehards have been out in search for perch throughout September with limited returns. George Jovanovic has been turning up the odd prize while Dave Adams had a reasonable day recently with a couple measuring well into the 40cm bracket. Cooper Bennett has snared the best so far, with a lump measuring a creditable 52cm. A small Yellaman Series Bassman spinnerbait was his weapon of choice.

Without going into too much detail, both NSW and Vic Fisheries have recently implemented some new ‘slot size’ limits for cod on both sides of the border. For NSW the new slot size 60-80cm while Vic's is 50-70cms. Once again, the interstate anomalies astound me and leave you wondering why both could not work jointly on this. Apparently, relevant state authorities have worked together for a long time on studies that relate to fecundity levels, growth rates and breeding cycles but cannot agree on what their studies actually mean. My question: What happens if you catch and keep a legal size 50cm cod in the Ovens River (Vitoria) above Bundalong and then get intercepted by NSW Fisheries while fishing below Bundalong (NSW)? This means you are in possession of an undersized cod in NSW water, even though it was caught legally ‘interstate’. Everybody will have their own opinions but make sure you are all up to speed on these new legislations by December 1.

Organisation is well under way for the 2014 Yamaha Cod Classic. The Cod Classic promises to be huge with $150 000 prizes up for grabs. Your choice of either a Ford Ranger or Ford XR6 Ute plus 7 Quintrex, Yamaha and Lowrance boating packages make for an event that shouldn’t be missed. Entry forms are now available at Lake Mulwala Fish Camp & Ski, the official Cod Classic shop (Opposite the Post Office) or call 0357 441667 for further information.

Until next edition, happy fishing.