Ladies and gentlemen, it's cod time and I for one are absolutely stoked to say the least.

It's great to see that common sense prevailed and the cod slot limits in Vic and NSW were matched up, so now it's between 55-75cm, every one’s a winner.

With strong reports of by-catch cod throughout November, it's all looking great for a rad cod opening and I think it's going be a red-hot summer, just remember to slip-slop-slap and don’t get burnt.

Generally speaking, from a personal perspective, the Bonnie Doon to Delatite top end of the lake has been far superior right across the board for the yellas this spring, with astounding numbers of great conditioned goldens being caught left right and centre.

Lipless crankbaits have been the go-to style of lure and there’s no great surprise there. People who are new to native fishing simply can't go past them in spring and summer and when you select one of these lures I can't stress enough how important it is that you test any of your lipless cranks in the sink or bath at home. It is imperative that when your lure is on the bottom, the tail of the bait sits up with the nose down like a feeding bait fish and doesn't fall on its side and lay flat on the bottom. You won't believe the difference in your strike rate and for all you anglers who have loads of them, test them all and try my theory, you will be amazed when fishing gravel banks. It's not as important when fishing rock walls and steep banks.

Trolling will be a very productive method in December for both cod and yellas. Now that they are moving up in the water column, don't be scared to troll big lures. Anything from 75-250mm is worth a go, that's right, big lures. Don't worry, the big cod will eat them and just remember, if it's possible to release a big fish in the water it is far better for the long term survival of that fish. As we go on, it seems that lots more anglers are really embracing the catch and release style of fishing, especially the juniors. It’s great to see a kid smile when they let a big one go.

What I would love to know is where the hell have the reddies have gone. I am hanging for a feed but be buggered if I can find them!

There have also been a few nice trout getting caught near the mouth of the Delatite River and have put on a fair bit of condition, unlike the slabby fish in wintertime.