How time flies when you’re having fun! It doesn’t seem that long back that we broke out the cod gear for the start of the season and here we are in no time flat, almost at the end.

Summing up my cod experience this season takes but two simple words: bloody brilliant! The Round Man and I passed the milestone of 100 fish over a metre and we both cracked personal-best fish tipping the good old 100lb mark.

We also made some good mates, fished many different locations and, most importantly, learnt several new techniques aided by new advancements in our own home-grown lure range.

On a growing downward trend, many locations that fished well in past years are now beginning to feel the pinch as fishing pressure continues to grow. New haunts are becoming old as word spreads and tomorrow’s experts follow the path in convoy of those who broke the ground and had the good sense to say little of it.

These are worrying times for these noble fish and, while we are on the brink of a boom as far as big fish captures are concerned, we are perhaps but a few short seasons away from possibly maiming the Murray’s greatest living treasure. Only time will tell.

Over the closed season as the water begins to warm, anglers will be keen to get among the golden perch that instinctively begin to feed. Bait will be the most common method used and for those trying lures, please have the good sense to fish small enough to avoid cod if at all possible.

Last closed season there were several big-cod photos displayed on internet chat sites marked as incidental captures. The glorification of this sort of crap should be condemned.

To exhibit them at all shows very poor judgment by those who moderate said chat sites that are supposed to relay positive information and good angling practices.

If you are chasing golden perch on lures or plastics, fish small. If a large cod decides to muscle in on the action, a little thumb pressure on the spool and the hooks will bend and pull, a well-practised form of long-distance release.

Any angler worth his or her salt will know the difference between a big cod or a golden perch on the end of the line.

The Wakool and Murrumbidgee are two rivers that fish exceptionally well leading into Spring. A trip to Kyalite, on the banks of the Wakool, is a great way to spend a few days.

With the added attraction of a pub within a short cast of the water, tall tales can be shared with a meal and a few beers after a good session on the river. Ask the right questions and Ken behind the bar is usually good for a tip on where the fish are biting best.

The lakes between Swan Hill and Kerang should also begin to fire over the coming month with quality redfin on offer. Don’t forget you will require a Victorian fishing licence and all bag and boating regulations pertaining to this State fall under its legislation; ignorance is not an excuse.

There are plenty of options over the closed cod season where anglers can still get out and enjoy the fishing.

The surf beaches will begin to fire, as will the southern estuary systems, most notably the Glenelg River at Nelson.

I can’t wait to get down there when the first run of mulloway enters the river. If the past two seasons are anything to go by it should be nothing short of hot. More on that another time.