Murray cod season is here and now’s the time to go out and chase those elusive monster fish. With summer cranking up, the water temp will be high and the cod should be active.

There are many great spots around the Echuca area to catch Murray cod, with Barmah Lakes performing as a hot spot for the locals. The best method in these waters is to troll shallow diving hardbody lures in and around the timber. Surface lures are always worth a try in the last couple of hours of light, just look for the shaded areas and the snags in shallow, slow running water. Bait fish in around the snags with grubs, yabbies, and cheese – just use a fairly heavy sinker in the fast running water.

The fishing around Echuca town itself can be quite good too with plenty of river access for the bank fisherman or out of the boat. Through the summer months, with irrigation in full swing and plenty of speedboats around, the water clarity can be down a bit, in which case it would be wise to use bright coloured lures – StumpJumpers, Oar-gees, AC Invaders and Koolabungs are all good lures to try.

Down around the Torrumbarry area is a great place to pick up larger cod in the slow moving pool water with plenty of water around 6m or more. Deep diving hardbodies are the best option, but casting spinnerbaits is always worth a try and the 1/2oz 5/8oz seems to be the best sizes to use. Remember to let them sink down into the snags and use a very slow retrieve back.

The best times to be fishing in this area is late in the afternoon or early in the morning when the speed boats have eased up. Bait fishing is fine in this area, just remember to fish close to the snags and keep changing spots if you’re not getting a bite.