March is the most exciting month for us on the calendar, as there are so many options in the area around this time of year. The trout should start to feed more regularly due to the cooler days and longer nights, and if we get some rain through March that will really help the cause too.

The Kiewa River has fished reasonably well all season considering the heat we had throughout the summer months. It should really pick up once the water temperatures drop. There are numerous access points along the Kiewa River, and you will find exceptional trout fishing anywhere upstream from Redbank road bridge.

One of the most accessible and most reliable access points would be behind the old timber mill in Mt Beauty. There is a very healthy population of small trout in this area and sometimes a big escapee from the Mt Beauty Pondage can be found.

The Mt Beauty pondage is stocked yearly with brown and rainbow trout and is home to some real thumpers. Over the last few months, there were some massive trout caught in the pondage, some up to 7.5lb. After seeing some photos of big fish pulled from the Mt Beauty Pondage I tried my luck recently to no avail. I trolled winged type lures but the thick weed and shallow nature of the lake made things quite difficult. I suggest trying to find some mudeyes and fishing them from the bank under a bubble float.

Access to Mt Beauty Pondage is fantastic, as there is a footpath around the whole lake, which means you can fish anywhere you want.

Over to the Murray cod scene, and March usually brings some more stable warm weather patterns, which can lead to some of the best Murray cod fishing of the year. The Kiewa River should also be at a more stable height through March due to the demand for electricity dropping.

Last month saw some great surface fishing for Murray cod. There have been large hatches of cicadas in the area and this has really turned the cods’ heads upward for a feed.

I recently had a session where we landed nine cod and lost about 15 in a space of about three hours! Most fish that we lost was because the fish were nailing the spinnerbaits as soon as they hit the water. We didn’t even have our baitcast reels clicked into gear! This shows how well the Murray cod have been feeding off the surface.

I suspect that as long as the cicadas hang around the Murray cod will continue to feed actively off the top, which makes for some exciting fishing. The best time to tie on a surface lure would be about an hour before dark. As the sun disappears, Murray cod will begin to hunt. There is no better feeling than nailing a Murray cod on surface, especially if it’s in pitch black and the lure gets ‘boofed’ at your feet!

We have been having a lot of success with the Jackall Pompadour surface lures, which mimic a cicada pretty well. Wakebait type lures have also seen plenty of success.