As the Mildura region has recently experienced high rivers and flows, the fishing has been quite difficult for the local Mildura anglers.

Many anglers have relied on dams, billabongs and impoundment fishing for golden perch and redfin around the region to get their fishing fixes throughout this high flow period and the close of cod season. Cod season will open up again on the 1st of December, with hopefully those three months providing an ideal time for Murray cod to breed as well as allow the river to clear up around Mildura.

The dirty water has definitely kept many boats off the river over the past month, in turn reducing Murray cod taken as by-catch during the closed season. This will work in our advantage by minimising stresses on Murray cod throughout the closed season and encouraging a better end result from the breeding season.

With these high rivers and dirty water, local anglers have been trying a different style of fishing than the river and resorting to areas such as billabongs, dams and impoundment, chasing redfin on soft plastics. Redfin are a beautiful table fish and are great fun to catch casting small soft plastics on a light spin rod. Soft plastics such as 80mm Squidgy Wrigglers, Strike Tiger 3” Curl Tail Grubs and or even a Squidgy Worm or Critters will do the job in clear water.

Soft plastics will work the best in clear water, but if it’s stirred up a little bit, small TN50 Jackalls, small blades and or even Small Celta spinners will turn some redfin heads and entice a hit.

Chasing golden perch within impoundments and billabongs has been a success, with small Bassman Carl’s Compact spinerbaits as well as Jackall TN60 and 70s working a treat.

During the cod closed season, if you encounter a Murray cod unexpectedly, it is encouraged to release them without taking them out of the water and minimising harm. The less pressure that is put on the fish during this time of the year, the better our fishery will be for the future. Anglers need to respect the breeding season as much as possible try to minimise encounters with them during this three-month period.