December’s windy weather has meant a lot of Lake Mulwala has remained relatively unpressured so far this open season, and there are plenty of cod and yellas waiting to jump onto a well presented lure or bait.

Roger Miles from Cod Hunter Fishing Tours reports that the lake’s water is a little stirred up and a touch dirtier than he would have expected considering the lack of rain this year. However, Roger says the fishing has been fantastic in between the big blows.

Anglers who enjoy sight fishing should know that the edges are fishing really well when the wind drops and surface lures have been the best lure. There have been plenty of fish in water shallowing out from 6ft with captures of half a dozen cod on surface lures not unusual on good evenings. There are some big fish in the shallows too –a 96cm cod has been the pick of the bunch.

If the wind is up a little, Roger recommends casting spinnerbaits into the shallow water. Spinnerbaits with skirt colours of black, purple and red, or a mixture of all, have been producing great results. The spinnerbait caught fish have been a little small, but their numbers have been right up there. Some persistence will connect you to a bigger fish and the golden perch are finding the spinnerbaits pretty attractive too.

At the recent Cod Opening Classic some massive cod were measured in with the best topping 120cm. There were several other 1m+ caught, proving that Mulwala can produce the fish of a lifetime at any time!

In January, Roger suggests you concentrate on the shallow water and cast spinnerbaits with purple or black skirts. If there’s a major weather change, try a bright lure like a chartreuse spinnerbait or lime green to make it stand out in the slightly turbid water. If hard-bodied lures are your thing, try lures with darker colours like purple and black, and if they have a good contrasting stripe pattern, they’ll be even better.

The middle stretch of the lake around Hogans Road has had little pressure because of the wind and this will be the best place to concentrate your efforts, as the fish will be a little less lure shy. Look for current eddies in and around the main river channel for the best chance of connecting to a few good fish.

There are still good fish in the rest of the lake with many holiday anglers making a beeline for the Majors Creek area. This area copped some heavy pressure during the Cod Opening Classic, but since then the pressure hasn’t been too high and it’ll be well worth a fish.

Downstream, the river is flowing at full irrigation flow, so look for quieter areas where the river is deep and broad, or in and around the backwaters for your best fishing.

If you’d like to book a tour to Lake Mulwala and fish with one of the best, give Roger a call on 0427 483 286 at Cod Hunter Fishing Tours.