You’ve all heard the old saying “what a difference a day makes”. I can tell you that a month makes a lot bigger difference!

Over the last couple of months I have been reporting on how well the Goulburn River has been fishing in the Seymour area. Both Murray cod and redfin had been taken in good numbers and size. I certainly hope that you have been fortunate enough to get there and share in some of the excellent fishing. There are still a few fish being taken by the diehards, but generally the fishing has tapered right off in comparison to what it was.

The water level of the Goulburn has dropped to the extent that boating is almost impossible in some areas. While we all like get out in our boats it’s times like this we should follow the lead of good keen men such as Paul Thomas of Seymour. Recently on a day off work he was able to take some good-sized golden perch whilst casting spinnerbaits from the bank. This is certainly a method worth pursuing if you are keen to get out but are unsure of where to go. The recent rain we have been receiving should help to freshen the river and hopefully keep the fish interested in our offerings whether they are lures or bait

Further downstream in the Shepparton area anglers are still taking some very good cod and golden perch. Trolled or cast lures seem to be taking most fish, but anglers fishing from the bank have taken some very good golden perch on worm and yabby baits. I received a report of an estimated 36kg cod being taken virtually right in Shepparton but a couple of phone calls have left me unable to confirm this. Another area that has been, and by all accounts still is, producing good results for Murray cod is McCoys Bridge.

Lake Nillahcootie seems to be very hard to follow at the moment. I keep hearing of anglers going there and doing very well on the redfin and the golden perch. Then just to spoil the party I receive another report from a different source telling me that they have returned home from a day’s fishing empty handed. I really don’t know!

The big reddies should be on the go here, so if you are interested in trying I would suggest trolling lures out from the school camps. This area has always been productive for us. Fishing with bait around the trees is usually reliable but you have to get past the smaller fish to get to the big ones and this can be difficult.

With the closed season on trout fishing in the rivers, choices are going to become a little more limited in our region.

I don’t usually spend a lot of time reporting on Lake Eildon, but I do spend a lot of time fishing there. This is an area that should be given serious consideration over the coming months. My wife and I spent a very pleasant and successful day there recently, taking some very good redfin up to 1.5kg. These were taken on scrubworms and soft plastics. The big winter redfin are certainly worth fishing for.