The Goulburn River at Seymour has been running high and clear. The fishing has continued to be very good with redfin making up the majority of catches.

Recently, when testing a new boat, we took some time out to drown a few worms and caught a few good size reddies. These were caught downstream of the Goulburn Caravan Park.

Reports have also come in of trout being taken on lures. Trout should become more active from now on and hopefully the redfin will continue to bite.

Also close to Seymour, Sunday Creek has been flowing well. Anglers fishing bait and lures from the bridge that crosses over the Seymour to Puckapunyal Road have been reporting good catches of redfin.

Nearby Sugarloaf Creek, which usually doesn’t get too much attention, has also been fishing well for redfin. Some carp and blackfish have been taken too. Visitors may struggle to find Sugarloaf, but drop in to the local tackle shop or service station and they’ll be happy to give you directions.

These small streams are really worth taking the time to investigate. They provide good fishing and you don’t need a boat or a car full of specialised gear to enjoy success.

How things can change over the course of a month! I reported in April’s issue of VFM that the Goulburn River at Shepparton was running clear. After water releases from Mokoan this section has become coloured, and although the lurefishing has slowed down, good fish have still been taken on bait. Murray cod have made up most of the catches and some good yellowbelly have also been caught.

With the water releases, the fishing at Mokoan may slow down, but up until now it’s been quite good. I wouldn’t let the water releases deter me from fishing here, as this lake is too good a fishery to ignore.

The effects of Nillahcootie’s fish kill have finally subsided and once again anglers have had some good catches. Unfortunately, the results haven’t been consistent though. On some days the lake fishes well and then the next day nothing. Anglers trolling lures have been reporting catches of redfin to 1kg.

Waranga has been much the same as Nillahcootie. On some days anglers are cleaning up with good bags of redfin whilst on others they’re going home empty handed. Trolling has been the most successful method of fishing here too.

It won’t be too long before many anglers will be putting their efforts into crayfishing. All the rivers in our area hold good numbers of crays. Before venturing out on a cray trip however, check page 48 of the 2005/2006Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide for the regulations – not all waters are the same.