Sore heads, dropped fish, savage strikes and stories about the ones you managed to land will all be memories for those who fish the opening weekend of the Cod Classic at Lake Mulwala.

I’m sure everyone who has eagerly awaited the opening of another cod season has probably already had their first fix and are planning many more assaults on the mighty green fish over the coming summer months.

Lake Mulwala fishes well, without being outstanding, at this time of year. The catchment has received good rain over the last few months, however the water clarity is not flash. The secret to fishing Mulwala during these times is to keep your options open. All fishing styles can be productive at times: bait, trolling or casting lures. The top half of the lake from Majors Creek to Bundalong tends to produce bigger cod. Downstream of Majors Creek the fish are plentiful but generally smaller in size. Don’t get me wrong, there are some monsters in and around the mid section of the lake and below, but if I were in the market for a big fella I’d be heading to the top.

Those that have been targeting yellas over the last month have also picked up a few cod to 80cm as by-catch. All have been released given the closed season.

The most productive part of the lake has been in and around the outlet channel. October to November is the best time to fish the mouth of the canal. A few cod, redfin and the odd brown trout are typically taken from this area.

Fishing below the wall in the Murray has been closed for the last 3 months; how it’s been fishing is anybody’s guess. Fisheries Officers still manage to catch numerous people who are either ignorant or choose to ignore rules and regulations. In my opinion, if you’re caught in this section of water, Yarrawonga to Tocumwal, you deserve what you get.

I have it on good authority that high river levels are likely to remain in place for the next month or so. Fishing in this area of the Murray under these conditions should see many small cod and good numbers of yellas taken.

Anglers fishing from Yarrawonga to Tocumwal should be aware that you may only use one rod with up to 2 hooks. Setlines are totally banned.

Hopefully you can all achieve your dream of landing a big one this season. Whether your cod are large or small, please consider releasing them to fight again another day. If anybody has fishing news from around Yarrawonga then drop me a line at --e-mail address hidden--