There have been plenty of fish caught over the past month but not many have been of a size that provide gloating rights to their captors.

Small cod are still prevalent and on the chew in most local waterways, which is a great sign for things to come.

The Wakool River has been fishing well for Murray cod and golden perch.

I recently had time to spend a couple of days there fishing with my son Jock and from top to bottom we caught some nice fish on bait and lures.

During our visit we were to see the influences barometric pressure plays on native fish.

Arriving on the Friday evening, we set up camp and hit the water for a few hours before dark.

It didn’t take long and a small cod whacked down on Jock’s spinnerbait. Not long after, a nice golden perch also took a liking to the shiny offering.

Several snags on a solid strike on the drop next to a half-submerged stump sent a large churning boil of water to the surface. The fish had failed to stick and would not return after a volley of casts invaded its lair.

I couldn’t help but think about the opportunity missed. Wouldn’t have minded sticking a hook in that one, maybe tomorrow.

Overnight, a low pressure system pushed in, dropping the barometer and the activity of the fish next day.

Several hours casting for not a single strike sent us to the base of a large snag to drown a few baits.

Other than a few small golden perch, the only excitement came when the young bloke landed a rather large, smelly tortoise.

As evening came and the weather began to clear, we decided to cast a few surface lures.

Now this is where I get a real buzz from angling.

Jock had never cast surface lures before and he picked out and tied on a Mulldoon’s Wee Willy surface popper. A rather large lure, I was pleasantly surprised with his cast that landed just short of the weed line.

“What do I do now, Dad?”

“Mate, just let it settle for a moment and slowly work it across the surface a few yards and then stop.”

Plop, plop, plop; it had a great sound at a very slow speed.

“Now pause wait a few seconds and slowly wind again.”

No sooner had he twitched the lure back into gear than we both almost leapt clear of the boat as a decent sized cod smashed the lure and missed .

Jock was beside himself and the true excitement of angling was plastered all over him from head to toe.

This fish was not to return but what a buzz for the young bloke!

Next morning we awoke to a stiff breeze and clear skies as the next high-pressure system had the barometer rising again.

Within a few short hours we managed several cod on the cast and missed a few others.

Unfortunately, the big fish that smashed the spinnerbait the first evening refused to play but I know where he lives now and he will come unstuck, given time.

While there has been the odd big cod landed in the pool water sections along the Murray River between Robinvale and Wentworth, the majority of the catch has comprised smaller fish.

It’s got to happen soon and as I write this, the cool, crisp mornings and falling water temperatures are like the starter’s gun for a long-awaited race.

Some big fish will be landed over the coming month if this season parallels with those before.

Until then we will have to enjoy the fishing on offer.

A great weekend on the Wakool River, where the catches for young Jock Mackenzie included a frisky golden perch, a nice little Murray cod and a hungry but smelly turtle.