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Aim for average
  |  First Published: May 2009



The fishing in Central Victoria has continued to be below average for the last couple of months. The bad news is that the fishing will only get tougher over the next few months. There has however been a few reasonable captures by those most dedicated and experienced anglers.

LAKE EPPALOCK

Lake Eppalock is currently at 6% capacity. Water levels have remained relatively stable over the summer and autumn months. This has led to some good weed growth within the lake. The lake is in far better condition for this time of the year than the previous two years.

For the majority of anglers testing their skill at this location lately, results have been average. We did not unfortunately see the golden perch fire up as expected. There have been only small numbers of these being caught. The most productive methods have been casting lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits around the weed beds and fallen timber.

Some reasonable results have been produced on the redfin in the lake recently. Trevor Yates recently fished the lake and managed some good results on the redfin. Trevor had several trip average of around 40 redfin per trip. Of these a number where of smaller sizes however each trip around 10 redfin where kept weighing up to 500g.

The most productive method has been jigging with ice jigs and good results on the Squidgy Shrimp soft plastics. With the water temperatures starting to cool rapidly the fishing for resident Murray cod and golden perch will only get tougher until spring. The target species for the next few months will be the resident redfin population.

CAMPASPE RIVER

The fishing in the Campaspe River this season would be best described as disappointing. The numbers of fish being caught in the river have been a lot lower than the previous couple of years. Since May the productivity has slowed dramatically in the shallower sections of the river. The most productive areas at this time of the year are those deepest sections of river at Elmore and Rochester.

The numbers of fish being caught have only been average. Only small numbers of golden perch and Murray cod have been caught. The majority of captures have been redfin. The most productive methods for the redfin have been bait fishing the edges of the weed beds and cumbungi lined banks and trolling small hardbody lures.

CAIRN CURRAN

The water levels in Cairn Curran are very low. The lake is currently below 2% capacity. Boat launching can be done but a 4WD drive is recommended. It is well worthwhile to go to this location just to have a look at the submerged island and it is a great time of the year to learn more about the lake.

For the majority of anglers who have been fishing the lake the results have been poor. Brad Day recently fished this location and managed to land four fish for the day. The highlight was an exceptional golden perch that was caught on an ice jig. The fish measured over 60cm and had an estimated weight of 8kg. Brad also managed another golden perch trolling and this fish had an estimated weight of 3kg. Brad landed two small redfin while trolling for the day as well.

Anglers fishing with bait have landed reasonable numbers of fish. The most productive baits for the redfin have been small yabbies and worms. It is now a great time of the year to target the lakes resident brown trout population. The trout population is a lot lower than what it was several years ago however there is still some trophy trout left in the lake.

LODDON RIVER

The fishing in the Loddon River has also slowed down in recent times. The numbers of golden perch and Murray cod being caught are low. The cooling water temperatures have seen the shallower sections of river slow dramatically. The most productive area is that deepest section at Bridgewater and Serpentine.

As the water temperatures are cooling the deeper water is often the most productive. Trolling deep diving hardbodies such Codger lures and casting sinking lures such as spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits are good options. As water temperatures continue drop over the next couple of months the fishing will only become tougher for the golden perch and Murray cod. However the Loddon River does have a good population of redfin and the productivity can still be high on these species over the coldest months of the year.

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