The fishing around Echuca has slowed right down in recent weeks with only a handful of lucky anglers tangling with some good-sized cod.

The majority of these fish were taken while trolling deep-diving lures through the timber-strewn sections of the river although casting spinnerbaits also accounted for several smaller cod.

For the bait fishers, scrub worms and bardi grubs have attracted only silver perch and undersized cod.

At the time of writing the Edward River pool water above Stevens Weir was starting to back up, making boat launching less stressful and giving anglers a chance to fish snags that were previously exposed.

Farther upstream of Deniliquin one lucky lure caster had a run-in with a metre-plus cod while flicking an Outlaw spinnerbaits into the shallows. Sadly, the fish was busted off at the bank.

With only the odd report to go by, the fishing should improve with increased inflows and warmer water as the Spring weather slowly kicks in. Sounds like a good time to chase some yellas!

Midway through July a small flush of water made its way down the river, bringing with it a muddy tinge that turned the water from a clean emerald green, cutting visibility back to about 25% of that in previous weeks.

Mumbler-style lures that throw out plenty of vibration for the fish to pick up on, and big bibbed lures to bang and clang off the logs, can both be an effective method when the water is dirty.

Generally, bait fishing in discoloured water works well with the fish being able to pick up on the scent of the bait, but with the fish being slower through the cooler months bait seems to be more successful when water temperatures pick up.

Leigh from Moama Laser Electrical had a good Sunday morning out from the Headworks Road boat ramp, landing cod up to 64cm while flicking spinnerbaits around the snags.

Later that afternoon Phil from Bendigo trolled up three legal cod to 114cm – not a bad day to be on the water.

In the weeks prior to the dirty water coming through, the clarity was probably the best it’s been for the season.

Below the Torrumbarry Weir, anglers have been working pretty hard to land a golden perch on bait.

Those fishing from boats seemed to have a bit more luck than those having a go from the bank.

Try tying up to the smaller end of the snag and dropping baits down to the bottom and then giving the reel a couple of turns so the bait is freely moving with the motion of the boat and the current.

You can vary the depth of the bait with a few more turns of the reel and with two people fishing with a couple of rods each , you should be able to cover the whole water column.

Having the baits off the bottom will also stop the Murray crayfish from walking off with a free feed.

In Gunbower Creek the low water level and an abundance of weed has made it tough for lure casters but this should improve with a top-up of water over coming months.

Some stretches of water have produced above-average cod.

Kow Swamp had a good run on the redfin in late July with the good ol’ Hogback working a treat and StrikePro Vibes taking their fair share.

Most of the reddies averaged between 400g and 600g with a few bigger table fish among the catches.

With the season now closed on Murray cod and crayfish, it shouldn’t be too long before the yellowbelly fire up and they can be good fun on light gear.

Hopefully Lake Eppalock, about an hour south of Echuca, will get some good Spring rain inflows. Rising water levels and temperatures usually are a good combination for the yellas there to get active.

• For more information what’s biting around Echuca and Moama, drop into J.T’s Fishing and Camping Moama (opposite the Border Inn) or phone Justin on 0354 803 868.