Winter is here and with the frost starting to be more regular it means the crays will be on the move.

Cray fishing in Shepparton is not something people think about but there is some good sized crays in the Goulburn and Broken rivers.

Last season I pulled many monster crayfish out of the Broken River, mostly near the junction; there was a good number of small crayfish amongst the big females and males.

There are so many different baits you can use when heading out on a cray trip.

My favourite bait is a fresh fish frame or two – just pop down to the local seafood shop as they usually sell them pretty cheap.

On the fishing sides of things it has been very quiet. I’ve been speaking to the boys at the local tackle store and they have only reported a handful of fish have been caught in the Goulburn, mostly on lures.

One fish has landed local angler Jacob Crow a pay cheque of $4000. Jacob won the Pertek fishing challenge with a 52cm yellowbelly with this fish taking out the Victorian section.

The best thing about this area is when one spot is quiet another seems to fire.

The main eastern channel has been fishing consistently well during the early weeks of May and late April.

Redfin perch have been aggressively taking both bait and lures, which is a real buzz on light gear.

Targeting redfin is very simular to bass or bream fishing. Light lines and small lures seem to be what works best.

When fishing for redfin, don’t stop concentrating on your lure until the last second as I have had many hit the lure just as I have been taking it from the water.

There as so many types of lures to use for fishing the channels. The following lures are my favourite for this area: Stiffy Popper Vibe, Jackal Tn50 and the Squidgy Wriggler.

While these are my favourites, almost any type of lure will catch redfin if they are hungry. With bait I always use scrub worms if they are available.

There’s no point stuffing around with small worms; get the big scrub worms on your hook and get ready for a bite.

Another tip when bait fishing is to make sure you use quality hooks. I think Owner make the best hooks on the market.

My fishing club, The River Rats, will be announcing a new event in my July report. Thanks to all who have provided feedback on fishing competitions we have organised recently.