Reel Life | Go for gold — catch a yellowbelly

Enough of the games; let’s get back to actual fishing.

In our region, while not at world record standards, the results have been rewarding.

River fishing has been above average, with plenty of cod landed. Although most have been small, a few keepers have been among the catch.

Both the Goulburn and Murray rivers are worth a try. Remember that the Murray is in NSW, and you will need a fishing and boating licence for that state. You can also get good results in the Broken River between Benalla and Shepparton and the Broken Creek from Numurkah to where it runs into the Murray River. Try the Ovens River in the Wangaratta area, too.

I have been receiving more and more reports of trout cod being caught; as you know or should know, trout cod are protected and must be released unharmed; it is up to you to be able to recognise a trout cod from a Murray cod. Speaking of protected fish, Macquarie perch are totally protected, and silver perch must not be taken if caught in rivers. In some dams, it is legal to take them, subject to size and bag limits; some people call these fish silver bream, but that is wrong. They are a perch. A near relative is the golden perch, and while they have a bag and size limit, you can fish for them all year round in rivers and dams as well as irrigation channels.

Yellowbelly are starting to become more active. As my old rod-building mate, the late Bob Darley, used to say, “Look for the wattles that start to bloom for a sign; that is the time to go fishing for yellowbelly.”

Yellowbelly, like cod, will take any bait that fits in their mouth. Although they do not have a mouth as big as a cod’s, they treat shrimp, small yabbies, garden worms and scrub worms like a child will treat a bag of lollies — they will scoff them down.

For some reason, yellowbelly respond to a lure with a rattle, and Jackel lures are among the most effective lures for attracting them to bite. But be prepared to try other lures as well. Remember, there is a bag and size limit for yellowbelly.

While the trout season is closed for most rivers and streams, you can still fish for them in Dartmouth, Lake Eildon and the Hume. The best method is to troll a fender trailing a mudeye; these are the larvae of the dragonfly.

Time to head south to Queenscliff for saltwater action. Rod Lawn at Adamas Fishing Charters said he was getting excited about the start of the big snapper run, which was now just over a month away. Rod said this was when fish up to eight to 10 kilograms would move into the bay. Meanwhile, he has been catching resident pinky-size snapper along the usual marks around Port Phillip Heads.

Rod said he was also bagging plenty of southern calamari squid along the grass beds from the Queenscliff ferry terminal to the Point Lonsdale jetty, and they could also be caught off Sorrento and St Leonards.

Rod said he was also bagging flathead along the sandy bottom, late-season whiting off the mouth of Swan Bay and pinky snapper were biting along the edge of the shipping lanes off Hastings.

Around Phillip Island, gummy sharks were biting in the deep water during the run-out tide and chewed on fresh salmon fillets and small whole squid.

North of the border at Eden, John Liddell said most of the action, according to Mark from Freedom Charters, was bottom bouncing the inshore reefs; he said they were bagging snapper, morwong, large flathead and other table fish, including kingfish. Mark said there was only a little action on the shelf.

Further north at Narooma, Graham Cowley said it was a similar story off Montague Island, with kingfish biting north of the island.

Well, keep enjoying the Olympics, but good luck if you do go fishing. Stay safe and healthy, and keep your boat safe.