May 3, 2023
As the temperatures begin to plummet in Victoria, Cod fishing numbers are beginning to rise at Eildon.
VRFish has been hearing some great stories about some of the extraordinary catches that some dedicated anglers have reeled in at Eildon over the last few weeks.
Josh Read has created a social media frenzy with an image of his recent catch, with over 85,000 ‘fisho’s’ amazed by the incredibly large Cod that was posted on the VRFish Facebook and Instagram pages. Josh and his partner Leish were at Eildon for a quick over night fish when they encountered the enormous fish.
‘It was moving quickly through some tree tops in around 10m of water. It was tricky to get a lure in front of the fish as it was deep in some timber, but I managed to pick a gap as it emerged from one tree and headed for another. The fish immediately reacted to the Westin Shad Teez as it came past, tracked it a short distance and ambushed it from beneath. It was a short but powerful fight which only lasted 1-2 minutes, which is lucky as the fish threw the lure the moment it hit the net.’
Josh reflected on his love of fishing at Eildon. ‘The facilities are amazing there. The weather is beautiful and it’s great to see so many people out enjoying the water. It’s a very unique place with all the house boats around! It is a great Cod fishery and I love heading up there in winter chasing big Cod.’
Kate Norman’s last trip to Eildon yielded her some great success. Kate is a seasoned fisher at Eildon, even taking her swag with her in the boat if some extra time on the water is needed. Although the conditions can become brutally cold, the Veterinarian has reeled in some magnificent creatures on her visits to the lake.
‘The last trip to Eildon was a good one. I got out on the water pretty late around 8pm and fished for at least a few hours until I caught three within about 30 minutes. They were caught on a rocky point with lots of trees around and there wells a lot of bait in the area. The biggest fish (116cm) was caught on a Megabass Vatalion and fought hard all the way to the boat, pulling drag. It was freezing cold on the Saturday night but very still and foggy which is awesome to fish in.’
When asked for her best times to fish Kate said, ‘I usually try to fish an hour before sunset to around midnight but depends on family commitments and work. I bring the swag in the boat and sleep there if I’m wanting to spend more time on the water and fish the morning session as well.’
With the temperatures starting to fall rapidly, Eildon is set to have many more fishers eating their lines in search of big Cod this winter.
