COD season opened on Saturday with 2500 anglers descending on Lake Mulwala and fisheries officers out in force.

But despite the influx the reports were bags of fish and no offences, at least on the Victorian side of the border.

Vanessa Bennett who helps organise the Lake Mulwala cod expo with her husband, Tony, said the turnout of 2450 competitors was just short of last year’s record.

“It is terrific, we have had to contend with rumours that the lake would be dry and the drought has had an impact as well,” she said.

During the expo competitors caught 311 cod, 375 yellow belly and 350 carp.

And at least six competitors went away happy as the winners of boat and motor packages that were given away as part of the fishing expo.

One of the packages was won in a raffle, one went to any early-bird entrant, one was given to an adult competitor and one to a junior, while the winners of the other two were from a lucky draw.

More than $10,000 in prizes were given away over the weekend.

Proceeds from the event went to the Mulwala Football Club but many other town and district organisations were also financial winners from the event.

The Lake Mulwala expo is generally regarded as the largest freshwater fishing competition in Australia.

Victorian DPI fisheries officer Matt McMahon was full of praise for anglers, not just at Lake Mulwala, but along the whole river.

“I’ve talked to about 150 people along the Ovens River from Wangaratta to Bundalong and not one offence was detected,” he said.

“They were all in fine spirit, good weather and good fishing.

“Everyone was well behaved with quite a few cod being caught, some up to 6kg and 7kg mark.”

It is believed there were some significant breaches of the limits in NSW waterways but fisheries officers were unable to comment yesterday because of government protocol.

In Victoria there is a minimum legal length for Murray cod of 50cm and a bag-possession limit of two fish per day, one greater than 75cm.

But for recreational anglers fishing in the Murray River or other NSW waters the minimum length for Murray cod has increased to 55cm and there is a bag-possession limit of two.

 By BRAD WORRALL

Source : Border Mail