Murray cod season opens 1 December

[fishingvic]

Media Release
Tuesday 15 November 2016 | Media contact: Nick Foster 03 8392 6254
www.vic.gov.au/fisheries

Murray cod season opens 1 December

The Murray cod fishing season officially opens on Thursday 1 December this year and will be followed on 11 December by Victoria’s first ever conference on the species with anglers.
Fisheries Victoria Executive Director, Travis Dowling, said Murray cod are an icon species that continue to grow in popularity amongst sportfishers using lures and traditional fishers using bait.
“Our free ‘Codference’ in Shepparton recognises the interest in all facets of the species ranging from their recovery in northern Victorian waters, the slot limits introduced in 2014 and our stocking efforts in recent years to further improve their abundance,” Mr Dowling said.
“The ‘Codference’ is one part of the State Government’s $46 million Target One Million plan for recreational fishing, which aims to get more people fishing more often and increase participation to one million by 2020.
“Presentation topics at the ‘Codference’ will include record stocking of the species with help from recreational fishing licence fees, the importance of habitat, flows and fishways, indigenous connections to cod, handling tips for returning them safely and the latest news on the carp virus.
“There will also be cod experts like Rod Mackenzie and Rod Harrison, who will talk about how to catch really big cod consistently and how fishing for the species has changed over the years.”
The ‘Codference’ is at the Eastbank Conference Centre, 70 Welsford St, from 9.30am until 3.30pm.
Register for free by emailing improving.fishing@ecodev.vic.gov.au or calling 03 8392 6876.
More detail on the event is available at www.vic.gov.au/codference
Mr Dowling reminded anglers that the slot limit for Murray cod is 55cm to 75cm, and the bag limit is 2 in lakes and 1 in rivers.
“This season we are encouraging anglers to care for their cod, particularly if they are going to release them because they are undersize, oversize or unwanted.”