SOUTHERN bluefin tuna are back.

Anglers fishing offshore from Port MacDonnell have caught them to 35kg, heralding the start of a new southern bluefin tuna season in the southwest.

In the freshwater, Lake Eildon continues to produce surprises. This week it was a 22kg Murray cod caught in the Delatite Arm.

On the Murray River, Rod Mackenzie reports that the river below Lake Mulwala is fishing well for big Murray cod with several fish to 1.28m caught on lures, making it the hottest cod bite along the river. At Swan Hill, Boundary Bend, Wemen and Mildura, cod to 73cm and yellowbelly to 1kg are being caught on yabbies, scrubworms, cheese and bardi grubs.

At Lake Eildon, Gary Constantine reports that the Delatite arm has produced Murray cod to 22kg. Successful anglers are trolling bibless minnows. The marinas are producing rainbow trout to 650g on scrubworms, bread or corn fished under a float. Eildon Pondage has rainbow and brown trout to 1.8kg taking Powerbait or scrubworms. Maggots are producing brown trout to 2.2kg in the Goulburn River. Fly fishers are catching trout on gold bead nymphs and grasshopper patterns.

In the southwest, Neil Shelton at Nelson reports the annual run of southern bluefin tuna has started. During the week tuna to 35kg were caught off Port MacDonnell on skirted jigs. In the Glenelg River at Nelson, mulloway to 7kg are being caught. Hot spots include the estuary and Princess Margaret Rose Caves. Most mulloway are being caught trolling live mullet.

In the Western District, Doug Lucas reports Lake Bullen Merri is now open to fishing and shore based anglers are catching rainbow trout to 800g on Powerbait. Lake Purrumbete has rainbow and brown trout to 2kg and redfin to 400g, and they are being caught on minnows and gudgeon. The Curdies River near Peterborough has bream to 38cm taking scrubworms and Aire River has them to 41cm and being caught on crabs and yabbies.

In Melbourne, Mick Kaksa reports that the Maribyrnong River is clear and holding large numbers of bream from undersize to about 32cm, with pinkies from 1-2kg also being caught. Point Cook is fishing well for King George whiting.

Whiting are well spread around the bay and Brett Terossi reports good catches being taken from Mt Martha to Mt Eliza, Point Nepean, St Leonards, Clifton Springs and Point Wilson. Garfish are also plentiful in most areas, and salmon to 1kg are reported in large schools from Seaford to Mt Martha and being caught on lures.

In Western Port, King George whiting to 46cm are being caught on pipi, mussel and squid at the top end of the Middle Spit. Gummy sharks to 10kg caught off Ventnor, and reasonable numbers of salmon being caught trolling skirted jigs near Cowes Pier. A few mulloway to 25kg caught off Rhyll and Warneet on couta and bass yabbies.

In the Gippsland Lakes, Lakes Entrance is producing King George whiting on mussel and pipi, and bream on peeled prawn. Bream fishing has been patchy at Lake Tyers, but some large ones have been caught on prawn. Metung jetties have bream biting on fresh crab and prawn, with a few flathead being caught in the bay on pilchard. At Paynesville, luderick are being caught from the ferry jetty.

The estuary system at Marlo is fishing well for bream, luderick, silver trevally and estuary perch. Best results coming on prawn. There are also good numbers of salmon, tailor, flathead and mullet in the surf.