IT IS a changing of the guard on the fishing scene.

On the saltwater scene in our bays, snapper are in decline and King George whiting in the ascendancy.

In the freshwater, Murray cod have started to show in the Murray River near Mildura and yellowbelly are on the bite.

Rod Mackenzie reports that catfish, yellowbelly and carp are being caught in the Murray River from Swan Hill to Wentworth.

Murray cod to 35kg are being caught near Mildura.

Lakes Charm and Boga are fishing well for yellowbelly to 2kg and redfin to 1kg on lures and bait. The Little Murray River is producing catfish, yellowbelly and carp.

Gary Constantine at Eildon says anglers trolling Tassie Devil lures at 6m deep in Lake Eildon are catching brown trout to 1.5kg.

Scrubworms and yabbies the top baits but lures such as bobbers and ice jigs also doing well. Yellowbelly to 3.5kg are taking worms and yabbies in Italian Bay and Fraser Park areas.

A few Murray cod to 60cm are being caught on spinnerbaits in the boat harbour.

Gary says Eildon Pondage has been slow with mainly small trout caught on dough baits.

Big River is producing rainbow trout to 1.4kg on bladed lures and scrubworms.

In the Western District, Doug Lucas reports Lake Bullen Merri is fishing well from the shore where anglers are using Powerbait to catch brown trout to 3kg.

Nearby at Lake Purrumbete, brown and rainbow trout to 1.4kg are taking mudeyes, while redfin to 400g are being caught in the shallows on soft plastic lures.

Neil Shelton at Nelson says bream are tough in the lower Glenelg River. Anglers fishing upstream above Pritchards are doing much better.

Yellowtail kingfish to 7kg are being caught along the North Shore at Portland.

In the same area, anglers are hooking pinkies, King George whiting to 45cm, school and gummy sharks.

The Lee Breakwater has been steady with snapper to 1.8kg, King George whiting to 45cm, calamari squid, flathead and gummy sharks caught. Portland harbour has pinkies, silver trevally, whiting and squid.

King George whiting are being caught between Pivot and Black Nose.

In Port Phillip Bay, Brett Terossi says there are large numbers of salmon, ranging from about 1kg to 3.5kg, schooling at the southern end of the bay, from Nepean Bay, into the Rip and near Pt Lonsdale pier.

Snapper are slow on the eastern seaboard where the best reports of fish to 4kg have come from 19m of water off Mt Eliza and 14m off Seaford. Snapper to 8kg are being caught in Corio Bay outer harbour. Garfish are well spread around the bay.

Western Port is fishing well for King George whiting along Middle Spit and on the flood tide on the Quail and Tyabb Banks.

In the Gippsland Lakes, Holland's Landing has bream in Toms Creek and King George whiting at Beacon Point taking sandworm and shrimp.

Bream and garfish are being caught on sandworm in the Mitchell River. The Tambo River mouth is producing bream on prawn and sandworm. Dusky flathead are taking bluebait at Metung and in the Nicholson River, bream and gurnard are being caught on prawn.

Lakes Entrance has King George whiting and salmon taking pipis in the main channel and Lake Tyers is consistent for bream from 28 to 42cm and dusky flathead to 50cm on soft plastic lures and prawn.

At Marlo, the rock groynes are producing luderick on weed.

Bemm River has dusky flathead to 70cm and bream being caught in the channel on peeled prawn.

The lake is producing bream, silver trevally and tailor on lures.