We have had our first frost, it wasn’t a big frost but it was a frost none the less – yep bloody cold weather is here - and to many this means lobster season will soon be upon us, for those that do not remember or who don’t know the rules, they are as follows.  

Fresh water lobster or Murray crayfish season is open from June to August in the following waters: (a) Murrumbidgee River and its tributaries excluding Old Man Creek from the Hume Highway road bridge at Gundagai to a line 100m upstream of the weir face at Berembed Weir near Ganmain (b) Murray River and its tributaries from 130 below Hume Weir near Albury to the Newell Highway road bridge at Tocumwal.

All other waters in NSW are closed to Murray crayfish fishing, with a daily limit of two and maximum four in possession with a minimum measurement of 10cm and a maximum of 12cm measured from the occipital carapace.

For those who don’t know or are not happy with the rules, following is a brief snapshot of how long it takes for a lobster to become large enough for harvesting - Murray crayfish are slow-growing animals and may take up to nine years until they reach their legal length of 10cm. 

Like all other freshwater crayfish species, they undertake a series of moults as they grow. 

Murray crayfish become more active during the winter months. 

Mating activity usually occurs during May, most likely cued to a decline in water temperatures. 

Females carry eggs under their tails (attached to the mother’s pleopods). 

Eggs hatch during late spring, around 140 days after fertilisation. 

Juveniles remain attached to the mother’s pleopods until they have gone through a series of moults, after which time they become self sufficient.

So for those people who like a big feed of lobster and/or who feel that’s it is their right to harvest as many as they can catch, nine years is a long time to try and catch another feed. 

I, like a lot of people, liked a feed of these beasties and before I got a bit of age and sensibility, before bag limits and you were able to fish for lobsters in impoundments, ie Blowering, probably took more than what I should have, not dozens but probably too many, never once thinking of the life span of a lobster, or the ramifications of overfishing. 

Back in those days there were little or no studies, no such thing as the internet and research on anything meant actually going to a library and reading books and reading books was so uncool. 

I am glad kids have the ability to research things like this at the flick of a switch these days, as long as the flick the switch to the off position when they have found what they were looking for then get out and go fishing. 

Even now take the kids lobstering so they can see how much fun it is, just be sensible and teach them the correct way to have sustainable fishing so they can teach their kids, I will guarantee that they will thank you for it later.

Burrinjuck: I received some reports and they weren’t bad, a couple of nice yellas picked up using bait drifting down amongst the trees, a few reddies on the troll, no reports of cod

Blowering: A couple of trout using lead line and small hard bodies, a bye catch of reddies using the same method but no cod. The Tumut River is fishing well with Rainbows out numbering browns most fish being caught on celta’s

Talbingo: Only a couple of medium trout recorded

Tantangara: Haven’t had any reports but there are a few Wagga fishermen trying their luck this weekend

Eucumbene: Some good numbers of rainbows coming in mainly down towards Providence on yellow wings and small hard bodies – 21 more sleeps until F.Y.B.O.

Jindabyne: Some good fish reported with a mammoth Atlantic salmon caught flatlining a tassie devil and some good numbers of trout as well

Hume weir: Either still quiet or too busy catching fish to give a report, Dartmouth is fishing pretty good with some good trout being recorded

Mulwala: Most boat ramps are closed due to lack of water, the ramps that are open are at the yacht club and Kiffins – hard boat ramp to access as you have to drive over some deep sand

The river: The river is very low so hard to get a boat in and out, couple of reports of yellas, not many cod, maybe the deeper water towards Narrandera may be the go

Lake Albert: A few fish coming from the lake mainly on the troll, yes I said on the troll in Lake Albert. Speaking of Lake Albert there will be a meeting at the Boat club this Thursday at 06:30pm regarding how to get water back into the lake. For more information, contact the boat club

The South Coast: Bit yucky out wide with the wind but some nice kingies around the island, on the better, less windy days a couple of marlin landed, some gummy sharks off the beaches at night and the standard salmon and tailor through the days.

There have been a few locals travelling down to the Murray towards Robinvale and Mildura and having good success with big cod, but once again be prepared to fish hard for these fellas as you will only be cashing 10 per cent of the fish population if you head down there.

Eucumbene 49.4

Hume weir 21.7

Blowering 24.9

Burrinjuck 40.9

Jindabyne 61.5

Tantangara 14.3

Talbingo 48.4

Mulwala 45.5

Dartmouth 74.8