Basic regulations in NSW are that the only waters you’re allowed to cray in on the Murray are from the Lake Hume weir wall to the Newell Highway road bridge at Tocumwal.

In the Murrumbidgee, the open section is from the Hume Highway Bridge at Gundagai to 100 metres from the Berembed Weir wall.

Each licenced fisho is allowed to use five hoop nets, legal length of crays has to be between 10cm to 12cm (carapace length). 

And each fisho has a bag limit of two per day, or four in possession. 

You’re not allowed to have a female cray in your possession if she’s carrying eggs (in berrie).

Best place to drop your pots is generally just on the edge of the current in the deepest water you can find, that way the pots don’t get washed down with the current.

You can bait your pots with many different things but my favourite is a piece of carp about the size of your fist with liver being my plan B.

We usually leave the pots in for at least three quarters of an hour to an hour before going around them again but if the crays are really on the go as little as half an hour is enough.

The excitement of lifting that pot to see those big white claws coming up from the depths in your pot is one of life’s simple pleasures.

FISHING REPORT

Khancoban: Has been patchy but a couple of reasonable fish have been caught trolling nine to 13cm Rapalas in trout patterns.

Blowering: Reasonable with some great cod getting nailed off the top and on swimbaits for those other brave souls to fish the night shift. Also some good ones from the bank bait fishing.

Murrumbidgee: Good for both crays and cod at the minute. It’s clear but very low, so bigger boats would struggle.

Burrinjuck: Patchy but the odd big cod being caught using big hard bodies.

Wyangla: Fishing pretty well, with both bank, bait and lure fishos going well. Best lures seem to be big hard bodies at the moment.