“For 10 years, we had the carp catch at the Strathallan Hall,” Strathallan Family Landcare member Veronica Groat said.
“This means people would come to the hall, but that hall will be pulled down due to flooding.
“There was the 2022 flood, and we decided that we would go ahead with the carp catch, and we had it in Rochester right next to the bridge that takes you to Kyabram.”
At the 2023 catch, 261 carp were pulled out of the Campaspe River between Kyneton and Echuca.
It turns out that October is the best time to hold the catch because the female carp are full of eggs.
“What we have been doing for the last 10 years is pulling carp out of the river when it is the perfect time, as the carp seem like they have a thousand eggs in them,” Ms Groat said.
“You are pulling them out and that is 1000s of fish that aren’t going into the system.”
There are three categories: under-10, under-16 and open, with the catch supported by Tackle World and VRFish.
Campaspe feral fish catch is on Sunday, October 20. Registration is at 11am, with fishing running from noon to 3.30pm.
Meet at the Rochester River Reserve, Rochester, near the bridge.