Murray Cod 101

[pomey_git]

Hi Guys,

Just wondering if I can tap the collective knowlege again. You guys have come up trumps with every species so far. My next challenge is to catch a native.

We are house sitting near some recently stocked lakes and would love to try and tempt a cod out of hiding.

Are there any 'go too' methods you have?

Any particular hidy holes worth exploring?

Thanks for your help as always guys.

Stu

[Hodgey]

Bait

Yabbies, worms, shrimp, bardi grubs or cheese (or a combination of two or more of these) will entice your target species. Fishing with a paternoster rig is very effective, as is a running sinker if you're not fishing in heavily timbered water.

Lures

Hardbodies and spinnerbaits are probably the biggest producers of Murray Cod. Oargee, stumpjumper or poltergest lures will be a good place to start for hardbodies. Spinnerbaits with skirt colors such black/red, purple/black or purple/brown are a good start. Double colorado blades will give out a heap of vibration but have to be fished slowly or they won't stay in 'the zone' for long. Tandem blades (colorado/willow combination) will remain deeper for longer.

These fish have a brutal initial attack so you will need some reasonably heavy gear. I prefer 25lb braid to 25-30lb leader but I know others fish a lot heavier still. They have a mouth full of bristle-like teeth that can wear through the leader so err on the side of caution.

Hopefully that heads you in the right direction. There are plenty of other cod fanatics on here to add their two-bobs worth so I'm sure you'll get some excellent feedback. Good luck!

Cheers

Hodgey

[pomey_git]

Magic Hodgey! Thanks.

Dark colours close to the snag, nice and slow?

Might have a little flick tonight

[big Neil]

Stu, gr8 advice from a legend (Hodgey)...good luck, Neil.

[pomey_git]

Hoping to get a long walk in this weekend and flick some lures. Really appreciate the help

[dean]

Good advice from Hodgey, love slow rolling spinner baits. Big surface lures at dawn or dusk can also work. The bidgee is fishing well this year, plenty of good access and lots of fish. Worth considering if your not having much luck in the lakes.

[slinkymalinky]

Magic Hodgey! Thanks. Dark colours close to the snag, nice and slow? Might have a little flick tonight

Definitely slow... it's not possible to fish lures too slowly for Cod. And don't just throw one or two casts at each snag or bit of structure. Cod will often ignore a lure until you annoy them into striking. If you find a likely snag, pepper it from every angle and put in a heap of casts, then a few more for good measure. It's not uncommon to get hit on the 5th, 10th, 20th, etc cast at the same spot.

Once you start to find a few and get a feel for the sorts of spots they hold, you'll improve your chances a heap by bypassing the mediocre water and concentrating more of your time on the better spots.

Cheers, Slinky

[pomey_git]

Thats great.

I will keep you posted on my progress.

Has anyone fished the canberra area?