Cod on the yak

[alluring]

This morning I headed down to yerribi pond (canberra) for a shot at some natives with my mate's dad. Bit groggy on three hours sleep, but I was buzzing keen cause today we were taking out the yaks. I've never had any real luck with freshwater fishing, not for lack of trying..I probably try and fish the freshwater in canberra once every couple of weeks (when I get a few hours off) but I've never actually caught anything and tend to stick to the salt.

We were out on the water just after 6, and we trolled spinnerbaits around the edges of some the weedbeds for the first hour or so, but it was hard to do because the lures kept getting covered in algae. The lake is crystal clear, can see everything that's going on for the first couple of meters easily but the weed in there in crazy. it's not your usual reedy stuff though, it's mostly that thin green stuff that sticks to everything it touches. For a solid while every cast we had to clean the lure which got a bit frustrating. We stuck to it though, flicking around the dam wall and few of the spots that are known for cod, but we didn't have any luck and after a while decided to move to the opposite bank. Did a little more trolling and then a bit of spinning but it was slow going..

It was almost 8, a bit of a breeze was picking up and it pushed me further around the banks, and while I was spinning I felt a quick hit and straight away I was on. I was about 15 metres out from the weeds, and got hit pretty close to the boat so I think it must have followed my lure up. Prettying exciting, I was using a really light setup with a 6lb leader - so I got a really decent fight out of it. I played it for a while, he came to the surface quite a few times and kept going for runs down. But eventually it came up on its side and looked like it'd given up. I was ready to pull it into my yak but my mate's dad came round and got him with the lip gripper. My heart was pumping; I finally had my first cod! It would have been around the 40/50cm mark, it was a pretty decent size with some beautiful colours. The fish was still in water and as my mate's dad beckoned me to come round the fish spooked and went for another run. A bit of thrashing and that was the last I saw of it. Took the lip gripper with him, and broke off my new $20 spinner bait. Gutted.. Can't even count it as a catch, we had him at the boat, gripped and everything and he was gone before I could pull him up, let alone get a photo. I couldn't believe it, I was actually swallowing tears of disappointment. Guess the lesson learnt is get them out of the water as soon as possible. Or bring a net on the yak.

Fished till the wind picked up at 10.30 without any more action. Another dude on a yak pulled some reddies but that was all we saw.

But that's fishing hey. I'll be buying up some more light spinning gear and hammering the lake till I get that cod. Super addicting stuff

Edited November 3, 2013 by alluring

[slinkymalinky]

G'day alluring,

Congrats on your first cod capture... and it is a capture. If you have it on the lip grips then you had it caught. I'm guessing you probably would have released it anyway.

The lost lip grips and spinnerbait probably stings a bit but lost gear happens to anyone who goes fishing. The only big shame is that you didn't get yourself any pics but you've got the memory and as anyone who has caught Murray Cod knows, there's no way to completely explain just how incredible the hit of a cod can be. Now you've got a great excuse to go out and do it again.

Cheers, Slinky

[Scratchie]

Great stuff alluring! I agree with slinky, if you got it on the grips, it's a catch! Lost gear is part of every fishos experience but doesn't mean it hurts any less. I hate losing gear, especially a favourite lure!

Keep at it mate and I'm sure we'll see a pic of those cod soon!

Cheers scratchie!!!

[alluring]

G'day alluring,

Congrats on your first cod capture... and it is a capture. If you have it on the lip grips then you had it caught. I'm guessing you probably would have released it anyway.

The lost lip grips and spinnerbait probably stings a bit but lost gear happens to anyone who goes fishing. The only big shame is that you didn't get yourself any pics but you've got the memory and as anyone who has caught Murray Cod knows, there's no way to completely explain just how incredible the hit of a cod can be. Now you've got a great excuse to go out and do it again.

Cheers, Slinky

Great stuff alluring! I agree with slinky, if you got it on the grips, it's a catch! Lost gear is part of every fishos experience but doesn't mean it hurts any less. I hate losing gear, especially a favourite lure!

Keep at it mate and I'm sure we'll see a pic of those cod soon!

Cheers scratchie!!!

Thanks guys - Ahh yeah my friends dad said it counted as a catch, but to me it doesn't cause I didn't get it out of the water and into my hands!! Would have been a catch and release for sure anyway, too beautiful/endangered to keep. Wonder how it's going at the bottom of the lake with a lure and the grips sticking out of it's mouth though haha.

Lost gear doesn't bother me, lose plenty down the coast, it's the actual fish that's the heartache would have been my first cod and fish on the kayak. Photo would have sealed the milestone.

Will try and get another session in this weekend though. And when I finish uni in a few weeks I'm literally going to go every morning until I crack it!

Edited November 4, 2013 by alluring

[arpie]

Yep - lip-gripped = a catch! (Mind you - MY lip-grips are now tied to my yak!!) As Slinky & Scratchie have said - lost gear & lost fish are all part of the equation for yak fishos ...... sometimes it all happens so quickly (or can become dangerous in a blink!!) so you have to go with what happens!!

I just wish I got a pic of the 1m+ flattie that I hooked about 7 years ago on a squidgy fish in a barren old oyster lease up here ....... I can still see it as I brought it yak side in my old 'sit in' yak ...... NO WAY was I going to bring it on board!! It spat the hook & was gone! Before a pic!

Keep your camera handy - and tie your lip grips to your yak!

cheers

Roberta

[Scratchie]

Yep - lip-gripped = a catch! (Mind you - MY lip-grips are now tied to my yak!!) As Slinky & Scratchie have said - lost gear & lost fish are all part of the equation for yak fishos ...... sometimes it all happens so quickly (or can become dangerous in a blink!!) so you have to go with what happens!!

I just wish I got a pic of the 1m+ flattie that I hooked about 7 years ago on a squidgy fish in a barren old oyster lease up here ....... I can still see it as I brought it yak side in my old 'sit in' yak ...... NO WAY was I going to bring it on board!! It spat the hook & was gone! Before a pic!

Keep your camera handy - and tie your lip grips to your yak!

cheers

Roberta

Oh devo Roberta, a 1m plus flatty and no photo!

Nooooooooooooooo

[alluring]

Yep - lip-gripped = a catch! (Mind you - MY lip-grips are now tied to my yak!!) As Slinky & Scratchie have said - lost gear & lost fish are all part of the equation for yak fishos ...... sometimes it all happens so quickly (or can become dangerous in a blink!!) so you have to go with what happens!!

I just wish I got a pic of the 1m+ flattie that I hooked about 7 years ago on a squidgy fish in a barren old oyster lease up here ....... I can still see it as I brought it yak side in my old 'sit in' yak ...... NO WAY was I going to bring it on board!! It spat the hook & was gone! Before a pic!

Keep your camera handy - and tie your lip grips to your yak!

cheers

Roberta

No way, a 1m + flatty would have been awesome off a yak.. I reckon it's rough losing any decent fish but to lose a trophy sized one like that would be heartbreaking..

[arpie]

Still spewing! Plus the Free Spirit (a boat that takes tourists out for lunch) had pulled up to watch me pull it in!! DUH!!

Plenty more out there tho - just gotta find them!! My camera is now hanging round my neck too!!

Roberta