Fewer Cod but very healthy specimens

[big Neil]

Murray Cod season has been open for a month here on the Murrumbidgee River. The excellent conditions for their breeding season has provided very healthy specimens... but fewer of them.

I have been out fishing various parts of the river and the results are the same...fewer fish, but much bigger than in a normal season. Previously, the norm would have been to catch numerous fish under the 55-75cm slot. To date I have caught about 5 undersized fish and around 8 in the 70-80cm range, all in excellent condition (about 50% heavier than normal).

Yesterday I had a trip to Narrandera. 5 solid hours of fishing, trying every avenue of potential, resulted in just one bite, and this fish of 73cms caught on garlic-infused chicken breast.

 

 

The river has been very fishable in the main, evidenced by about 15 boats being on the river while I was there. None of the anglers I spoke to had any significant numbers to claim.

For those who enjoy the river scenery here are a few pics of the areas I fished yesterday.

I fished a variety of different locations trying to locate a bite. The only other variable that I can explore is time of day. Usually, the mornings have provided good fishing, but I will give the late afternoons a go and see if that is more productive in numbers of bites.

Thanks for reading, bn

 

 

 

[Pickles]

Hey BN, sound like you’re giving the Cod season a darn good shake - onya mate. The garlic infused chicken breast sounds tasty (must be hard to use it for bait and not dinner). 
Do you have a theory on why there are few juvenile fish (mind you, I’d rather catch one big fish than 20 small ones.)

[Yowie]

Sound like you had some fun over the last month.

Snaggy looking river spots, great country locations there b.n.

[Blackfish]

Always enjoy your reports Neil. The photos always look tranquil.

[R E G I C Y C L E]

Great report @big Neil

Cod really are gluttons for fine food! I presume the chicken breast was raw?

[big Neil]

2 hours ago, R E G I C Y C L E said:

Great report @big Neil

Cod really are gluttons for fine food! I presume the chicken breast was raw?

Yes raw although I have heard of them being caught on Mc Nuggets. Cheese is one of the best baits for them too.  bn

[bessell1955]

Once again perfect photos.  A picture does indeed tell a thousand words.

[Max Power]

Great photos @big Neil and what a lovely, healthy looking Cod!

 I haven’t been out since I got one of around the same size several weeks ago, but it’s posts like these that inspire me to get the tinny out and hit the river 😀

Sounds like they just weren’t on the chew that day but your persistence paid off in the end.

Cheers,

Max.

[big Neil]

2 hours ago, Max Power said:

Great photos @big Neil and what a lovely, healthy looking Cod!

 I haven’t been out since I got one of around the same size several weeks ago, but it’s posts like these that inspire me to get the tinny out and hit the river 😀

Sounds like they just weren’t on the chew that day but your persistence paid off in the end.

Cheers,

Max.

Thanks Max. The Cod are still biting in very small windows of action that may only last half an hour or so. Do you find that where you fish? Get the boat out and see how you go. Cod don't eat all the time but they have to eat sometime.   bn

[Yowie]

7 hours ago, R E G I C Y C L E said:

Great report @big Neil

Cod really are gluttons for fine food! I presume the chicken breast was raw?

Up around Barraba and surrounding towns, the kids use chicken flavoured hot chips. A few to eat and a few for bait. It works for the cod.

[big Neil]

12 hours ago, Pickles said:

Hey BN, sound like you’re giving the Cod season a darn good shake - onya mate. The garlic infused chicken breast sounds tasty (must be hard to use it for bait and not dinner). 
Do you have a theory on why there are few juvenile fish (mind you, I’d rather catch one big fish than 20 small ones.)

No definitive theory Bob. The smaller Cod (under 55cms and sexually inactive) tend to go around together. Probably as a defence strategy, as these larger ones would eat them. I imagine there is an increase in the feeding frequency that the larger ones (usually solitary) adopt when the breeding season has been particularly good...like last year.

2015 was the last (previous) good conditions for breeding and fish of all sizes were easier to catch. Since then there has been a development of short bite windows where the Cod feed. I don't know why that has happened, but it is definitely a new phenomenon. 

I hope to investigate these changed habits further and will put up a post when I have something more concrete.

bn

[Yowie]

b.n.

looks like a dump of rain heading your way today.

[big Neil]

1 hour ago, Yowie said:

b.n.

looks like a dump of rain heading your way today.

Yep, and tomorrow. Time to make some bowls and mugs in the studio methinks. Cheers.

[Max Power]

18 hours ago, big Neil said:

Thanks Max. The Cod are still biting in very small windows of action that may only last half an hour or so. Do you find that where you fish? Get the boat out and see how you go. Cod don't eat all the time but they have to eat sometime.   bn

I’ve certainly noticed that to be the case with saltwater fishing at times, but I haven’t put in enough time here yet to confirm whether that occurs or not but I think that it probably does.

I’m keen to get the boat out and hopefully in the not too distant future I will have another report to put up.

[Pickles]

Only one fish in 5 hours, but what a beauty Neil. I’d rather catch one solid fish of 73 than a stack of little ones.

Thanks for sharing my friend.

[Hill373737]

Hey Neil, its why you love cod fishing - 5 hours, one fish and it goes 73cm. Every cast is an opportunity to produce a really good fish! 

Through closed season, the cod around here were smashing tiny lures meant for yellowbelly, since December 1, the fishing has been tough with fairly unstable weather conditions and a bit of rain early December that flushed the river.

[big Neil]

15 hours ago, Hill373737 said:

Hey Neil, its why you love cod fishing - 5 hours, one fish and it goes 73cm. Every cast is an opportunity to produce a really good fish! 

Through closed season, the cod around here were smashing tiny lures meant for yellowbelly, since December 1, the fishing has been tough with fairly unstable weather conditions and a bit of rain early December that flushed the river.

You got any theories about why they're not biting readily? The only thing I can think of is they are definitely well fed. Maybe not as hungry as they usually are??? Interested to hear your view.   bn

[Hill373737]

The fish are definitely in good condition and well fed.

I track metrics like moon phase, position, barometer, water levels and flow rate but I can't see any real pattern for days where the bite has been better.

Wide action HBs like the oargee and stumpys seem to be working better than spinnerbaits at the moment in the rivers around here and I've only managed a couple of fish off the top since the season started.

I do wonder how much of their diet now is carp that are in plague proportions in most inland waterways. Previously, my goto would be mainly purple/chartreuse colours but I've started using some darker lures with a bit of flash to see if that can trigger a more consistent bite.

[big Neil]

8 hours ago, Hill373737 said:

The fish are definitely in good condition and well fed.

I track metrics like moon phase, position, barometer, water levels and flow rate but I can't see any real pattern for days where the bite has been better.

Wide action HBs like the oargee and stumpys seem to be working better than spinnerbaits at the moment in the rivers around here and I've only managed a couple of fish off the top since the season started.

I do wonder how much of their diet now is carp that are in plague proportions in most inland waterways. Previously, my goto would be mainly purple/chartreuse colours but I've started using some darker lures with a bit of flash to see if that can trigger a more consistent bite.

Many thanks for your reply. I am almost totally opposite to you in that I don't consider any circumstances PRIOR to going fishing, apart from water level. I never take the boat when the river is really low as I can't travel very far. Also I bait fish mostly (solo), so have few opinions on what lure is better than what other. I do have a belief that there is "always one stupid one" that is doing something unexpected. Just have to find it.

Good luck with the rest of the season, tight lines.

bn