Crank it up a gear. This nice cod was fooled with a fast retrieve using a Rapala X- Rap.
It has often bothered me to think on the feeding nature of giant Murray cod. Some days they lay sullen to the point of arrogance as they refuse to except the most well presented bait or lure. Even when delivered amongst the snags and into the dining room they will presume to eyeball the offering snubbing it in a manner more befitting a well pampered moggy than that of a fish. Bloody frustrating to say the least but to their comparative benefit, cod don’t openly groom their lower extremities with their tongue whilst wearing that same smug look of contentment. And yes there are other ways to provoke a reaction other than with the swinging of a boot. When cod are in this mood you can choose to cut your losses and target other more willing fishes such as golden perch. Or, kick your cod fishing ideals up a gear and use speed as an option. We have had great success using speed as a way to invoke a reaction strike from fish that seem otherwise shut down. So successful has it been that we have made room in the tackle box to harbour several lures more suited to top end blue water trolling than the snaggy depths of the Murray River. Worthy of a little effort this style of lure burning has the ability to prompt a strike where other methods fail. So next time the fish seem a little reluctant why not kick things up a notch and see if you can’t draw that all important reaction strike.
Is that the time to try this method Rod …when it’s quiet ?
And do you think it’s a good winter option ?
Mick
Bigshrimp, you can use this method any time, but when things are quiet it will often draw a reaction strike. And yes, even though the fish seem a little sluggish during the cold of winter it is still a good option.
sounds great. i was considering going up to the trout lakes in the high country & fishing for trout but now you say theyll still bite in winter i may stick to cod fishing this winter. cheers mate.
Gday All,
OK it has got the better of me and I have to put forth my unusual perception of why the speed issue may help to induce a strike from an otherwise uncoperative fish. From numerous hours spent watching fish both in their natural enviroment and ones in tanks, I have often noticed how they will approach a lure or bait as if intent on making a meal of it and then stop just short of the presented item, as if deciphering whether the item is moving like it should be or if it is merely a insignificant intrusion into its comfort zone. Sometimes referred to as prey imaging, it makes sense to me that if the fish isnt in a feeding or agressive mood, and it has time to digest the appearance / action of an item that is not 100% natural, then its more inclined to ignore the offering – However if the offering is moving at a more rapid pace, than perhaps the fish do not have time to really debate about an item as their target distance / speed / success rate function of their brain may overide an otherwise cautious fishes instincts. Sort of like its now or never, no time to debate on it kind of scenario, just like we accept an invitation from mates to just drop everything and go for a fish as oppossed to doing the chores around the home, had most of us been giving the time in advance to think about it, than perhaps we would have declined knowing that to abandon the chores generally results in repercussions from the resident Grumpy fish back at the home snag.
Yeah I think about stuff way too much but thats life.
Steve
Somewhat like a slip’s catch Steve, where reflex overrides a calculated thought out reaction.