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With plenty of cod like this in the river, no wonder anglers are excited about the new season.

The first of December marks the long awaited start of the cod season with most anglers chaffing at the bit to wet a line. Cod numbers and captures have been excellent along many areas of the Murray these past few seasons and it seems if anything these mighty fish are on the comeback trail. When it comes to red hot cod fishing destinations, there is little doubt that we are smack dab in the middle of some prime water and it’s this excellent fishing that draws countless anglers to our area over any given time of the season. From Swan Hill right through to Mildura and beyond, come the 1st of December a dedicated number of anglers will be trying to load the rod with that first greenfish of the season. In recent years the growing trend of catch and release has ensured good numbers of large Murray cod still reside in many areas and it’s these fish that tempt the angler who dares to dream. Returning these larger fish to the water ensures the future viability of our currently great cod fishery. Of course for those that enjoy a feed of fish those of legal length 60cm and just above are prime for the table. A variety of methods and baits will be used come opening morning so we will try and cover a few to possibly make your time on the water all that more enjoyable.

Best Baits.

When it comes to baits for Murray cod these bucket mouthed predators will consume almost anything that will fit in their gobs. They have been known to consume all manner of natural and not so natural items from tortoises and small birds to golf balls and plastic containers. In saying that, there are plenty of baits Murray cod find very appealing and at the top of the list would have to be the Bardie grub. The larval stage of the ghost moth these plump juice filled grubs are great bait and will draw cod from cover on most occasions. Scrub worms too are high on the menu followed by yabbies, shrimp, muscles and kitchen baits like cheese and fresh chicken. Fished around the timber on either a running sinker or paternoster styled rig, any of these baits is sure to draw the interest of a Murray cod or two come opening morning.

Of course not every angler chooses to drown bait with plenty opting to try their luck either casting or trolling lures. Both methods are very effective, especially when it comes to targeting larger fish. Deep sections of river are better worked on the troll and running your lure a meter or so off the bottom down near the sunken timber will see you right in amongst cod country. Larger lures like Godzilla’s, AC Invaders, Muldoon’s Big Mongs and StumpJumpers are best for this style of fishing. There are also a number of larger styled spinnerbaits becoming available that work well on the troll. For those casting around the snags spinner baits and lipless cranks are good options as they can be worked through the zone at minimal pace. Some hard bodied lures also work well on the cast and don’t forget surface lures during periods of low light.

The most important thing come opening morning is that we all adhere to the rules and regulations regarding the capture and size limits on Murray cod or any other fish we are likely to encounter.  Don’t forget a NSW fishing license is required to fish the Murray River and these can be purchased at local tackle shops. Good luck for the opening of the Murray cod season and remember: limit your catch, don’t catch your limit.
  

   

Codmac would like to introduce its new line of fishing apparel. We have selected both a long and short sleeved polo styled shirt that comes in two color choices of either black or white. The shirts themselves are a panel line polo with cover stitch and collar 100% breezeway 160gsm polyester pique knit. They are sun protective, breathable and anti bacterial. Our new logo features on the back and these shirts provide a smart casual look, either on or off the water.    

Everybody loves a sale ,especially when it comes to fishing gear. In the run up till the opening of the Murray cod season, Codmac would like to help kit you out with the right gear to get you connected to that fish of a lifetime. A selection of signature series lures have been marked down till Dec 1 when the new season opens. Check out our super prices now and make the most of these pre-season specials.

A nice golden perch taken on Koolabung blade.

The arrival of the heat has kick started a great run of fishing action in most of our local waters. Golden perch are on the chew and anglers are cashing in on the bounty with numerous reports of fish to 4kg and better. Golden perch will often congregate in larger numbers during the spawning run, making them a vulnerable if not easy target in some areas. Most anglers are opting to use lures with smaller models proving most successful. Blades have become a prime lure choice and their silent sleek appearance gives off the same instinctive patterns as many small natural bait fishes. Worked in a lift, drop technique either on the cast or vertically from a boat they are proving very effective.
It seems this season anglers are willingly embracing and exploring new ideas as they strive to increase personal milestones. Few if any artificial presentation has the ability to look as natural as a well presented plastic and anglers astute to this fact are homing in on the next best kept secret in freshwater fishing. With a huge variety on the market, there are heaps to choose from but for my choice some of the new scented hollow bellied models are first rate. The new 3 and 5 inch split tail in the Tsunami pro range are deadly when fished in a dead stick manner on a light jig head. Twitched around the heads of snags or along the edges of weed beds these lures are rarely ignored for long with most predatory fish unable to resist their erratic action.  Other than the real thing, nothing looks more like a wounded minnow than these lures when kicked into gear.

The 120mm Codzilla is gaining a big rep when it comes to landing giant Murray cod.

It’s not long now and we will be heading into what looks to be a ripper cod season. In a few short weeks, anglers will be dusting off the tackle and breaking out the lures in the hopes come opening morning, they might just be lucky enough to land the big one. With every new season comes an expanding range of tackle and techniques that are sure to put the angler one step ahead of the catch and this season looks to be no different. The ever evolving range of lures available to anglers has grown over the past twelve months with a few proven models racking up some very impressive catches before the close.  Blades have proven very effective on the Golden perch during recent times, with several incidental catches of cod to 15kg proving they will be a serious contender once the season opens. The new larger 80mm range are sure to be popular amongst anglers looking for that each way bet. Whilst still small enough to tempt golden perch, they are big enough to attract the attention of cod. To come up with an even larger blade in size is the next frontier as far as lure makers are concerned. And while there are a few finding their way onto the market at present, in my opinion they are still a little on the heavy side to fish to good effect.
A favorite lure towards the end of last season and one that will make big in roads over the coming months is aptly named the Codzilla. This is just one of several cod lures that the Koolabung company produces with some of the other lesser known models set to be a force in the future.  The Codzilla itself is designed with a slim profile to enhance lure action and improve the strike to hook up ratio. And that is exactly the results we found with some excellent big fish captures and very few missed opportunities. It’s great to have full confidence in your gear and to know that when that elusive strike does come you have given yourself every chance of staying connected. Hard to get last season, these lures are now becoming more available as demand grows.
It would hardly be a new season without something fresh from the Muldoon camp. Mullavey has created several very effective cod lures, but I feel that the new spindly fish models would be amongst the best.  There are two sizes and running depths. The 140 has a deep and shallow running model and the 100ml the same. Few, if any lures on the market cast as well as the 100ml spindly fish. Another new look lure set catch the anglers eye is a Mudeye creation simply called The One. This 120mm timber lure is a great representation of the local bony bream which are a bait species that make up the larger part of a Murray cod’s diet.  These shad styled lures will be ideal to cast around the weed beds and fallen snags or ideally trolled down deep amongst the hidden timber.  These are just a few of a much larger range of lures available for the coming cod season. Good luck with your selectionand the fish they are likely to catch come the opening on December 1.   

When they get to this size Kingfish are a real hand full.

After three solid days on the water I thought this fishing column was going to start along the lines of… “And they never spoke of Kingfish again”. You really begin to question your sanity when dealing with these giant pelagics and their almost mythical ways that at times have you doubting their actual existence. Yes they are an angling milestone, but one that is most definitely sent to test the very fibre of your being.  As angling sanity goes, these fish have the ability to wear you down.  Even so, there you sit at dawns first light full of hope as you squint at the balloons that hold the baits just a few feet below the surface. Minutes turn to hours, hours turn into days and days turn into a scheduled phone call to book your next session on the couch.  All but broken, you look up through sleep deprived eyes to see one of the balloons start to dance on the surface. Suddenly all three are jiggling about as one of the bait fish clears the water hotly pursued by an iridescent frame the size of small dolphin. Sleek, their translucent colours alive to the beat of a giant bright yellow tail, the pod of half a dozen giant kingfish erupt upon the bait. The sight is one of complete mayhem mixed with a touch of disbelief as one of the frantic baitfish is inhaled into the vacuum, the balloon pops free and the giant predator powers away with its prize.  This small window of action, an angling moment that cancels out any couch talk and makes you wish that others could experience the most brilliant flashes that fishing has to offer. But this is just the beginning as kingfish are noted not for their striking looks but more so their dogged fight. The 80lb line sang off the reel at a speed that was questionable of anything that swims. All you could do was hold on and pursue the fish by boat and hope the heavy drag setting would take its toll. All the time beaming with excitement, it was hard not to wonder about the rocks just a few hundred meters either side of where the battle was taking place.  As luck would have it the first, second and third run failed to reach the structure and amongst the puffing and snorting we managed to wear the giant fish down and bring it to the net. A quick swipe and the head was in, then the tail was grabbed and the giant fish was lifted on board.  Here we reach another of anglings finer moments were it all comes together as you arrive at your chosen moment. Such a striking fish, too fine a beast to kill and one that has taken you, the angler to a new level of respect and understanding is returned to the water to torment other fishos that follow the Kingfish path. And as for the line “they never spoke of Kingfish again”, well I guess that was lost in the excitement and joy that comes with finely landing one of these awesome giants. Kingfish will be a viable target along the coastline over the coming months as the weather warms and they become more active. While they are frustrating to say the least, the chance to catch one of these fish is more than worth the torment and anguish they inflict upon your psyche.