This skinny water giant was caught on a 120mm koolabung Codzilla in less than three meters of water.

Peering over the side of the old wooden bridge, the small bubbling creek running below would be no more than a short hop from bank to bank. Regardless of this it held many fishes and amongst them the biggest trout I had ever seen. At 10lb or more its size seemed out of place in the crystal clear stream but its cunning had been born of living in such confines and try as I may it took several years to finally hook and catch that marvellous fish. Since then I have had many skinny water encounters where giant fish have exploded from virtually nowhere to engulf bait or lure and provide some of fishing’s finer moments. When it comes to skinny water giants they don’t come much bigger than a monster Murray cod. To tangle with one of these freight trains in the confines of a snag ridden creek or smaller river is a challenge in itself, but one I am always happy to oblige. I remember all too well the first giant cod I saw hooked in one of our smaller rivers and the explosive mayhem that followed. Casting lures along the Murrumbidgee River downstream of Balranald with fellow fishing writer Dave Hodge. We had managed several cod, the biggest a modest 4kgs and a couple of solid golden perch. Just off the end of an old submerged log, I had a savage strike on the lure that near ripped the rod free of my hand.  My offsider seized on the opportunity, sending a well weighted cast straight to the exact location and within several winds of the handle his lure was smashed by an unseen giant. Within seconds the fish turned tail and ripped several meters of line from the reel that was being governed to the tune of a heavy thumb. With the rod loaded to crackling point, the unseen giant churned the water and continued to power through the snag turning the rod, reel and angler inside out. Unstoppable was the best way to describe the encounter and dumbfounded and down a lure was the end result as the fish found its home deep in the snags. Fish are where you find them and since that first encounter we have come to learn that even the smallest waters can hide the biggest surprise. Preparation and the right tackle go a long way towards levering these giant fish from amongst the snags. Larger sized lures are more inclined to draw the bigger fish from their hideouts and the 120mm shallow running Codzilla was designed for this style of fishing. Spinnerbaits too should be fashioned with larger blades to promote maximum pulse and flash. We run 50lb braid and 60lb leader and fish a relatively heavy drag setting, the rest is measured with the thumb. Make no mistake, some of the biggest cod happily reside in some of the smaller rivers we fish. The Wakool, Edward and Murrumbidgee are just to name a few and are worthy of a cast should you feel the need to experience firsthand some skinny water giant cod action.