Rod Mackenzie Online Tackle Shop - Signature Series - CodMac

A couple of toe snapping Blue swimmer crabs.

As the first net came over the side a writhing mass of bright blue legs and claws was strewn to the floor of the boat. Dressed in the finest of nature’s footwear I almost kneed myself in the chin trying to high step all ten toes clear of the scuttling legs and snapping claws. As if the predicament was not tense enough, another net was swung aboard and several more angry crabs were set loose amongst the mayhem. This was my first time fishing for blue swimmer crabs and my well seasoned companions found great humour in my fancy footwork as I found sanctuary on the nose of the boat. Shoes might have been a good option as the crabs were measured and placed in a fish tub. The smaller ones were returned over the side to become next seasons haul and the action continues like this for an hour or more until we had secured enough for a feed. We are fishing just outside the marker poles at Port Wakefield in South Australia. Blue swimmer crabs run during the warmer months and are caught in hoop nets baited with fish offal or meat. When they are on the move they are easily caught in large numbers, therefore strict size, bag and boat limits apply on blue swimmer crabs to ensure the long-term sustainability of the fishery.  The regulations relating to catching blue swimmer crabs consist of a daily bag limit of 40 per person and a daily boat limit of 120 combined.  A minimum size limit of 11cm width measured across the carapace from the base of the largest spines also applies. It is also illegal to take female crabs with eggs and they must be returned to the water straight away without harm. Blue swimmer crabs can also be dabbed in the shallows using either a scoop net or a common garden rake. On the falling tide you can wade the shallow sand or mud flats and search out a feed. Small plate sized patches of disturbed or overturned sand on the bottom hide the crabs as they sit in wait for a passing meal. Simply run your net across these areas and the crab will appear from the sand, claws at the ready. Once disturbed, they are easy to scoop using either the net or the rake. Dabbing crabs is great fun for the kids and an easy way to secure a feed if you don’t have a boat. Blue swimmer crabs move into the shallow waters of St Vincent and Spencer Gulf as the waters warm and they eat live and breed on the shallow sand and sea grass beds. These tasty bottom dwellers will run for another month or so yet before the weather cools and they go into semi hibernation. Catching blue swimmers is great fun but might I suggest you wear shoes while doing so, or you too could find yourself dancing to the snappy beat of the crabby blues.

 

A simple change was all that was needed to put a few nice Estuary Perch on the board.

There are many famous lines in fishing other than those we choose to drown a bait or lure upon. You should have been here yesterday is one most commonly used and a sentence we have all endured at one time or another. And so it was as we entered the bar at the Nelson hotel to talk all things fishing related with the proprietor Neil Shelton. Situated on the Victorian South Australian border, the Glenelg River is a fishing haven that provides anglers much promise on a variety of species but none more special than the mighty mulloway. Every season these fish track from the ocean and enter the river via the mouth at Nelson, from here they traverse upstream and break off into groups and individual fish. If luck might have it to stumble upon an active school along one of the towering limestone cliffs or tea tree clad banks is to experience a slice of fishing heaven. Having been there before was reason enough to listen with intent as Neil spilled forth the good oil on where and what these fish have been doing of late. It seems there were plenty of Mulloway in the river and they had been running hot for a few weeks now with some anglers hooking and landing up to a dozen or more in a single session. It all sounded so simple and we hit the water next morning full of line sizzling expectations. By chance over the course of the next few hours we were to talk with several other keen fishos and each and every one bestowed the same dreaded line. Should have been here yesty mate, they been running full on for a couple of weeks now but nothing at all this morning. And so it was for the rest of the morning as each and every effort was left wanting by a fish that had suddenly decided to lay low. I guess that’s fishing, but in the same vein there had to be some reward for the long trip down, so it was time to change tactics and turn the tables on another of the rivers many draw cards. Estuary perch are another species that reside along the Glenelg River and while their numbers are supposedly very prolific they are quite the challenge on rod and reel. Often a social fish, they will take up residence on one particular snag that can lay along a bank of many. The hardest part about catching estuary perch is actually locating them, from there it’s simply a matter of delivering the right lure amongst the snags and holding on for some full on action. As luck might have it, our timing was spot on as over the course of the afternoon we were to catch several good sized perch and turn a quiet trip into one that was memorable for many reasons. Fishing is often like that where the ability to adapt can open a whole other world of opportunity. While we should have been here yesterday for the mulloway, a simple change in tactics put us right on the money for today’s hot bite.   For more info of whats on the chew at Nelson contact Neil & Kerrell at the Nelson Hotel on  (08) 8738 4011

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.

Like many anglers you may have heard the reports of numerous giant meter plus cod landed locally along the Murray River this season. It seem the meter mark has become the holy grail of cod fishing and to reach this mile stone sets you the right to join campfire yarns on such monumental captures and all they involve. It is a great thrill to catch and release one of these giant iconic fish and for some of us it becomes an obsession that taunts us with every cast. To think this obsession is quelled with that first capture is to go in blind to the effect these giant fish have upon one’s psyche. And so it was when we hit the Murray a week or so back and introduced a mild mannered computer technician to the wonderful world of all that’s addictive about cod fishing.
 Dave or Shade as he is known had caught a few cod in his time but had never landed that elusive meter giant and from the outset he didn’t seem that fussed about the whole affair. That was right up until the moment his lure was crunched with a force that can only be delivered from a green fish that tips the mark. The take on a trolled lure from a large Murray cod is generally distinct as it has the effect to alter facial expressions from calm to wide eyed disbelief in that exact instant. Heart in your mouth moments follow as time is altered where seconds grow into minutes, with every lunge and dive stretching arms and gear to the limit. In this case the angler won and moments later stood clutching the giant fish and wearing a grin that tells the story in itself.  With the cod quickly returned to the river, the lures were recast and with hands still shaking from excitement, Dave punched the lure out behind the boat and watched it wriggle back into the depths. We hadn’t gone twenty feet and the beaming grin was snapped back to a look of confusion as the rod loaded to the weight of another giant. On again and this time the fish was even bigger. Worn from the first round, it was all the angler could do to lift the beast that measured in at 110 cm. Two over the meter in less than ten minutes, it looked like another self confessed cod fishing legend in the making. That would be it for the afternoon and the beers never tasted so sweet as those shared around the campfire to the tune of two giants in a single day. The following morning as luck might have it another found its way onto the lure and at 120cm the computer tech was now caught up in hat trick of giant fish. When last seen driving down the highway, cars were said to be flashing their lights in the hopes that he might dip his grin. “No legend here,” he said on leaving “just one angler that is three times privileged to have enjoyed the most special of fish.” Hail to the cod god and welcome to a world that will taunt him with every cast from here on in.       
  

Elliot Woo with a nice Mulwala Murray Cod landed on a signature series 150mm AC Invader.