Beginner’s guide to Murray cod fishing

Some afternoons I would catch nothing, and other days I would catch them one after another.

With years of trial and error behind me, I think I have finally worked them out.

These beautiful fish hold a special place in my heart. I love their distinct, native colouring and enjoy targeting them whenever I get the chance.

Murray cod are generally targeted from the bank or, depending on the size of the waterhole, some anglers like using kayaks with electric trolling motors.

I look for areas holding submerged structure in the water, such as fallen trees, rocks and so on when planning where to cast my lure.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I have retrieved a lure back to the bank and a big cod has come out from under a log to strike the lure almost at my feet.

If you didn’t know what your maximum heart rate is, you soon will after this happens.

Murray cod can be caught on bait, including cheese. However, the most popular method of chasing them is definitely on lures as it is far more exciting and you are able to cover a lot more ground.

I have tried many lures in my search for these big guys, but nothing seems to beat a big hard-bodied surface lure.

Murray cod will often feed on the surface, particularly early in the morning and late in the afternoon, and throwing a big surface lure around at these times can prove to be very effective.

On my last trip home, I had great success using a Queensland-made Texas Thumpa lure.

The Thumpa had great wobbling action across the surface when retrieved slowly, and I had five fish hit the lure over 20 minutes.

The lure is very unusual to look at, and my mother told me that “nothing would be silly enough to try and eat that”, but it proved her wrong.

I really like how the end of the Texas Thumpa lures are equipped with stinger hooks – cod often will smack the lure from behind, and if they don’t hook up on the barb, you will be sure to get them with the extra stingers.

I find a big spinnerbait works best if fishing throughout the day, especially if you rig a soft plastic tail on the end. They’re also very effective if you want to get down deeper.

Cod are extremely territorial fish and can be enticed to strike at a lure if it is presented close to where they are holding position.

To me, a baitcaster-style rod and reel are perfect for targeting Murray cod in rivers. The rod can deliver pinpoint accuracy when casting lures, as well as superior strength when you hook up to a bigger model.

In tight casting situations, a baitcaster is preferable over a threadline reel (also known as a spin reel).

Baitcasters are definitely harder to get used to, though, and expect the odd miscast to leave you with a big bird’s nest of line to untangle.

After a bit of practice, though, you’ll find them to be a better, more controllable tool for repetitive, close-range casting, and their ability to fish heavier line without considerably decreasing casting distance.

Practice by setting up a tub in the backyard and trying to land a lure in it from various distances.

This will improve your skills to ensure you are more precise in your lure placement, which in turn should pay big dividends on the water.

I run a 180cm 4.5-7.0kg Atomic Arrowz casting-style rod paired with an Abu Garcia Revo X baitcaster reel.

I spool mine with 9.0kg braid and run a 13.5kg leader, a common set-up when targeting these fish.

Braid is always preferred with this style of fishing due to cast accuracy and distance.

As always, respect local bag and size limits, and Murray cod closed seasons.