Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Sweetwater-Impoundments-Brackish » Murray Cod Trip - Grind it Out!

Murray Cod Trip - Grind it Out!

A 3 hour drive from Melbourne, Lake Mulwala is situated on the border of Victoria and New South Wales at Yarrawonga. It's a renowned fishery for Murray cod and is one of the few places where this iconic Australian native freshwater fish is still reasonably common.

Fed by the Murray and Ovens rivers, Lake Mulwala is a forest of flooded trees and stumps, providing ample cover for hungry Murray cod to sit and wait in ambush.

My fishing buddy Dave Eccleston and myself left Melbourne in the early hours of Saturday morning to arrive at the lake for first light. Our aims for the trip were simple; land Dave his first Murray cod, and the ambitious goal of a cod over 70cm for either of us as a shared target. When we arrived at the lake, the sun had just broken the horizon and as two bream anglers, we felt extremely out of our depth. But the anticipation was high with the possibilities of what the day could bring.

Casting big baits on heavy baitcast gear is extremely taxing compared to throwing ZMan GrubZ on light jigheads. After throwing big topwater lures until 10am, the wrists were getting sore but we continued the grind, transitioning from shallow to deep and back to shallow all morning. We saw one cod breach while it was chasing bait in the channel, helping maintain the motivation.

The shallow margins in this part of the lake were covered in thick weed near the surface, fouling up any lures with exposed hook points. In 0.2 - 2 metres of water, the weed was relentless and made fishing difficult. Annoying as it was, this shallow weed plays a vital role in purifying the water in the lake, in turn providing fish with a healthy habitat to thrive in.

We focused on fishing the deeper snags on the channel edges where fish could position themselves to transition in and out as they please, from deep water on one side and shallow snags on the other. We found a few deep water zones with minimal weed and large trees reaching high above the water surface, which we focussed on during key bite windows.

After spending all day on the water and a quick hour respite to set up the swags, we had our headlights on and were throwing surface lures as the last glimpses of light disappeared at dusk. With the moon providing a fleeting amount of light, we called it a day and went to the pub for dinner. The beers really hit the spot as we talked about the adventures of the day. It is surprising how pumped you can be to get back out on the water, even after a day with no bites.

Give Up... or Grind it Out?

The next morning we were up early. No breakfast, no coffee, let's go. There was a four hour window to fish before needing to pack up our camp site for a 10am checkout. We focussed our efforts on the best looking zones from the previous day, but the more we fished, the more we felt like we were in the wrong area. With confidence running low 10am came around, and we headed back to pack our gear. Discussing it over a quick brekky at the bakery, it was a 50/50 decision... go home with our tails between our legs after hours of casting (and casting, and casting...), or suck it up and give it one more red hot crack. The pie and coffee hit the spot, so we decided to give it 'another 2 hours.'

Relaunching our Hobies on the other side of the lake, the anticipation peaked again. Deeper water, next to no weed, still plenty of timber but sparser than what we'd been fishing over the previous sessions - it felt like a whole new arena. As recommended by the guy at the local tackle shop, Dave tied on a white spinnerbait with a single Colorado blade. In the deeper water he really wanted the lure to stand out, so he added a ZMan 3.5" Trick SwimZ in Fried Chicken as a trailer. The extra thump and high visibility of that UV-reactive paddle tail was sure to catch the attention of any fish in the area.

We split the channel and agreed to stay within shouting distance of each other, as we were that keen to see a Murray cod it really felt like a team effort, and one fish between us would make the trip worthwhile. Targeting the larger stumps and lay-downs, casting past target snags, then letting the lure sink and brushing over the timber on the retrieve. It looked and felt so fishy, but... nothing. Dave started drifting away from the main boat channel, into slightly shallower water. A cast into some smaller timber with branch ends just protruding the water's surface, and finally his Okuma Komodo rod buckled over! This fish wasn't big in size, but it was big in meaning... Dave's first Murray cod! After 2 days of grinding we could have just headed home, but our decision to regroup and have another go had finally paid off.

And Along Comes the Magic Metre Murray Cod

When your fishing buddy has success, it can be a mental battle of whether to switch presentations to what they are using, or persist with your current set up. I had spent the past 2 days throwing a big ZMan 8" Mag SwimZ on 1/2 and 3/4oz ChinlockZ SWS jigheads with a stinger treble on the back as added insurance. I knew that it would only take one bite to change the weekend, and if I got hit on an 8" bait it would be a good fish, so I stuck with my plan.

The large Mag SwimZ paddle tail and ChinlockZ SWS jighead combination with a stinger treble was remarkably snag resistant. The weight moulded on the shank of the weedless hook bumps the bait nicely over snags, avoiding the points of the treble. This allows you to work your plastic deeper in the snags, limiting hang ups and keeping your lure in the strike zone for longer.

I was working the big plastic along the bottom of the lake, swimming it close to standing timber and deep snag piles, and deflecting it off sunken timber as frequently as possible. Each cast was placed past the snag, then allowing the Mag SwimZ to slowly drift down with tension on the line. Once the line goes slack and the lure is on the bottom, a slow and steady retrieve with a few small hops and pauses keeps the lure closer to the bottom. This seemed to make the most sense for fishing in the middle of a sunny day with minimal wind.

After hours and hours of casting the time finally came... CRUNCH! The big Mag SwimZ had been scoffed, and carefully learning back on the rod set the hooks solid. From the initial violent 5-7 tail beats coming through the rod and stripping line off a tight drag, I instantly knew it was significantly bigger than anything else I had caught prior. I thumbed the spool to ensure the hooks had penetrated properly and we were away. Despite my thumb pressure on the spool, the line was still being stripped with every beat of that huge tail. The fish soon found a deep snag pile and with some manoeuvring of the kayak to sit directly above, I looked down to see a huge bright white belly. His head broke the surface, and a few expletives were said. Leaning back on the rod, I soon realised the true weight of these freshwater monsters. The fish was sitting 2 feet away from the net and was not budging! When it finally slid into the net, there were cheers and shock all around. I was speechless, totally lost for words.

I have caught thousands of fish in tournaments and while social fishing, but this one took the cake. Even in my large net the Murray cod still had its tail hanging over, and we originally called it as being in the 80's. I popped the treble out of his jaw and lifted the fish into my 'yak for a few photos. That was when I had my first inclination that it may have stumped us on the actual length. The weight was impressive, and made for some manoeuvring to get in position for a photo.

After a quick swim (where he almost won his freedom), we emptied the rear cargo area of Dave's kayak and unravelled the brag mat. With the statement "90cm is just there dude, he looks that big even bent up in the net." We gave each other a nervous look and lifted him on... 102cm on the mat! My first metre Murray cod. An addiction has been born! A massive personal goal achieved - in my original Tackle Tactics angler profile, my fishing goal was to catch a metre Murray cod from my Hobie, and it had just happened. With a few more happy snaps we let him swim away healthy, to be caught by another angler in the future. High fives all around!

After what started as a disappointing trip, the key to eventual success was simple: change it up and have another go. Sure, we could have just headed home with a bitter taste after the first run of unsuccessful sessions, but pulling our heads out of the doldrums, changing spots and our approach ended up paying dividends.

In fishing, there's always going to be those days where it feels like it's all going against you. When they happen, keep in mind it can just take a mental reset and a fresh approach to dramatically turn things around. Grind it out!

Gearing Up:
Okuma Komodo Baitcast Rods
ZMan 3.5" Trick SwimZ
ZMan 8" Mag SwimZ
TT Lures ChinlockZ SWS