First Time Kayaking ever! - Ovens Murray Cod Report
-
- Rank: Premium Member
- Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 1:23 pm
- Has liked: 308 times
- Likes received: 318 times
First Time Kayaking ever! - Ovens Murray Cod Report
Hey Guys,
I was invited up to a private property on the Ovens River for an NFA Murray Cod fishing weekend.
Having heard that this stretch of the river lends itself to fishing from a kayak.
I went onto Gumtree and then after some reading and research , i found a Dagger Drifter Kayak that had superficial scratches for about 300$.
This seemed like a good deal to me and from what I had read, this is a good stable kayak for a beginner.
A fellow member picked me up and after strapping both our Yaks to the roof of his van, with a myriad of Bungee straps, ratchet straps and ropes , we set off!
When we reached the river, it looked absolutely gorgeous. Crystal clear, with quite overhanging trees, the odd log jam to break up the flow.
Slow moving pools connected by shallow rapids, really magical place. I quickly chucked out the swag and helped get some lunch going. There ended up being a fair amount of rain and I was kept safe and dry in the swag once id stretched it out and set it up properly. After this, we were off in our kayaks. It was a cloudy day with a high barometer, ideal conditions to get a Murray Cod I am told.
I started off fishing a red/black Oargee Diver, and had a follow on my third cast. Well, this seemed to be working after all.
4/5 casts later , having worked up and parked against a snag, I got belted by a nice 40cm fish.
Finally I had caught my first Cod on lure , this kayak has brought me some good luck!
My friend was around to assist in photographing and unhooking.
The fish was released shortly after.
Up river, at the next snag, I got hammered again. by a slightly smaller fish,
I was well pleased with my first time kayaking/kayak fishing and I headed back to camp for a quick recharge. The evening session produced a trout cod on surface lure, it was after dark and I did not get the chance to get a photograph.
The second day was a mixture of rain and patchy fishing. I spent the day just exploring the river and trying my luck but apart from a bump or too I was fishless.
It rained all night and made the early start on Sunday morning a chilly one.
Air temp was 6 degrees and there was steam coming off the river.
I set off at 530 am , hoping to catch a fish on surface again. I had been boofed a few times near a big snag and that is where i headed too. I parked downstream of it and just waited for about 5 min without casting , letting the noise from parking the kayak to die down.
I had read that its all about annoying the fish to hit the lure at times, and my strategy was to count down 20 casts at every snag in the stretch of water I had access to in the kayak to induce a strike.
17 casts later, a 57cm Cod smashed my purple Taylor made surface walker.
Locked down drag kept it out of the snags and a short fight later I had my PB cod! There was some water on the lens and the Photograph was hazy, but you can see my smile!
All in all, I had a lovely time and cant wait to get out there!
If anyone has suggestions on places that would be suitable for this style of fishing , please do drop a PM.
TIA
I was invited up to a private property on the Ovens River for an NFA Murray Cod fishing weekend.
Having heard that this stretch of the river lends itself to fishing from a kayak.
I went onto Gumtree and then after some reading and research , i found a Dagger Drifter Kayak that had superficial scratches for about 300$.
This seemed like a good deal to me and from what I had read, this is a good stable kayak for a beginner.
A fellow member picked me up and after strapping both our Yaks to the roof of his van, with a myriad of Bungee straps, ratchet straps and ropes , we set off!
When we reached the river, it looked absolutely gorgeous. Crystal clear, with quite overhanging trees, the odd log jam to break up the flow.
Slow moving pools connected by shallow rapids, really magical place. I quickly chucked out the swag and helped get some lunch going. There ended up being a fair amount of rain and I was kept safe and dry in the swag once id stretched it out and set it up properly. After this, we were off in our kayaks. It was a cloudy day with a high barometer, ideal conditions to get a Murray Cod I am told.
I started off fishing a red/black Oargee Diver, and had a follow on my third cast. Well, this seemed to be working after all.
4/5 casts later , having worked up and parked against a snag, I got belted by a nice 40cm fish.
Finally I had caught my first Cod on lure , this kayak has brought me some good luck!
My friend was around to assist in photographing and unhooking.
The fish was released shortly after.
Up river, at the next snag, I got hammered again. by a slightly smaller fish,
I was well pleased with my first time kayaking/kayak fishing and I headed back to camp for a quick recharge. The evening session produced a trout cod on surface lure, it was after dark and I did not get the chance to get a photograph.
The second day was a mixture of rain and patchy fishing. I spent the day just exploring the river and trying my luck but apart from a bump or too I was fishless.
It rained all night and made the early start on Sunday morning a chilly one.
Air temp was 6 degrees and there was steam coming off the river.
I set off at 530 am , hoping to catch a fish on surface again. I had been boofed a few times near a big snag and that is where i headed too. I parked downstream of it and just waited for about 5 min without casting , letting the noise from parking the kayak to die down.
I had read that its all about annoying the fish to hit the lure at times, and my strategy was to count down 20 casts at every snag in the stretch of water I had access to in the kayak to induce a strike.
17 casts later, a 57cm Cod smashed my purple Taylor made surface walker.
Locked down drag kept it out of the snags and a short fight later I had my PB cod! There was some water on the lens and the Photograph was hazy, but you can see my smile!
All in all, I had a lovely time and cant wait to get out there!
If anyone has suggestions on places that would be suitable for this style of fishing , please do drop a PM.
TIA
There is always more to learn , fish to catch , places to see and friends to make.
-
- Rank: Gummy Shark
- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2016 1:08 pm
- Location: South East Suburbs
- Has liked: 625 times
- Likes received: 298 times
Re: First Time Kayaking ever! - Ovens Murray Cod Report
Great report...what's the Kraken rum taste like?
-
- Rank: Premium Member
- Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 1:23 pm
- Has liked: 308 times
- Likes received: 318 times
Re: First Time Kayaking ever! - Ovens Murray Cod Report
Mattblack wrote:Great report...what's the Kraken rum taste like?
Really smooth and nice flavour profile.
I drink it little bits of a time , neat and cold. Goes down really well.
Highly recommend.
Also made for a good Dark and Stormy with some bundy Ginger Beer.
They had 2L of Rum for 100$ at the Duty Free Store, couldnt turn that down.
There is always more to learn , fish to catch , places to see and friends to make.
-
- Bluefin
- Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2014 4:21 pm
- Has liked: 72 times
- Likes received: 976 times
Re: First Time Kayaking ever! - Ovens Murray Cod Report
Top report mate!
Congrats on your PB cod.
Great pics :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats on your PB cod.
Great pics :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
-
- Rank: Premium Member
- Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2014 10:41 am
- Location: Hoppers Crossing
- Has liked: 221 times
- Likes received: 460 times
Re: First Time Kayaking ever! - Ovens Murray Cod Report
Great report and photos
Rum that tastes like octopus (maybe)
Cheers Gra
P.s. maybe think about PFD's
Rum that tastes like octopus (maybe)
Cheers Gra
P.s. maybe think about PFD's
-
- Rank: Premium Member
- Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 1:23 pm
- Has liked: 308 times
- Likes received: 318 times
Re: First Time Kayaking ever! - Ovens Murray Cod Report
Thank you! I am on it now and will be getting a PFD before my next outing, only thought of it very last minute while I was on the water.Texas wrote:Great report and photos
Rum that tastes like octopus (maybe)
Cheers Gra
P.s. maybe think about PFD's
Noob Mistake.
There is always more to learn , fish to catch , places to see and friends to make.
- davek
- Moderator
- Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2012 7:59 am
- Location: nagambie
- Has liked: 268 times
- Likes received: 211 times
Re: First Time Kayaking ever! - Ovens Murray Cod Report
Nice fish, good work, :a_goodjob: cheers davo
It's an exhilarating feeling catching a fish
But it's an even better feeling releasing them
But it's an even better feeling releasing them
- Truedogz
- Rank: King George Whiting
- Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 6:52 pm
- Location: Tabilk
- Has liked: 32 times
- Likes received: 247 times
Re: First Time Kayaking ever! - Ovens Murray Cod Report
It sounds like you chaps had a great time despite the rain. I couldn't get out there on the weekend as I had to work, but headed out to Peechelba on Monday and got boofed by a metre cod that didn't hook up. Congratulations on your first cod off the top!smokin_reels wrote:Locked down drag kept it out of the snags and a short fight later I had my PB cod! There was some water on the lens and the Photograph was hazy, but you can see my smile!
How big was the trouty? Did he go hard for his size?smokin_reels wrote:The evening session produced a trout cod on surface lure
Best Wishes
Truedogz
-
- Rank: Premium Member
- Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 1:23 pm
- Has liked: 308 times
- Likes received: 318 times
Re: First Time Kayaking ever! - Ovens Murray Cod Report
Truedogz wrote:It sounds like you chaps had a great time despite the rain. I couldn't get out there on the weekend as I had to work, but headed out to Peechelba on Monday and got boofed by a metre cod that didn't hook up. Congratulations on your first cod off the top!smokin_reels wrote:Locked down drag kept it out of the snags and a short fight later I had my PB cod! There was some water on the lens and the Photograph was hazy, but you can see my smile!
How big was the trouty? Did he go hard for his size?smokin_reels wrote:The evening session produced a trout cod on surface lure
Best Wishes
Truedogz
Hey Truedogz,
The trout cod was about 40cms and did put up a fair scrap. I had a birds nest on a cast and the lure was just sitting in the water for a long time, as I was sorting out the tangle the fish boofed me . I just let it sit there and it went at it again and nailed it this time.
Pretty sure that was the only trout cod all weekend on lure.
The rain was more of an annoyance, we missed the worst of it, but it just kept going on and on .pitter patter, pitter patter. :down:
Cheers
S_R
There is always more to learn , fish to catch , places to see and friends to make.