What does 'Murray Cod' mean to you?

[Millzee]

Cheers

[Truedogz]

My earliest fishing experience c1964

Best Wishes

Truedogz

[mingle]

I don't know how many of you remember "Steptoe and Son", but I was always intrigued by the stuffed fish-head that was mounted on the wall of their living-room.

A while ago I did a bit of analysis of various screen-shots (the best of which I can't seem to find now) and came to the conclusion that it's a Murray Cod.

Judging by the size, it must've been a big fish - easily over 100lb.

Mike.

[Truedogz]

I think of Rod Harrison

Everybody that chases cod today owe an enormous debt to Rod Harrison, Gordon Winter, Bryan Pratt and Vic McCrystal. They changed the image of native fish, including Murray cod, from a food supply to be taken by any means to valued sportsfish. They did a total makeover and because of their efforts to popularise them as sportsfish government agencies eventually responded. Many stories will never be told of the battles fought behind the scenes. I can tell you we were told that stocking cod into Eildon would never work .... Rex Hunt deserves credit for that; if it was up to the government people at the time it may have never happened as Eildon was a trout fishery. Another one was that bass would never work in dams in Queensland - some of the people that did the most to prevent it now take credit for the success.

Those too young to remember how it was take for granted the terrific cod fisheries we now have. I was involved with a documentary in 1979 and remember Rod talking about that we were down to a few places where there were still numbers of natives which we could do something with but if we waited much longer it would be too late. He also mentioned that at that time few people fished for cod the way he and Gordon Winter did and most people didn't regard cod as a serious sportsfish.

We owe these pioneers a lot.

Best Wishes

Truedogz

[Truedogz]

came to the conclusion that it's a Murray Cod

It was a British TV show. Perhaps the head is of a Nile perch which also grow big. Britain controlled quite a number of African countries in the past.

Truedogz

[mingle]

came to the conclusion that it's a Murray Cod

It was a British TV show. Perhaps the head is of a Nile perch which also grow big. Britain controlled quite a number of African countries in the past.

Truedogz

I looked at Nile Perch, Big Grouper and a few others. I'd be 99% sure it's a cod...

[Lightningx]

I don't know how many of you remember "Steptoe and Son", but I was always intrigued by the stuffed fish-head that was mounted on the wall of their living-room.

A while ago I did a bit of analysis of various screen-shots (the best of which I can't seem to find now) and came to the conclusion that it's a Murray Cod.

Judging by the size, it must've been a big fish - easily over 100lb.

Mike.

ssmc.jpg

Dam.thats a massive head!

[Pirana]

I have so many great memories, learning about cod, travelling all over outback N.S.W and Vic, all the different rivers and spots. Its not just the fish, but the other flora and fauna in Cod country, River Red Gums I love them just as much, they are as much as an icon as the cod. A lot of fond memories in the lead up to the first metre pluser that I caught, which took a number of years. I don't go as much anymore maybe once a year but I always get some butterflies in the stomach when I'm near the water. We are so lucky to have such a beast of a fish down here. I'm sure I will have many more adventures and memories to come.

Wow! Ive gotten to know the environment and personality of some small streams - and I anticipate the intimacy of every bend and obstacle in the water. ...I haven't really thought about "cod country" as a different personality. Maybe much more expanse, deeper, murkier and perhaps intimidating and unaccessible. But you've painted a picture that I can see in my mind. An environment that I'd like to get to know.

Thanks :thumbsup:

The marking the hit the surface boofs mate it is enough to hook anyone

I have a feeling that when the day comes - Ill crap myself and have the rod fly out of my hands - cause I wont be ready.

Surely soft plastics and fly fishing hasnt ruined a meter cod on 15 ps line off the top ????

There not easy to land...well for me there or anyway

For me, plastics ruined it for bait. Hard bodies ruined it for plastics. ...And fly fishing ruined everything else for a VERY long time. I suspect that cod may just ruin it for all the above...

I don't recon it would be easy on light(er) line. I originally spooled my baitcaster with 10lb braid - and couldn't stop the endless birdsnests - till I upped it to 40lb.

My fishing life is fiiled with SOO many monster fish that got away (all saltwater) - either because of lack of skill - or too light of gear. ...Or both.

Murry Cod fishing was introduced to me as a very young child when going fishing and camping on the Murray and Goulbourn river with family and friends. Back then it was all about setting and checking springers and I have an Uncle that used setlines, nets and all the other things I've grown to hate but the lessons in finding the fish remain with me today. I remember one trip when I was only about eight years old fishing with my dad and the excitement in us both as a huge fish almost pulled me in the water off the log I was sitting on. My dad yelled "you bloody beauty" as he caught me and grabbed the rod out of my hands, he was saying how "this is a big girl, she's staying deep" and after a few minutes a huge tail splash turned the sounds of joy from dad to an angry and disappointed "it's a ******* carp" bellowing across the water. I'd never heard dad swear very often so I knew then what a huge cod must mean to him as even after the hours past and we were back at camp telling everyone else the story, the fact that this bloody carp was the biggest he'd ever seen didn't bring him any joy. My uncle landed plenty of huge cod over the years and has many hanging on pub and lounge walls in the Tongala and Echuca area and for years I thought of him as a bit of a fishing god but my attitude has changed a lot over the years and now just see him as a bloody poacher, not a fisherman. Today I love chasing cod with lures, the excitement of every cast and never really knowing when the rods going to buckle that keeps me going back even after a doughnut session. Off the top it's my all time favorite method of chasing greenbacks and I can keep casting for hours knowing that at any moment she might break the surface and send my heart rate through the roof regardless of size or hook up. My cod chasing has seen many hours over the last few years on the water simply taking in the surroundings sometimes with no luck at all but other all the luck in the world. Last season has provided me with a few big girls over a meter in the one weekend but my most memorable was a 96cm off the top in the dropping river at Cobram. I was working a bank from my boat with a mate and paused my cast a little so I could make a perfect angle into a corner of a drop off with a dead log fallen in the water and the result was the hardest hit I've ever felt in fresh water and the big girl stood up on her tail like a barra for a good few seconds before landing back in the water and taking a run that peeled more line off my reel than many saltwater fish I've caught in the past. To me, this was truly what cod fishing is supposed to be like, a Murray cod from the Murray river doing what it knows to stay alive unlike the lake cod that seem to hit hard, go for a few seconds only to roll over and play dead until a final thrashing at the boat side. I love my lure fishing for the beautiful creatures but think I might start drowning a few more baits next season to rest my legs a bit between casts.

Great read. Thanks for putting in the time to share.

Its nice to see things with hindsight sometimes. You've grown up with seeing "set lines" as a norm - though have chosen a different path. You now protect what you love. :thumbsup:

I remember setting springer's like there was no tomorrow.

It was common to set 20 to 30 a night
We would put birds on for bait,rabbits,fish,big yabbies.

Shocking way to fish but like you i still use the stream craft when using surface lures.

I haven't kept a cod for a long ,long time.

It's inspiring to see the mind-shift. :thumbsup:

Am really enjoying the insights everyone :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Pirana]

My earliest fishing experience c1964

GR 98.jpg

Best Wishes

Truedogz

That's a massive carcas.

[Pirana]

I don't know how many of you remember "Steptoe and Son", but I was always intrigued by the stuffed fish-head that was mounted on the wall of their living-room.

A while ago I did a bit of analysis of various screen-shots (the best of which I can't seem to find now) and came to the conclusion that it's a Murray Cod.

Judging by the size, it must've been a big fish - easily over 100lb.

Mike.

ssmc.jpg

Whatever it is... Its a BIG head!