chasing bigger cod

[westvic]

For a while now I have been having a crack at land based Murray Cod with bait. I have managed to get on to a few most sessions but they seem to top out at just under legal (around 50cm give or take a bit). Usually on cheese, sometimes scrubbies.

Wandering if anyone has any tips to share about how to chase bigger cod on bait. Rigs? Baits? Bait size? Types of area to fish?

thanks in advance
Steve

[Sebb]

For a while now I have been having a crack at land based Murray Cod with bait. I have managed to get on to a few most sessions but they seem to top out at just under legal (around 50cm give or take a bit). Usually on cheese, sometimes scrubbies.

Wandering if anyone has any tips to share about how to chase bigger cod on bait. Rigs? Baits? Bait size? Types of area to fish?

thanks in advance
Steve

I may not be the best to give advice as my cod record isn't that great either (i don't go cod fishing often), but I caught 62cm cod on cheese. So it's possible with cheese. Running sinker straight to circle hook.

Have you tried yabbies as bait? I heard it's good, and the bigger the yabbies the better.

There are cod fishos here in FV that know better and some been discussed before. Have a quick search in this forum.

[ben475]

catching the small ones is start.

id suggest using hard body lures around the 80-100mm size. and try to fish some of the bigger waterways if you can.

[happyfriggincamper]

Just cheese on a 5/0-7/0 circle hook and time on the water trying different flows/structures imo and you'll come into a big one eventually

[westvic]

For a while now I have been having a crack at land based Murray Cod with bait. I have managed to get on to a few most sessions but they seem to top out at just under legal (around 50cm give or take a bit). Usually on cheese, sometimes scrubbies.

Wandering if anyone has any tips to share about how to chase bigger cod on bait. Rigs? Baits? Bait size? Types of area to fish?

thanks in advance
Steve

I may not be the best to give advice as my cod record isn't that great either (i don't go cod fishing often), but I caught 62cm cod on cheese. So it's possible with cheese. Running sinker straight to circle hook.

Have you tried yabbies as bait? I heard it's good, and the bigger the yabbies the better.

There are cod fishos here in FV that know better and some been discussed before. Have a quick search in this forum.

thanks Seb. Yep I have read plenty on this site and got many useful nuggets of info. Couldn't find anything specific to this question though.

I have caugth cod in still water, moving water, deep water, shallow water, open water, snaggy water, and all points in between. This is part of my overthinking problem.....lack of consistency. Hence the question.

[westvic]

catching the small ones is start.

id suggest using hard body lures around the 80-100mm size. and try to fish some of the bigger waterways if you can.

thanks Ben. Just looking to stick to bait for the moment but I have flirted with surface lures occasionally. I am fairly lazy and like sitting on the bank with a cold can which gets tricky while flicking lures.

[westvic]

Just cheese on a 5/0-7/0 circle hook and time on the water trying different flows/structures imo and you'll come into a big one eventually

Yep this is what I normally do.

Interesting point.....I did find one hole where I pulled out 2 carp around 70cm with 5/0 hook and cheese. Both hooked in the lip so they were obviously having a go at the cheese. Never had this before or since.

[Texas]

Of the FV trips I've been on (Murray & Bonnie Doon) most cod were caught on lures (big lues) & the others on cheese.
Davek supplies a large number of yabbies and most are released unharmed.

[happyfriggincamper]

Just cheese on a 5/0-7/0 circle hook and time on the water trying different flows/structures imo and you'll come into a big one eventually

Yep this is what I normally do.

Interesting point.....I did find one hole where I pulled out 2 carp around 70cm with 5/0 hook and cheese. Both hooked in the lip so they were obviously having a go at the cheese. Never had this before or since.

Ah that sucks - cheese used to seem like a carp proof bait, but sounds like they are evolving to take cheese damn it!

Yeah - there is not too much variables to play with bait fishing imo. Cheese is what I've had the most consistency on, worms 2nd (but they often get taken by non target fish long before big cod) and yabbies the least for whatever unknown reason. So all I can suggest is trying different "structures" of water wherever you are fishing, the big ones can be in some obvious as well as unexpected places.

[Dick83]

Chicken and or Shrimp (probably already used shrimp but it’s not mentioned) could be another alternative to try.

Most importantly just keep at it and it’ll happen eventually.