poddy mullet
12-01-2009, 08:44 PM
Neil Duncan, Micheal Coad, Brett Kleppe and I recently travelled to “Monster Murray Cod”, situated on the outskirts of Emmaville, for four solid days of chasing the fish of a lifetime. Located just a stone’s throw from Glen Innes, the privately owned property is without a doubt one of Australia’s most unique and premiere Murray Cod sports fishing destinations, as it holds mammoth trophy cod well over one metre in length and to over 70lbs in weight.
The property, owned by Clark and Shauna Say, was a working tin mine many years ago, but due to the mine constantly filling with natural spring water, work was abandoned. The mine now consists of many large dams full to the brim with crystal clear waters that have thriving populations of Golden and Silver Perch, Catfish and of course Monster Murray Cod.
Visitors can use their own boat provided it is fitted with an electric motor, or use the Quintrex 385 complete with casting platform that is supplied with the accommodation. Fishing is strictly lure and fly only, and is sure to get your adrenaline pumping and the camera working overtime as 50lb plus Cod can be often seen basking and feeding along the edges.
Brett Kleppe trolled up some nice fish during the trip, with Michael and Neil both catching some beautifully coloured Murray Cod whilst casting chatter baits and spinnerbaits just metres from the cabin.
I was lucky enough to tangle with an 18 to 20lb Murray Cod that belted a ½ ounce tandem bladed spinner bait on the drop, but failed to hook up on the first cast. Just after plopping the next cast in the same area at the bottom of the cliff face and adjacent to a dense bed of reeds, I was in the middle of trying to signal to my mates that a good fish was in the area when all hell broke loose. Line began spinning off the reel as the fish charged for deeper water, but after a minute of hard work the fish finally came up off the bottom and my mates arrived to help remove the hooks and get a quick snapshot before release.
Smaller Murray Cod hit spinnerbaits at high pace as they were retrieved past logs on the edges, and it was not uncommon to see them take the lure or spinnerbait just centimeters from the rod tip. Many bigger fish were also seen grazing the weedy edges amongst the thousands of small baitfish that are abundant in all of the impoundments.
Flipping threw the visitor book in the cabin sure does make the jaw drop, as countless stories of trophy fish and cricket score catches are told. Andrew “ET” Ettinghausen has even visited, and caught a Murray Cod well over the metre mark on a surface lure.
The photo covered walls, and smashed lures that have been destroyed by monster fish hung on the notice board create an electric atmosphere well worth expeiriencing.
Neil Duncan managed a 105cm Cod on a previous visit, and Monster Murray Cod will be certainly on our list of places to revisit to try for the fish of a lifetime.
Thank you to Clark and Shauna for their warm hospitality. If you would like more details about visiting monster Murray Cod visit www.monstermurraycod.com.au (http://www.monstermurraycod.com.au/) or give Clark and Shauna a call on 67 347 212 Tell them the Dubo boys sent ya!
The property, owned by Clark and Shauna Say, was a working tin mine many years ago, but due to the mine constantly filling with natural spring water, work was abandoned. The mine now consists of many large dams full to the brim with crystal clear waters that have thriving populations of Golden and Silver Perch, Catfish and of course Monster Murray Cod.
Visitors can use their own boat provided it is fitted with an electric motor, or use the Quintrex 385 complete with casting platform that is supplied with the accommodation. Fishing is strictly lure and fly only, and is sure to get your adrenaline pumping and the camera working overtime as 50lb plus Cod can be often seen basking and feeding along the edges.
Brett Kleppe trolled up some nice fish during the trip, with Michael and Neil both catching some beautifully coloured Murray Cod whilst casting chatter baits and spinnerbaits just metres from the cabin.
I was lucky enough to tangle with an 18 to 20lb Murray Cod that belted a ½ ounce tandem bladed spinner bait on the drop, but failed to hook up on the first cast. Just after plopping the next cast in the same area at the bottom of the cliff face and adjacent to a dense bed of reeds, I was in the middle of trying to signal to my mates that a good fish was in the area when all hell broke loose. Line began spinning off the reel as the fish charged for deeper water, but after a minute of hard work the fish finally came up off the bottom and my mates arrived to help remove the hooks and get a quick snapshot before release.
Smaller Murray Cod hit spinnerbaits at high pace as they were retrieved past logs on the edges, and it was not uncommon to see them take the lure or spinnerbait just centimeters from the rod tip. Many bigger fish were also seen grazing the weedy edges amongst the thousands of small baitfish that are abundant in all of the impoundments.
Flipping threw the visitor book in the cabin sure does make the jaw drop, as countless stories of trophy fish and cricket score catches are told. Andrew “ET” Ettinghausen has even visited, and caught a Murray Cod well over the metre mark on a surface lure.
The photo covered walls, and smashed lures that have been destroyed by monster fish hung on the notice board create an electric atmosphere well worth expeiriencing.
Neil Duncan managed a 105cm Cod on a previous visit, and Monster Murray Cod will be certainly on our list of places to revisit to try for the fish of a lifetime.
Thank you to Clark and Shauna for their warm hospitality. If you would like more details about visiting monster Murray Cod visit www.monstermurraycod.com.au (http://www.monstermurraycod.com.au/) or give Clark and Shauna a call on 67 347 212 Tell them the Dubo boys sent ya!