GoFish Nagambie is a tournament for all. Whether you like consider yourself a top shelf angler and fancy your chances at the biggest cod, or if you identify as occasional angler who’s for the mateship or if you’re first timer that’s wanting to give fishing a go, it’s always good to take it back to basics.

Fishing for Australian natives can test the patience from time to time, to increase your chance at catching a Murray Cod, take it back to basics and follow some of these simple yet effective tips.

KNOW AND UNDERSTAND YOUR LURES

• Hard bodies are great for trolling and flicking lake walls and river banks

• Spinnerbaits are perfect for working and targeting structure

• Swimbaits can be used to imitate injured fish and are typically used the first few feet from the surface of the water

• Surface lures are widely seen as the most exciting way to catch Murray Cod

• Soft plastics are great for fussy cod. The more life like you can get the better!

• Lipless crankbaits work great on the troll

FISH AT LOW LIGHT PERIODS

Dawn, dusk and after dark are the best times to fish for cod. During periods of low light, cod leave the safety of their structure and more willingly swim around in search for prey aka your lure!

FISH THE STRUCTURE

If fish aren’t actively out hunting, you can safely bet that they’ll be in a nice holding place in and around some kind of structure. Target these areas with your spinnerbait and you might just have some luck.

BE ANNOYING

Cast at likely spots multiple times. Sometimes cod just aren’t in the mood to feed and your perfect cast will go ignored. Even if the cod aren’t hungry, if you persist and annoy the cod, an aggressive territorial strike can still result.

BE PERSISTENT

You’ll have many and we mean many, fishless trips. Its just the way the cookie crumbles. There are so many variables that turn natives on and off including barometer, water temperature and water level and other various unpredictable things, that all play a huge part in Murray Cod fishing. The more time spent on the water, the more likely you are to land a big cod. Time spent fishing is also time spent harnessing your skills, learning and practising. There is no such thing as a wasted trip.

YOU WANT BIG FISH, RIG FOR BIG FISH

If you want big fish, you need to be rigged and prepared for big fish. Big fish doesn’t have to mean you are sacrificing catching the smalls either. You’re betting being over rigged on a small fish than under rigged for a big fish, so don’t be afraid to use heavy gear.