Catch Yourself a Monster Murray Cod

Forget the Redfin and Yellowbelly, this month is all about the mighty Murray Cod which have been going gangbusters at our Copeton Waters park, with some absolutely brilliant catches being seen measuring up to 1.3m or more. Thats a lot of fish! 🐟

At Copeton you can fish for these giant beauties all year round, (unlike some dams where Cod Season closes on the 31st of August). Got a hankering to get a line in the water? Read on!

Welcome to our Cod fishing capital, Reflections Copeton Waters

If ever there was a Cod Capital, it’s Copeton Dam and our park at Reflections Copeton Waters provides a great basecamp for any fishing trip with fish cleaning tables and easy boat access to the water.

Copeton Dam is an awesome sight to behold at three times the size of Sydney Harbour and is chock full of Murray Cod, one of the biggest freshwater fish in the world! Annual fishing competitions fill the park and dam with hundreds of die-hard fishers and fishing families hoping to land the BIG ONE!

The bonus at Copeton is that you can fish for these giant beauties all year round, (unlike other dams where Cod Season closes for 3 months from midnight on the 31st of August). So get in quick if you are planning a fishing trip to the dams at Burrinjuck, Wyangala, Keepit and Burrendong.

Top tips on Cod fishing from our experts on the ground

• Aim to fish two nights before and after a full moon. No, we’re not talking were-fish, but fish tend to more active around this time so you could have more success.
• For surface fishing (mainly during winter months when fish come right up into the shallows), fish in low light periods during early mornings or on dusk. Fishos are usually out on the dam well before the sun comes up and have lures in the water when the sun rises. The really dedicated fishos are casting the edges or out on their boats around 3:00am. No sleep ins allowed!
• Use a chunk of tasty cheese as your bait. Any cheese is fine, but mozzarella tends to stay on the hook better. Cod love it and if you’re having an 'off day' with the fish, grab some crackers and have yourself a snack!
• Grab yourself a LiveScope. These sonar buddies give you clear images of fish in real time and make your job so much easier. LiveScopes are the new ‘go to’ accessory for finding and catching the BIG ONE!
• Did you know that Murray Cod don't have any eyelids? They like to hang out in nice shady spaces to get out of the glare of the sun, so head where there's shade for more chances to hook one on your line.
• Look to troll deeper waters, 10-15m deep through the day as the fish also chase the cooler, deeper water as seasonal or day temperatures increase.
• Our biggest tip is to talk to our experts at the park or your local tackle shop to make sure you have the right gear to target these river (or dam) monsters.
  

Anyone can get hooked into this great lifestyle. Kids who grew up fishing on our dams are still fishing here 40-50 years later!

Cod season closures

With the exception of Copeton Dam, fishing for Murray Cod is closed for all waters from midnight on the 31st of August.

Get in quick and book a last-minute fishing trip at our Burrinjuck Waters, Wyangala Waters, Grabine Lakeside, Lake Burrendong and Lake Keepit parks before the season closes.

Watch the experts in action

Watch some of the experts in action at our Burrinjuck Waters park. Earlier this year IFISH with Rhys Creed from Social Fishing, filmed at the park in search of some Murray Cod greats.

Rhys Creed was so excited about the monster Murray Cod they saw at Burrinjuck. Dan from the iFish Team scored a personal best with an 'absolute beast'! Watch the episode now at https://10play.com.au/ifish.

For more on fishing in New South Wales, explore our article on coastal and inland fishing and the amazing array of fishing experiences this beautiful state has to offer, and find the best fishing spots in the state.