# Green and Gold fever!!!



## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

Went for a trip down the Dumaresq from Cunningham wier today.
Launched downstream and got a cod hook up withing sight of launch but dropped it.
Got another good hit a while later, but no hook up. Then another.
Went past some people camping and didnt fish out front of their camp.
100m downstream but still in sight of them I got a good hit.
Cast back to the same spot and boy did I hook up. Got it to the yak fairly quickly, couple of minutes and could see she was a metre long.
Then she woke up and took me 20 minutes to get her tired enough to get the lip grips on. The lip grips were in the box behind my seat so it took some contortionism to get them out.
Then somehow, I lifted her into the yak. A good 20+ kg of fish into my Finn - it's only 60 odd cm wide!
I paddled over to the 3 campers who were watching the whole fight, they took a photo then my camera went flat 
I marked her length on the yak and later measured at 1m. I really wish I'd had a proper tape there to get an exact measure. Not bad on 10lb main, 14lb leader and a 2500 reel, 2-5kg rod.
I used the paddle lots to keep her over the sandy side rather than into the snags.










I nearly went home after that, but kept going.
After seeing several yellas follow the big oar-gee lure, I changed to a Binner Spait for the upstream voyage.
This resulted in an almost immediate landing of a yella.
Then a small, ~45cm cod.
Then I had a good hit on a snag. I recast and landed an ~45cm cod. Same spot, I missed two more hits then hooked up. It took me right into the snags. I tried to get it out, but ended up out of the yak, standing on the snag and removing the offending piece of timber. The fish was still on and went ~57cm, would have been a pb 3 hours ago.
I got one more small (~40cm) cod on the way back.
Wow, what a day!
And by the way, you were all invited and no one came.
viewtopic.php?f=43&t=53996


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## greenfish (Apr 9, 2009)

LEGEND! Man that's a LUNKER! Well done mate your have joined an elite club with that fish being landed in a yak!
Mega congratulations Graig, well done jealous as!
I paddled along side a good mate of mine in one of the Bridal track holes on the Macquarie near Bathurst one time while he played out a similar size fish, I know what havoc they can cause............well done again mate..................Alex


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## scater (Nov 24, 2007)

I am speechless Craig, fish of a lifetime!


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

Purple Oar-gee!
I should mention before I get asked, she swam away very happily; much to the delight of the campers who were worried I was going to keep her.


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## Guest (Apr 5, 2012)

.


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Epic catch mate!


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## benj1706 (Oct 12, 2008)

"Call me Ishmael." Well done Cap'n Ahab. As Chief Brody said, "You're going to need a bigger boat."


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## ant (Aug 28, 2008)

Now that's an outstanding fish one to tell the grand kids about.   
Cheers
Ant


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

BrisbaneJamie said:


> Theres no use acting coy, that is a fish that any fisho would be more than over the moon to catch , very nice feast considering it was done from a kayak.
> 
> Fantastic effort.
> 
> Jamie


Fixed it for you Jamie.

Stonker Craig, and well done for overcoming any temptation to keep it (what do they taste like?).

Trevor


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## millonario (Feb 20, 2012)

Awesome mate it's HUGE!!! The fish is pretty big too!


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## Guest (Apr 5, 2012)

CLAP CLAP CLAP. Congratulations. That is an awesome fish and one to be well and truly proud of. Credit where credit is due. The beard is doing a great job of hiding the monster smile that must be underneath it.


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## carnster (May 27, 2008)

Epic mate enjoy!


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

Lots of snags, it was hooked out of a large snag area. Used the paddle to keep it to the sandy side of the river, but a bit of luck involved as well. If she'd gone straight for the timber, I could not have stopped her.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

cjbfisher said:


> kayakone said:
> 
> 
> > (what do they taste like?).
> ...


Is that like 'mud' (estuarey) flathead?

The reason for asking was that a friend from the Nymboida (Eastern river cod) said there were quite good, even when big.

I therefore seek more opinions from the sweetwater fishos.....wadda they taste like?

Trevor


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## paffoh (Aug 24, 2006)

No friggin comment... Too jealous right now!

:twisted:

Nice work Graic, very tidy fish.


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## AJD (Jul 10, 2007)

Craig that is an absolute scorcher of a fish mate. Superb effort on what sounds like a top class day on the water. Well done!


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

Obese.


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## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)

kayakone said:


> I therefore seek more opinions from the sweetwater fishos.....wadda they taste like?


They're a funny bunch, those fresh water fanatics, even if they did know they won't tell you Trevor. You'll get the same response if you ask them what Bass tastes like, but I can tell you bass are pretty good on the chew, never had any of the cods though. One tip though, our native cods would never have been overfished in the first place if they were no good to eat ;-)

Great fish JF.


Junglefisher said:


> 10lb main, 14lb leader and a 2500 reel, 2-5kg rod.


 That combo your using is a classic giant killer, I've forgotten how many times I've heard of people catching seriously large fish on a combo almost identical to this, it really is a great all round class.

Kev


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

People do eat the big ones, but really, why would you? They might taste OK, but they would not have a nice texture and I just could not do it to a fish that size.
Not to mention having to eat 15kg of it, that's alot.
I actually go out targeting them from 60-80cm, perfect eating size, but am yet to catch a single one in that range. Probably cause everyone else eats them at that size too.


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## Artie (Dec 19, 2011)

kayakone said:


> cjbfisher said:
> 
> 
> > kayakone said:
> ...


Cod (generally) have a reasonable taste but the environment they live in plays a big part (running water is best).

That works two ways, sedentary impoundment fish tend to build up layers of yellow fat which (IMO) tastes like crap, more so in larger beastys.

So silted water affects the taste and active fish who burn off some of their fat are better.

Smaller fish nearer the minimum size limit (60cm) are best but really, compared to our salty offerings, they do taste pretty ordinary, I dont kill Cod at all, I just wait until I get down to the coast and get into the Flattys and Whiting 

Yella's are likewise effected the same way, although their taste is much more pleasant than Cod, they suffer from the same issues. I do occasionally take a Yella for the plate.

Just thought I would add, the best tasting native in my opinion, is the Catfish. It should be the worst, as it mucks around in the mud on the bottom but they have a really white flaky pleasant tasting flesh. I dont kill Cattys either as their numbers haver been decimated by the Carp raiding their nests and feeding grounds....


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## headoffatness (Jan 7, 2010)

holy snapping duck sht thats a big cod!


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## onemorecast (Apr 17, 2006)

Woo _frickin_ Hoo,
Now that's a fish! 
Thanks for Sharon (course you just have to with a fish like that)


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

Zed said:


> Obese.


PHAT!

How you got a Murray Cod of a size that most people don't see, let alone catch, in an undersized kayak using bream gear is beyond me. I didn't need to ask whether you released it or not as I know you are aware of how special a fish they are at that size in the wild.

I bet the campers were straight out there after you left......


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## WayneD (Jul 11, 2006)

Cracker cod Craig. Didn't think they got that big in there. Hopefully we'll catch up for another crack at them soon!!!!


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## premium (Nov 23, 2011)

Sensational stuff, bad luck about the camera battery, at least you got one pic to prove it did happen!


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## FishinDan (Jul 3, 2006)

Cracking fish mate!


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## clarkey (Jan 13, 2009)

kayakone said:


> cjbfisher said:
> 
> 
> > kayakone said:
> ...


If your friend is eating Eastern Cod that would be illeagal


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## clarkey (Jan 13, 2009)

Well done JF that is a prize catch.


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## spork (Jan 21, 2012)

Awesome catch. Even better that she swam away... Congrats on both counts.


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## koich (Jul 25, 2007)

I only just saw this. Stoked for you Craig


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## cam07 (Sep 12, 2008)

good fish and disapointed couldnt make it out this weekend but i will get there one day


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