This man took home $80,000 from the inaugural GoFish Nagambie. There’s been controversy surrounding the lure he used and there’s been every conspiracy theory under the sun surrounding the winning 110cm Murray Cod he landed. We’ve asked this absolute legend, all the questions you’ve been asking us.

Check out what Clint has to say and here once and for all, what the lure was that he used.

Clint is the guy we’d all love to hate, truth is, we’re all just jealous. He is the lucky bugger who won a life changing amount of money for doing something that we all love, fishing. Unfortunately for us, he makes it impossible to hate him, he’s an absolute legend and the kind of guy everyone wants to be mates with. He’s a down to earth family man, who stayed true to his word and split the cash with his mate he fished the comp with.

Learn more about Clint and check out what he has to say.

I’m a concreter from Albury but grew up in Western NSW in a small town called Tullamore. I have a wife and two daughters. My eldest loves fishing almost as much as me and was with me in the comp. My wife and youngest daughter aren’t quite as keen but might be a bit more interested now. I love my fishing and being out on the water. In fact, much to my wife’s disgust, I actually keep my rods in my walk-in robe and refuse to let her take them outside.

There’s controversy surrounding the lure you used, settle the debate. Which one was it? AC Invader or Spinnerbait.

Sorry everyone, but it was 100% a spinnerbait. I didn’t want to reveal what I had caught it on until after the competition.

…and how can you forget such a thing?

Well if you look closely enough at the photo, it is slightly obscured by the tail, but you can see the red and black spinnerbait that I caught him on. On the Saturday night there were rumours floating around that I had been knocked off the leader board by a 120 + cod. I was gutted. My mate said to tell them you got it on a lure. As I was walking up on stage, I felt anxious and disappointed at the thought of possibly losing $80000, so when asked what I caught it on I said an AC invader. But at the end of the day, it would not have mattered the fishing was tough and a lot of people were trying a lot of different techniques to try and land a fish.

Now, tell us straight, it’s legit isn’t it? What time of day did you catch it, where abouts? Did you move around or stick to one spot? Were you going after the big cod? Basically, we want to know what your strategy was for the comp.

It was 100% legit.

At around 12:30 pm on the first day of the comp, we stopped in the river not far from the ski club ramp for lunch. By this stage, tensions were high and stress levels were through the roof. We hadn’t had a bite. It was cold and a little rainy and the kids were starting to complain.

Throughout the morning we had been switching up from trolling to bait fishing and decided to stop and have a bite to recoup. While we ate, we (my mate, kids and I) put some bait lines in for cod. We hadn’t been getting any bites all day so I thought I might as well throw a spinnerbait around while the kids finished their lunch. However, it was pretty blowy on our side of the river and the other side looked better so we moved over and I started to cast out. After about 3 casts, the fish took the spinnerbait. At first, I actually thought it was a yellowbelly. He gave me a bit of a run for my money, wrapping me around a log a few times but eventually we were able to land him in the boat.

There were probably about 5-6 boats that came over to see the fish. There where also 2 men in another boat from Tatura who actually saw me hook the fish and land it. It was quite funny because when they saw me hook it one yelled out to ask if it was decent. At that stage, it hadn’t really given too much of a head shake so I yelled back that I thought it was a yella and it felt like an ok size. It wasn’t until the tip of my rod bent over and touched the surface of the water that we realised it was a big one! At that stage, we were happy to catch anything but we were always after a big cod. 

Have you received the $80k? What’s the plan for the cash?

Yes.

My mate and I had an agreement before we went in the comp. $50000 goes to the person who catches the fish and the other person gets $30000.  I really didn’t think we would catch the winning fish but either way, it sounded really good to me. and as for the $50000, we will be using that to help build our new home.

Did you catch anything else during the competition?

Unfortunately, no, we didn’t catch anything else, but we did have a couple of bites on Saturday.

Did you get into any other aspects of the festival?

Yes. We spent Friday and Saturday night at the festival hub to have tea. We checked out what was on show with the fishing stores. I have to say I was blown away, I didn’t expect it to be so big. There were a variety of stores and there was always something on for the kids and the food was great too. For our kids, the highlight was probably the fireworks on Saturday night. Overall the atmosphere was really positive and family friendly.

Where do you usually fish? Had you fished Nagambie before or was it beginners’ luck?

I generally fish the Murray River and the Hume Wier around Albury – Wodonga sometimes venturing to upper Murray and down to Bundalong and Mulwala.

I have never fished Nagambie before so it was definitely beginners luck.

What’s it like seeing your face all over the fishing world? Surely the pool room has had to grow for the all the newspaper, magazine clippings and that giant cheque.

It was quite surreal; you never think that it’s going to be you. It still is pretty mind-boggling, you keep running the whole event through your mind and thinking about how lucky we were not only to win but to get the fish in the boat with every possible thing that could have gone wrong. I still do have the big cheque and it lives in our lounge room at the moment, but in our new place, it will be hung up in the shed for sure.

Did you enter the comp with the aim of winning? What made you want to do it?

Of course, I hoped to win, but I never really expected to. I was just looking forward to spending time with my daughter and having a few beers with some mates. I was looking forward to fishing a new area, but I definitely didn’t think I would win.

The actual guarantee that someone was going to win $80000, which didn’t matter what size cod was caught, just the biggest, did attract me to the competition to start with though, and even if I wasn’t to win that prize there were so many other prizes on offer which made it worth a try.

Are you returning to defend your title? What’s the training regime like?

Yes, I will be returning to defend my title. I can’t wait to see what’s on offer.

I haven’t started training yet but maybe I should do some weight lifting – getting my daughter to run around the yard hanging onto my line, trying to drag her back to the tip of my rod. No, I have just been trying to get down to the river whenever I can.

Whether it’s a Christmas gift for mates and family or a New Year’s resolution for yourself; if you’re just getting into Murray Cod fishing, it can be very daunting sorting through the stack of gear available, but no need to worry, because Rhys, cod fishing extraordinaire is going to share his handy tips for buying your first cod rod.

LEARN TO USE A BAITCASTER

If you’re new to this style of fishing the first thing you need to know is that a low profile baitcaster reel is a must. They are also known as overhead reels and they look and function very different to the more common spin or thread line reel. Spin reels are perfect for bait fishing, much easier to use, especially with kids.

Baitcasters are more accurate and they provide you with more control over your line and lure. This is a must when casting for Murray Cod because you need to be extremely accurate when casting at structure.

Baitcasters might annoy you at first but keep practising. Chances are you will get a mess of knots on the spool, commonly called ‘birds nests’. This is all a part of the learning process.

WHAT TYPE OF ROD TO BUY

As you now know, you need to get a baitcaster rod to match your reel. Here are a few key features to look for in a rod:

Material: graphite

Length: 5ft6in – 6ft2in

Weight: 3-5kg to 6-8kg

Taper: medium – heavy

Action: fast

This is just a guide to go from as the best rod depends on the area you are fishing but it can also be a personal thing. Some anglers prefer a lighter rod for flicking lures easily (myself included), whereas other anglers prefer a heavier rod. If you stick within the above recommendation you’ll be right.

This is a question I get asked a lot and the prices can sometime be overwhelming, especially if this is your first rod and you’re just getting into fishing.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I SPEND

Occasional Angler

If you’re just starting out and you only fish a few times a year then you don’t need to spend too much. You should be able to pick up a combo which will include a rod, reel and line for between $80-120.  This is a cheap setup and won’t last you forever but it’s a good start.

Regular Angler

The next step up is someone who fishes once a month or maybe 6-8 times a year. You’ll want to buy each component separate rather than in a combo. Look at around $60-100 for the rod, $120-150 for the reel, and then you’ll need $30-50 spare for braid.

Keen Angler

If you’re someone who is looking to fish every second weekend or possibly more than I highly recommend investing some money and getting something that’s top quality. Not only will it perform better, make casting easier and more accurate, but it will last you a lot longer. For the rod $100-200, for the reel look between $200-400 and a good quality braid will cost around the $40-50 mark.

Last of all I want to touch on some of the best brands on the market that you should look at when buying your first setup.

WHAT ARE SOME GOOD BRANDS?

Abu Garcia, Shimano, Daiwa, 13 Fishing, Quantum make outstanding rods and reels. If you find something within the price range I talked about you’ll be sure to have a good quality setup.

Other good brands to also have a look at are; Pflueger, Lox, Penn, Rapala, Dusk, Wilson and JML.

With cod opening just over a week away, we’ve touched base with the local authority on Goulburn River cod, Steve and Ross Threlfall to hear their thoughts on what lures you need in your artillery to smash cod season on the Goulburn River.

BASSMAN SPINNERBAITS – The Codman series from Bassman Spinnerbaits is an absolute classic and must have in every native anglers tacklebox. The vibration these lures put off make this spinnerbait absolute cod candy, they just can’t resist. The double Colorado blades are designed for slow moving waters like the Goulburn River.

CODGER LURES – Designed in Shepparton with the Goulburn River Cod in mind, Codger lures provide the perfect, wide action that Murray Cod can’t resist.

STUMPJUMPERS – the StumpJumper is a Victorian icon. With proven swimming action and unbelievable anti-snag capabilities combined with the snap-lock bib that allows anglers to instantly alter the action and characteristics of the lure, these are absolute crackers for the upcoming cod season.

OLD MATE LURES – Locally designed and with Murray Cod specifically in mind, the Old Mate Lures action showcases quick diving capabilities. Whether its trolling from the boat or casting from the bank, Old Mate lures are a must have for the tacklebox.

LIVE TARGET FIELD MOUSE – this is the perfect treat for cod stalking in heavy cover and for cod waiting to ambush their pray. You’ll get the most out of this one when skirted across the tops of pads and grass mats. It also has an incredible side-to-side walk the dog action when used in open runs.

JACKALL POMPADOUR – this lure is the ultimate surface lure. It’s a simplicity is what makes it such a stand out. You can fish it as simply as cast and slow retrieve or twitching it under trees or above snags. The Jackall Pompadour features rattling that imitates a cicada or chattering bird, buzz blades on the rear create bubble attractant and the wings create possible the coolest action and noisiest topwater lure you’ll find.

Being able to head down to a local waterway like Nagambie and catch beautiful native species like the Murray Cod and Golden Perch is something very special. These fish bring us joy, excitement and for some, a time to escape the day to day bustle.

Check out these proper handling techniques to ensure the fish we love continue to flourish.

These fish are very important to us, communities and to the environment and that’s why we need to do all that we can to look after and protect them. Catch and Release practises are become more and more popular among anglers which is great to see… but we also need to understand proper handling techniques to ensure the survival of the fish.

As there is going to be a lot of anglers at the GoFish Nagambie Tournament, it’s important that we all understand these follow few tips:

• Be Quick – when you bring a fish up to the boat make sure you are quick to bring it aboard, take a photo, and measure the fish and release. Fish cannot breathe out of water so it’s important to keep this process very quick.
• Use a Rubber Net – a large net is a great tool for handling native fish as you can leave the fish in the net and in the water, while organising your camera and brag mat. While the fish is in the water it can still breathe and gives it time to calm down. Also important to use rubber mesh or fish friendly nets, rather than the old green, rough, knotted nets as these do damage to the scales and eyes of the fish.
• NEVER Lift by the Jaw – always support the weight of the fish when lifting it from the water. Never hang it by the jaw as this puts pressure on the neck of the fish, which can cause it to break and the fish will die slowly after release. Always lift the fish horizontally by using one hand under the belly and the other with a thumb grip on the jaw of the fish.
• Use a Glove instead of a Lipgrip – sometime lipgrips are okay to use especially with smaller fish but buy a glove instead and use this to hold the fish. Not only does it provide a better grip on the fish it also won’t damage their bottom jaw which is what can happen with a lipgrip.
• Never lay fish on a hot deck – always wet down your brag mat, dunk it in the water before laying the fish down to measure it. If you don’t have a mat make sure you went down your deck or wet a towel. A hot and dry deck can burn the protective coating off the fish and leave it open to parasites and diseases.

These are some of the more important things we can do to help protect our native species while handling them. Follow these and there will be more fish for future generations to come!

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.

The Murray Cod is the icon of Australian inland waterways, our largest freshwater fish and also the 4^th largest in the world. There are historic records of cod reaching sizes of 1.8m long and over 100kg. They are most commonly caught in the 40-70cm bracket with captures up to 130-140cm popping up every now and then.  

If you want to up your game and finally land that meter cod, it pays to know and understand the Murray Cod’s habits and patterns. Read on to step it up and take it the next level.

They are a tough fish that can be found throughout the Murray Darling Basin; from Southern Queensland all the way down into Victoria and South Australia. They have the ability to live in a range of climates and conditions and have been able to survive the harshest of droughts.

With a life span of up to and beyond 45 years of age which makes some fish out there twice as old as me. With all these years of experience the larger fish become extremely intelligent and hard to catch. That’s what I love so much about targeting Murray Cod. They manage to push us to our limits and we need to be on our toes to try and trick them into biting. The Murray Cod is a prized sports fish among anglers with fish over the metre mark, classed as a trophy or milestone size for anglers.

Murray Cod are an ambush predator and are lazy. They spend most of their time sitting close to structure; logs, deep holes, rocky areas, willows, shade and any other form of cover they can find. They usually sit in still water, away from faster flowing current and only move from their home (structure) to feed. Majority of the time they will find a home that is close to flowing water and they will sit in wait for food to come to them.

They attack their prey with such extreme power as they inhale and swallow them whole. The Murray Cod has a large bucket mouth that can suck in food from a foot away. They have pads of needle sharp teeth that grip and hold onto larger prey.

They feed on anything that is alive and comes near them… and I mean ANYTHING! From the more standard; yabbies, shrimp, juvenile fish, moths, grubs and worms to the extravagant; Murray Crays, ducks, water fowl, turtles, eggs, lizards, rats, mice, snakes, mussels and basically anything that comes in contact with the water.

They are lazy as I said, but they can be extremely aggressive and powerful when they are hungry. Their large plate shaped tail is built for quick accelerate off the mark. They have poor endurance, but they are built for moving quickly to take their prey.

More information on Murray Cod and tips on how to catch them in Nagambie coming soon. Make sure you keep up to date with all my tips around the GoFish Nagambie competition by subscribing to the newsletter.

There’s no denying that we love fish and fishing of any kind. Let’s face it, we don’t need an excuse to get back to basics in the great outdoors, hang-out with mates or family and spend some time with our favourite aquatic friends, wetting a line. However, there is something special about the mystique behind the Murray Cod, and we are going to shed some light on why we are so obsessed with the big Native Greens.

The Iconic fish of Australia.

Murray Cod are beautifully marked. They are the largest solely freshwater fish in Australia, growing in excess of 150 pounds or near 70 kg. They are the apex predators of our rivers and lakes. The hits are explosive, especially when using surface lures. They’ll eat anything that falls in front of them; ducks, snakes, mice. Anything. Best of all, they’ll eat all kinds of lures. Hard body lures, spinnerbaits and surface lures. This species is awesome!

The boof.

The famous Boof! That initial greeting as the Murray Cod engulfs the lure can best be described as sudden and violent and often, your lure will come off second best. The Murray Cod are a strong, powerful fish capable of delivering a strike factor that has few equals. We don’t need to tell you, the adrenaline is like no other.

The challenge.

Cod are an extremely aggressive and territorial species that will hammer anything that comes within range. However, they can be just as fussy at times too, and landing a Cod can be a huge challenge.

The satisfaction.

Sometimes the difference between catching and not catching can be literally inches. Therefore, casting accuracy is essential. You’ll find times when you get a territorial Murray Cod, constantly dragging your lure through their home will induce a reaction bite BUT this can be 10 casts or 10,000 casts. There is nothing more satisfying than persistence paying off and getting the cod after multiple casts.

The Places they take you.

Its not just the cod, its often the places you end up in search of our mighty Murrays. Murray Cod tend to live in the most picturesque locations. Thank you very much Murray Cod for choosing such beautiful homes. From gum-lined rivers that cut their way through agricultural fields, to spectacular gorge country with large boulders.

The Cod evolution.

Gone are the days of the kill and grill era of Murry Cod. This species is now revered as one of Australia’s great sporting fish and we love targeting them. The good news is that numbers are on the rise thanks to the introduction of a closed season, size limit, banning of set lines and catch and release gaining popularity has really helped see a steady increase in the population size. License fees and restocking has also played a huge part.