Spring is here, and for the first time Copeton Dam is the only NSW waterway that’s NOT closed for cod fishing. In years gone by we’ve had to put away the cod lures for those three months, and it’s going to be very interesting to see if the fish throw caution to the wind from 1 September. Here’s hoping so.

The cod fishing through the last month has been exceptional, with many fish over a metre caught and released. One of the big advantages of our winter cod bite is that the fish we are catching are being released in great condition, and this is due to a number of factors. Firstly, most of the fish are being caught in relatively shallow water, from around 5-25ft, so no barotrauma. Secondly, there’s very little difference in surface and deeper water temperature, and this eliminates the shock to the fish (temperature differences can cause problems for released fish in summer when surface temps can exceed 30°C).

This month Copeton Waters Holiday Park will be hosting the inaugural Copeton Cod Classic. Held on the weekend of 19-20 September, it will pit some of the best cod fishers in the country against each other. I can’t wait to see the results, and also to check out some of the methods and lures that will be used by the competitors. It may be that someone who thinks outside the square will come up with the next go-to technique or latest crazy new lure for these amazing fish.

Last month I promised to talk about lures. I have fished Copeton for 35+ years, and I have consistently caught bigger cod over the last few years – and the only thing I have changed is the size of the lures I use. For years we “fished to catch fish”, meaning we used lures that would appeal to any fish that happened to swim past. We mostly used hardbody deep divers between 50-100mm long or spinnerbaits up to 5/8oz. These did catch lots of yellowbelly to well over 60cm and 8kg, and plenty of cod up to about 80cm, but that metre cod eluded me for 30 years.

It’s only over the last few years at Copeton that the use of large lures has really become popular. I think some locals knew and have been keeping it to themselves for years! This change in what is considered an effective size for a cod lure follows on from the work of some of the cod fishing gurus down south, Rod McKenzie and friends, who have pioneered trolling big lures in the Murray River for monster cod. The catch rate in Copeton has gone through the roof now that these big lures have become the standard.

Copeton’s winter surface bite has created the need for big surface lures, and as a result some of our cottage lure producers have had their heads down over their workbenches making some amazing and inventive lures to satisfy the demand. Rick Peel from Mudeye Lures has been at the forefront of design and production of lures for the Copeton surface cod fishery, and some of his new lures are amazing. The Snake is a four-segment wake bait that is nearly a foot long (30cm), and the way some of Rick’s big jointed paddlers work has to be seen to be believed. The Kingfisher Mantis is another local favourite in both the 110cm jointed and the revamped 120mm sizes.

Don’t discount any surface lure, especially if you know a fish is there and has seen some of the more aggressive surface lures. You may get some renewed interest with something more subtle like a saltwater stickbait worked slowly in a walk-the-dog fashion. I also know a guy who regularly uses a large GT popper just slowly retrieved across the surface with little or no action, and he gets very good results.

Cod can be frustratingly hard to hook when using surface presentations, probably because of the amount of water they move when they hit; it tends to push the lure away from their mouth. I have had a scorecard that has read 11 strikes for no fish landed. Very frustrating! To try to help with this situation I recommend an upgrade of hardware to chemically sharpened 2x or 3x strong hooks. I have been using ST41 and ST56 Owners with good results. It can also help to upsize hooks.

Another trick that I have tried, which David Green made popular some years ago for barra lures, is the use of double or triple split rings. By doing this on the rear hook and upsizing (say, from a 1/0 to a 2/0) the hook can hang much deeper under the lure, which seems to increase hook-up rates.

I guess the take home message is to always think about what’s happening and what you might be able to do to improve your results. Don’t be afraid to try something new.