The cod spinnerbait rig
The Murray cod rig is a big spinnerbait, swimbait or surface lure on heavy braid and a heavy mono or fluorocarbon leader, cast tight to timber for Murray cod and big golden perch. The heavy gear is not for the fight alone, it is for stopping a cod before it buries you in the snag.
| Part | Spec |
|---|---|
| Main line | Heavy braid, around 50–60 lb, on a 300–400 size baitcaster |
| Leader | Heavy mono or fluorocarbon, 40–60 lb, about a rod length: takes the timber and the cod's raspy jaws |
| Lures | Spinnerbait (15–60 g, single Colorado/willow blade) for snags; large swimbait or deep diver (15–30 cm) for open water and impoundments; surface lure (paddler, walker or fizzer) for dusk and dark. Alternate natural and bright |
| Hooks | The lure's own strong trebles or single, sharp and stout; upgrade weak factory hooks on big lures |
What it's for
Murray cod and big golden perch (yellowbelly), cast tight to timber. This is snag fishing: cod hold hard against submerged trees, undercut banks and deep holes, and you put the lure right in their lap, then stop them turning back into the timber when they hit. That is why the gear is heavy. A spinnerbait is the snag-fishing staple, its overhead wire arm fending the hooks off the wood while the blade thumps; a big swimbait or a deep diver covers more open water and the deeper holes of an impoundment; a surface lure worked at dusk and after dark brings cod up to crash it off the top, which is the fishing people travel for. Golden perch take the same lures on lighter versions and fish best as the water warms. The cod close season protects them while they spawn, so check the dates before you go.
The rig at a glance
Read from the rod to the lure. The main line is heavy braid, around 50 to 60 lb, strong enough to cast big lures hard and to lock up on a fish before it reaches the snag. To it is joined a heavy leader of around 40 to 60 lb mono or fluorocarbon, about a rod length long, tied to the braid with an FG knot; the leader takes the rub of timber and a cod's raspy jaws. The lure ties to the end of the leader: a spinnerbait (the wire arm sits over the hook so it slides through wood), a large swimbait or deep diver, or a surface lure. The defining detail is the whole system being heavy on purpose, braid and leader both, because this is fishing in and around timber for a big, hard-pulling fish.
How to build it
- Join the leader to the braid. Tie the heavy mono or fluorocarbon leader to the heavy braid main line with an FG knot, leaving about a rod length of leader. The FG knot is the slim, strong braid-to-leader join that casts cleanly through the rod guides; learning it is worth the effort for any heavy lure fishing. (Wind the leader join onto the spool so it sits inside the guides at the cast.)
- Tie on the lure. Tie the lure to the end of the leader with a Palomar knot, strong and simple and square on heavy line, or with an improved clinch knot straight to the eye or split ring. For a big hardbody or swimbait, a non-slip loop knot gives the lure a freer, livelier swing, which can make a difference on a slow wind. A spinnerbait usually has a line-tie eye on the wire and is best tied directly.
- Check the hooks. Make sure the lure's hooks are sharp and strong before the first cast. Big lures and big fish find weak factory hooks; upgrade them if in doubt. You are ready to cast at the timber.
How to fish it
Cast tight to the cover and be ready the instant the lure lands. Put a spinnerbait right against the timber, let it sink a moment, then wind it back slowly so the blade thumps and the lure bumps the wood, pausing it on the snag where a cod is most likely to grab it. Work a swimbait or deep diver out over the holes and along the deeper edges with a slow, steady wind, letting it tick the bottom or the timber. Save the surface lures for the last of the light and after dark: wind a paddler, walker or fizzer slowly across the top near the snags and over the holes, and hold your nerve when a cod boils on it, because they often miss the first swipe. When a fish hits, set hard and lock up straight away to turn its head before it reaches the timber; this is why the gear is heavy, and it is the difference between landing a cod and losing it in the wood. Golden perch fish the same lures, scaled down a little, and switch on as the water warms in spring. Keep clear of the cod close season and put the big breeders back, they sit outside the slot.
Where this rig works
This is the rig for Murray cod and golden perch wherever they hold in timber. Across the atlas it is fished on the Murray River, Australia's longest river, casting spinnerbaits and surface lures at the snags through the warm months; and on Lake Eildon in Victoria, a big timbered impoundment where swimbaits and deep divers work the arms for trophy cod and golden perch. As the atlas grows, every new water that uses these lures will link to this same page.
Cod spinnerbait rig questions
A big spinnerbait, swimbait or surface lure on heavy braid and a heavy mono or fluorocarbon leader, cast tight to timber. The spinnerbait is the snag staple, the swimbait covers open water and deep holes, and the surface lure brings cod up at dusk and after dark. Golden perch take the same lures, scaled down.
Heavy braid, around 50 to 60 lb, on a 300 to 400 size baitcaster, joined to a heavy leader of 40 to 60 lb mono or fluorocarbon with an FG knot. The heavy gear is to stop a cod turning back into the snag and to take the rub of timber and the fish's raspy jaws, not just for the fight.
Because cod live hard against submerged timber. When one hits, you have to lock up in the first second and turn its head before it reaches the wood, or you lose it. The heavy braid and leader also survive the abrasion of casting into snags and the cod's rough, raspy jaws. It is snag fishing, so it is heavy by design.
An FG knot. It is a slim, strong braid-to-leader join that holds heavy line and casts cleanly through the rod guides, which matters when you are throwing big lures all day. The lure then ties to the leader with a Palomar or an improved clinch, or a non-slip loop for a freer-swimming hardbody.
At dusk and after dark, mostly through the warmer months. Wind a surface lure slowly across the top near the snags and over the holes and a cod will rise and crash it. They often miss the first swipe, so keep the lure moving and do not strike until you feel the weight. This is the fishing many anglers travel for.