Wagga-based fisho, Clint Hansell is a self-confessed Murray cod addict, who relentlessly chases his big cod highs at even bigger NSW impoundments, like Blowering dam. Actually, if you’ve fished Blowering dam over the last 2 years, chances are you’ve seen Clint working over a bank like it owed him money.
But with that precious time on the water comes priceless wisdom that very few obtain from the comfort of their couch or warmth of their garage.
With that in mind, Clint has loosened his lips and shared a few pearls of Murray cod wisdom that sees his fishing CV reveal a $1.29 PB and more than 23 metre fish (5 over $1.20) have fallen to his sword of graphite in the last two seasons alone.
The Boat Side Pause
Starting off, his first tip – the boat side pause – is as simple as it is effective.
However, don’t be fooled by its simplicity with this little technique landing Clint a career worth of cod including a 118, 114, 103, 98, 91 and 68 over the last two seasons alone – all were donut saving fish, too!
As the name suggests, you simply let your bait hang in the water at the end of a retrieve, with roughly a rod length of line in the water. This works especially well with swimbaits, courtesy of their neutral buoyancy that sees a lot of them sit parallel in the water – like an actual fish.
This is much easier to do during the day as you can see the bait as it enters your eye line. However, you’re not afforded this luxury at night and have to use other cues, like the customary click of a leader knot ticking through the top guide to remind you to pause for five seconds.
After a handful of seconds, Clint will then slowly lift his rod in a sideways motion before the bait breaks the water’s surface and he recoils ready for the next cast.
This works especially well in cooler water as the cod will stalk your bait for quite a journey before deciding whether to exert its valuable winter energy on a possible snack.
So, there you have it, next time the impoundment lights are out and you’re trying to wrestle a green goblin aboard, make sure you take a leaf out of Clint’s book and watch your wait. It may even be the donut saving tip you’ve been looking for.