"Big lures, big fish".
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That approach doesn't always apply, but last weekend it certainly did for 38-year-old Cowra angler Steven Porter as he reeled in the fish-of-a-lifetime from the waters of Wyangala.
Mr Porter landed a massive, metre-plus Murray cod from Wyangala last Saturday, his eight-inch Jackall Gantia swimbait proving enough to lure the monster from a snag close to top-water.
The whopping native, which Mr Porter released safely after a quick photo, came in at 108 centimetres to become the second metre-plus cod Mr Porter's landed in a lifetime of fishing. The other was five centimetres smaller and came from the same waters.
Some people go their whole lives without getting one over a metre, so it was pretty exciting to get another one over that mark.
- Steven Porter
"I pretty much put my rod up after that one and just tried to help the mate I was with get one," Mr Porter laughed.
"Some people go their whole lives without getting one over a metre, so it was pretty exciting to get another one over that mark.
"I'd seen it sitting on the snag on the fishfinder but I didn't realise how big it actually was until I swum (my lure) past it and it just went 'boof', and hit it."
As ambush predators, Murray cod lie in wait for unsuspecting prey to drift into their territory before swooping.
Smaller cod are no pushovers but the biggest hit lures like freight trains, which is so much of the reason they are one of inland Australia's greatest targets.
Mr Porter's not been the only fisho who's felt that 'boof' since the cod season opened last year - it runs from December 1 to September 1, before closing to protect endangered species' three-month breeding season.
If you're looking in the right places on social media you'll have found it awash with bucketloads of anglers' snapshots of their much-coveted "metrey", plenty of which have been pulled from Wyangala as well.
Mr Porter suggested that could have a lot to do with the relative health of the reservoir's biodiversity.
"I've been out a handful of times over the season, particularly over my holiday break, and it really seems like it's thriving out there at the moment. I've heard of plenty of other big fish being caught," Mr Porter said.
"I snuck out for a night session not long ago and you could actually see bait schools in the light behind the boat, which was pretty cool to watch.
"I actually had a cod cough up a juvenile trout too, which I've not seen in Wyangala for a long time, so maybe (previous years') stocking efforts are working."
Wide-spread native stocking efforts remain in motion across the region and state, however it must be noted the health of populations in region's genuine river systems as opposed to man-made catchments and dams is another question entirely.
Murray cod and other native species across the region and state have been through the wringer in recent years and a number still remain endangered and facing substantial threats from factors both environmental and otherwise.
Specifically, Murray cod populations have declined severely since European colonisation, with anglers reminded to practice proper handling of Australia's largest freshwater fish and strictly observe bag and size limits.
Only cod between 55 and 75 centimetres can be kept, with a daily limit of two and possession limit of four.
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