From the earliest memories of a simpler time where the jumper sleeve and a hanky were one and the same. As a youngster I still recall the hand-picked sucker from the Aussie bush shaved of leaves and twigs from which the line was hung. A magnificent rod to behold and many a river blackfish, tupong and redfin would test its knotted spine back in the day. While I am now a little more spoiled for rod choice, some things never change. The snail clad sleeve still a tool to brush the snot on those frosty winter morns and my choice of rod still hewn on Australian soil.
As a self-confessed Murray cod tragic I have spent the past few decades refining the way I fish for cod. Each angling step is set in place to perform to big fish requirements. Lures are tinkered to maximum efficiency, new split rings and trebles honed razor sharp for the chance to even prick and hold the finest slither of skin. It’s a one percent challenge where knots tied with surgical precision are checked and rechecked so as to hold the canning strike of a giant cod when it comes. Of all the tools required the right rod to deliver these lures has always eluded my grasp.
In truth I have always liked longer rods, especially when targeting Murray cod where two-handed casts provide the leverage required to send larger lures over long distance. In the early days I remember sawing the bottom handle from a broken rod and fixing it as an extension on the handle of my favourite casting stick at the time. This was my first two-handed baitcasting rod and, while it was great to cast, I stripped all the American styled micro guides out with my leader knot before seasons end. In a strange twist those exact rods were released in a new model the next season with an even shorter butt section than they originally started with. It seemed no one really understood cod fishing or the concept of casting large lures and the effort required until a few years down the track. ‘
From the outside looking in it didn’t seem that difficult. These were Australian fish, massive green tubs, explosive in power and able to implode your average largemouth bass in a single boof. So why continue importing bass-styled rods to target one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. In truth I believe the full worth of these fish, while prized by many dedicated cod addicts, was not then fully appreciated by the industry.
At last somebody finally got it. I recall wondering on the first time I held the 8kg Venom Baitcaster at a length of seven foot and weighing just 158 grams whether it might hold up to the raging tantrum of a fresh hooked timber bound cod. In the hand it felt perfectly suited to two handed casts where distance and accuracy were of big importance. Light and strong it was also fitted with runners to accommodate heavier leader materials and knots.
A few weeks on we are fishing the cliff structure along the Murray River in South Australia. Our goal a massive green fish on the cast using large hard-bodied lures. The first day out was a hard slog from sun up till dark; a thousand casts come and went each unscathed by these elusive green river giants. This alone is taxing on the body and soul as every cast is placed and wound as though it is about to be struck. At day’s end I remember feeling good in body and limb for such a session, even though we had drawn a blank.
Next morning much the same until the familiar sharp tick as the lure was engulfed down the lip clad gob of a massive Murray cod. The rod loaded up well and the monster fish was drawn from the depths into the net where we could only marvel at its size. These giant fish are special and the work required in caching one halved by using the right equipment. There was little need to wonder on the power for weight ratio of the 8kg Venom as it tamed the monster cod with little effort.
Our next trip the majestic Darling River carved through arid land this river has a beauty all its own and it’s also home to some very big Murray cod. At first I thought on the length of the 8kg stick in this smaller body of water, but once again we would be casting larger lures and the extra few yards distance might be needed should we decide to walk the bank. On some stretches of water, the snags on the opposite bank are all but out of reach of many anglers who are fishing standard rod styles. I remember at one such hole Dean Norbiato was fishing the 6kg Venom, also a seven-foot model, punching a cast towards a snag on the opposite bank. Sure enough few, if any, lures had tempted this fish as it imploded the snake-styled lure from the surface on the second cast.
Towards season end we were to revisit this great river and smash out five solid Murray cod for the day casting lures this time from a boat. While there was no problem reaching the snags, not once did I wish for a shorter rod.
There are many benefits to using longer styled rods that are often overlooked by anglers. Other than increased casting distance, when you set the hook you are doing so with much greater force as you load the full length of the rod. Then there is the power to turn fish from cover into open water – these rods are designed and able to take the fight to the fish.
By seasons end the 8kg Venom was just part of my cod fishing system and just one less thing to draw my attention away from the intended target when I am out on the water. If you are worried about your gear and how it’s performing, then you are not fishing to your full potential. No worries with the 8kg Venom Baitcaster that is now my all-time favourite cod stick.
And just like my first hand whittled rod that was born of the Aussie bush, these rods too are designed and made right here. Aussie Rods for Aussie fish – it really is just that simple.
