Codseeker lures

Stumpjumper Lures

Predatek Boomerang 80mm

Oar-Gee Lures

Swagman Lures

Humminbird

Lowrance

Eagle

Raymarine

Garmin

A new lure designed through an old idea has immerged, the Codseeker lure, it is based around the huge lures of old that have seemed to have disappeared with time. It is a massive 185mm long and dives down 10m+ and is targeted at large Murray Cod. These awesome lures are hand crafted from timber and have been the result of allot of hard work from privateer Michael Poulos who hales from the Tamworth area of NSW and is a passionate Murray Cod supporter.

The most common and ever reliable trolling lures are mostly Australian made, one of these are the Stumpjumper in sizes 1 & 2. The Stumpjumper #1 is probably one of the most popular and most widely distributed lure around today and they have earned a spot in almost every Troller's tackle box as they are almost indestructible and have an interchanging bib system. This enables the lure to be suited to different conditions and depths of water which make this a very versatile option to have when trolling place's like Lake Mulwala with varying deep channels and holes. Others that are just as effective are Knol's "Native" 75mm, Swagman "Jumbuck's" 100mm, Custom Crafted "Hammerheads" 85mm, Oar-gee "Plow" 75mm, Predatek "Boomerang" 80mm & "Vipers", Halco "Poltergeist" 80mm & "Scorpion" 125mm & 150mm, Eddy Lure's "Dambuster's", Majik "Mulga's" 100mm, Deception "Scampi's", Killalure "Snarl's" and Bounty Hunter "Grave Digger's". This list is by no means comprehensive as there are a stack more that can be added to the list. Talk to other Troller's and get a feel for what they use in a given area and then make your mind up.

All these lures are designed to get down deep into the snags where the native fish lurk and wait for an easy meal to come to them or attack an intruder that has entered into it's territory. The depth that these lures will travel largely depends on the diameter and the length of line that you have out. For instance, the Knol's 75mm Native is not a very large lure but dives down to a massive 7.5m (25ft+). The Manufacturer states that with 3m of line out this lure will dive 300mm for every 1m of line let out and by the time you have 30m of line out the lure is at it's maximum depth. What this means is with a smaller diameter  line used you will get you lure deeper and that's what is needed to start knocking the timber of the Murray Cod's lair.

The rising popularity of the Spinnerbait has shown that it too can be used as a trolling lure with a good deal of success. The heavier types are best with large or multiple blades, trolled at the correct speed you will be surprised at the attention they will attract. The best speed is a dead slow troll but with addition of a little weight you can step up to normal troll speed for variance. A little experimenting will take you a long way to having success. Spinnerbait's are a great way to feel just how agro our native fish can get and you will find they hit these lures hard.

Trolling speed is always a point of conjecture and many will give varying advice. Our advice would be to experiment with different lures and you will find they all work better with varying speeds. Each lure has its own unique action and feel, vary your trolling speed until you can feel the correct action for that particular lure and keep to that speed. Some lures will keep their action at different speeds and some tend to only work well at one constant speed. This all sounds confusing but will all make sense after a little experience and you will have a good feel yourself at what speed to troll your favourite lures.

Another piece of equipment that is becoming vital in helping you to navigate trolling water's and avoid getting snagged up is the Sounder. These electronic gizmo's are an invaluable tool to help you get a clear picture of depth of water, contour of the bottom and gauge just how much timber is lying on the bottom. This information can assist you in knowing when to expect a large snag that might grab your lure so you can take evasive action and may help you save valuable time and money with retrieving or losing lures. It also gives you a picture of good fish holding area's and where your likely to get a hit. You'll need to spend upwards of $500 when purchasing a quality Sounder but that are well worth the money.

So all we can tell you now is to get out there and give it a go, experiment and learn the feel of the lure you are using and one other piece of equipment you have to have is a good heavy tackle retriever. These cost around the same as a lure but are worth their weight in gold once you have retrieved a number of lures. You will find Trolling enjoyable and it can be used to break the day up a bit and give you a break from a long casting stint. We find that it's a good time to have a cuppa or a cold drink or even a meal when we go Trolling, just keep in mind to be watching out for snags or even better a crunch form a Murray Cod. So you kick over your cuppa and step on your sandwiches, who cares when your mate yells, "Where're on".

See ya on the water.

ABOVE. Murray Cod & #1 Stumpjumper caught & trolled by Wayne Tempest.

BELOW. Wayne Tempest with another fine catch by on a Knol's 75 Native.

Trolling Motors

Minn Kota

Motorguide

The Tackleback (original)

Murray Monsters Lure Retriever