AMBASSADOR INSIGHTS
Cold conditions, long days and even longer casts, but the rewards can be next level. Missing at Sea ambassador Matt Mildren shares what he's learned chasing big Murray cod through the winter months, and the Missing at Sea lures he trusts to get the job done.
I want to share some of the things I've learned over the years chasing Murray cod through the bitterly cold winter months: the little details that help me stay prepared for that one opportunity. Because when it finally comes, you want to make sure you're ready.
For many anglers, the thought of fishing through the icy winter months isn't particularly appealing. Rod guides and line freezing over, air temperatures well into the minuses, and fingers so cold they feel like they're about to break off doesn't exactly sound like an ideal day on the water.
But when you see the size of the Murray cod that come out to play through winter, you soon start to warm to the idea.
Chasing cod in impoundments through winter certainly isn't easy. Hours of casting, session after session without a bite, can really crush your spirit. But that's also why the highs are so high on these quests.
And yes, the new era of live sonar can help reduce the number of donut sessions. But if you don't know where to look, and more importantly when to look there, spending thousands of dollars on electronics isn't suddenly going to transform your catch rate.
There are a few things I pay close attention to when I'm planning a cod session.
FINDING MURRAY COD IN DAMSÂ
01. Before the Session: Follow the WindÂ
One skill I originally learned while trout fishing was paying attention to where the wind was pushing smaller food sources such as insects and terrestrials. I've taken that same principle and applied it to Murray cod.
It's all about understanding the food chain.
In the days leading up to a session, I use an app called Windy to look at how much wind we've had and, more importantly, which direction it has been pushing. That gives me a starting point.
I'll identify points, rock walls, bays and shallow flats that have been receiving wind, then make a plan to sound these areas first when I get on the water.
The theory is simple:
"Where the bait goes, the predators will eventually follow."Â
02. Time the Bite: Bite WindowsÂ
There are several bite windows I keep an eye on throughout the day, but one consistently stands above the rest: the change of light.
Most anglers understand that dawn and dusk, or first and last light, are prime feeding periods for predatory fish such as Murray cod. As light levels begin to fade in the afternoon, or build in the morning, cod can become more confident, moving away from structure and actively hunting.
If you can time your session to coincide with these low-light periods, you significantly increase your chances of crossing paths with a feeding fish.
But there's another bite window I always try to align my fishing with. The moon.
We could spend an entire article discussing moon phases and fish behaviour, but to keep it simple, there are four key periods that many anglers believe can trigger increased fish activity. These are commonly referred to as the major and minor bite windows:
Whether it's gravitational forces, changing light levels or simply coincidence, I've seen enough over the years to pay close attention to these windows whenever I'm planning a trip. I allow an hour either side of each one to help increase my chances of a catch.
I wasn't always convinced. One session on the Murrumbidgee River completely changed my mind.
Three boats and six anglers had been fishing side by side all morning and, to put it bluntly, the fishing was painfully slow. We'd barely raised a scale.
Knowing a major moon bite was due around 11:30am, we stopped early for lunch so we could be ready when the window opened.
What happened next was unforgettable. Within half an hour we had a triple hook-up, followed shortly afterwards by two double hook-ups. Six anglers had struggled for hours, then suddenly multiple fish switched on almost simultaneously.
Was it the moon? I can't say with absolute certainty. But experiences like that have taught me to never ignore a bite window.
If I can combine a moon bite with first or last light, I'll plan my entire session around it, every time.
03. Find the Bait
Once you're on the water, it's important to spend some time moving around in daylight hours looking for concentrations of bait.
One thing you'll notice in dams such as Eildon and Wyangala is that once the sun goes down, a lot of the bait can drop towards the bottom, making it considerably harder to locate, even with live sonar.
This is where the wind becomes such an important starting point. Where has the wind been pushing the food? Where are those baitfish likely to have concentrated?
I'll use that information to identify points, bays and flats worth investigating, then use my electronics to confirm whether the bait is actually there. Once I find those areas, I mark them on the chart and come back during the prime bite windows.
"Find the bait during the day, then be there when the cod are ready to feed."Â
04. What Is the Bait Source?Â
Not every dam holds the same food sources. Down here in southern Australia, many of our impoundments are dominated by redfin and carp, while others may contain trout, roach, bony bream, spangled perch, smaller cod and yellowbelly.
Understanding the primary food sources in a dam gives you a starting point for choosing the right lure profile, size and colour. But I think we can take that one step further.
It's not just about what the bait looks like. It's about how the bait behaves.
- Does it move quickly through the water column?
- Does it slowly sulk along the bottom?
- Does it hug structure?
- Or does it dart freely through open water?
If we can understand both the appearance and the behaviour of the food source, we can choose a lure that doesn't just look like what a cod is eating, but moves like it too. I think that can make a huge difference to how convincing our presentation becomes.
That brings me to lure selection. Here are a few of the lures from the Missing at Sea range, when and where I use them, and some of my preferred rigging options.
MATT'S WINTER COD LURES
The Death Bone was engineered with trophy-class fish in mind. Its lifelike swimming action mimics several key bait species, including redfin, bony bream, spangled perch and carp.
I'll swim this lure relatively quickly through the shallower parts of the lake, but it really comes into its own when fished deeper on the pendulum while chasing fish on live sonar. There's something about that lifelike swimming action rolling directly over the head of a feeding cod that can be incredibly difficult for them to resist.
Rigging: the Death Bone comes pre-rigged with a heavy-duty BKK hook, but you can add a treble to the belly. A size 1, 3X treble is plenty.
Best for: Versatile presentations from shallow flats to deeper water.
The Magbone is very similar to the Death Bone, but it can be rigged with a little more intent.
We know Murray cod will often aim their bite towards the head or nose of a baitfish, so being able to position two trebles around the front half of the lure, thanks to the magnetic hook hanger in the head, is a real advantage. It gives you plenty of hook exposure around the business end of the bait.
The Magbone can be fished in much the same way as the Death Bone, but its fork-tail profile gives it a slightly more subtle presentation. I particularly like it when I'm targeting fish holding at four metres and deeper, where that slower, more controlled presentation really comes into its own.
Best for: Deeper fish and slower, controlled presentations.
The Death Shad mimics many of the smaller bait profiles you'll find in freshwater lakes really well. It has a mean body roll, even on the slowest wind, which makes it one of the easiest lures in the Death Bait family to rig and fish.
It's a simple bait, but its versatility in rigging is what makes it stand out. With a cavity in the belly and a slit along the back, it can be rigged weedless and fished through heavy cover. Or match it with a jig head with a chin loop, and run a harness or a simple swinging treble from the front.
Best for: Slow retrieves, structure and heavy cover.
The Death Tail is something many saltwater anglers will be used to throwing, but pin tail plastics are quickly taking freshwater fishing by storm, especially for cod.
The technique is called strolling, or hover strolling. It's a finesse technique that uses a light, slow-falling soft plastic to hold in the zone and trigger bites. It's best used in conjunction with live sonar: the presentation is so subtle it doesn't create as much draw as other techniques, so you need to be on the money with your cast. I like to add a popping action to the lure when it's close to the nose of the fish.
This technique works best in lakes with prolific redfin, spangled perch or bony bream populations, as the action best represents an injured small baitfish.
Best for: Precise, finesse presentations targeting individual fish.
AFTER THE TRIPÂ
Once I've finished a session or trip, I like to document my catches and bites, or lack thereof. That's how I've been able to draw some of these conclusions and find patterns throughout the year.
Like many anglers, I used to keep a diary, but it's 2026 and we have these things called apps. One that has really caught my attention keeps all the information I need in one place and presents it in a super digestible format.
It's called Prime Time (link: https://primetimefishing.com.au/). One of my mates from Social Fishing built it from scratch, drawing on the key information sources we've identified over the years to create the ultimate fishing app.
"Stop guessing and start being intentional about when and where you fish."Â
Leave a comment