2023 Cod Classic - "Mega Cod – Huge Weekend"

Celebrating the 24^th Yamaha Cod Classic, things look like they have turned for the better, finally! After two years of Covid then the floods of 2022, the crew at the Mulwala Football Netball Club were looking for a break and it has finally come. No disaster warnings, no cancellations, just the prediction of a perfect weekend weather wise that laid ahead for all participants that were looking to compete in the 2023 event. At the close of registrations, 2196 excited anglers (435 up on 2022) were locked in and ready to chase the mighty green fish at “the Home of the Murray Cod – Lake Mulwala”.

Gates opened 4pm Friday afternoon. With the Yamaha Kids Fun Motorbikes in attendance along with 20+ trade stalls, 7 food vendors, the first round of the Australian Pro Casting Championships and “Cod Talk” featuring Thomas “The Captain” Pinter and Merv Hughes, participants had different things to look at well into the evening. After an event briefing, the first of the lucky door prize boats was drawn. The lucky winner ended up being Leslie Austen of Shepparton. Winners had to be present, it was found out later that the first fella who had his name drawn out had decided to go home early to get ready for the following days fishing. Big mistake Guy Rehfisch of Ballarat!!  

Saturday morning fishing conditions proved amazing with light winds and plenty of sun.  First reports suggested that plenty of Cod were being caught but it was the Carp, especially downstream in the Murray River that were giving everybody plenty of fun. Post the floods of 2022, numbers had boomed and they were being brough back to collection points at a fast rate. Saturday arvo’s wind blew up a bit but it certainly didn’t stop the fish from biting. At the end of the day anglers lined up in droves to have their days catch recorded. Andrew McKee had landed an absolute slob of a Cod that could have weighed around the 60lb mark but only measured 102cms. This was going to give Andrew a nervous night’s sleep as he was the club house leader going into the final morning’s fishing Sunday.

Saturday night saw all competitors plus many other onlookers converge on the Mulwala Football Ground for what proved to be a magnificent evening.  In excess of 130 major prizes were given away through junior and adult lucky door prizes and the “Mega Raffle”. The first major boating package winner on Saturday night was a junior, Mathew Boyd of Lethbridge who took out the mega raffle. A great reward for Mathew who unluckily had his electric motor stolen the night before. Unbelievably, he also won another major prize of a Humminbird sounder to go with his new boat!  Daniel Corboy from Leonay in Sydney also enjoyed the weekend away. His number was lucky enough to come up for the major lucky door prize boating package. He took home another of the Yamaha / Quintrex / Humminbird boating package.

Sunday’s fishing conditions were perfect once again giving anglers a final chance to catch either a legal sized Cod, 45cm+ Golden Perch or Carp to get themselves into the prize draws. Plenty more photos were returned for verification but the only movement on the leader board came in the form of the biggest Cod. This was presented by Vito Lorusso and measured a very healthy 105cms. Interestingly, this Cod was taken on a surface lure at 7.15am in the morning. The overnight junior leader in Ky Reardon held out all other juniors to take the junior champion title. Robyn Eddy topped the field in the Golden Perch / Yellowbelly section with a monster measuring 61.5cms, the longest in the events 24yr history. The longest Carp measured 90cm, that being caught by Josh Conduit. Matt Rogers took out his third Hobie “Australian Canoe & Kayak Cod Fishing Champion” title landing a 74.5cm Cod from his yak. In total fish numbers were better than ever before with 892 Cod measuring in excess of 55cms, 450 Golden Perch measuring 45cm+ and 2680 carp were caught.

All fishing sections winners were presented with their goods followed by many “Catch & Release” prizes for those who had caught good fish. Mark Scott of Huntly was the lucky winner of the Open Carp prize draw boat whilst Troy Gundry of Bannockburn took home the adults “Catch & Release” boating package.

A massive thank you goes out to our many sponsors and volunteers who support the Cod Classic. Your assistance is appreciated, we could not do without you.

Once again, the biggest thanks of all must go to all our loyal competitors who have supported the Cod Classic over the past 24 years. You have been the ones who have made this into Australia’s largest and most popular freshwater fishing event.

We look forward to hosting the 25^th “Silver Anniversary” Cod Classic in 2024.

Cheers, Tony Bennett, 2023 Cod Classic Event Director, Mulwala Football Netball Club.