In the last few years fishing really big lures for Murray cod has taken off with anglers chasing massive green fish.

To meet this demand, the crafty Australian lure designers have developed and released a range of lures over 12cm that are specifically designed to target these big fish. And that 12cm is at the crux of this review. We are going to present as many Murray cod lures over 12cm long that we can find – and that includes spinnerbaits, chatter-style baits, hardbodied lures and surface lures. As long as it’s big, it’s in.

Just one more word on the definition; big also includes hard bodied lures that have painted or metal bibs as the bib forms part of the body profile. In clear-bibbed models the bib is not included in the overall length.

So why have big lures become so popular in the last few years? Is it that anglers are chasing bigger fish? Do they want lures to get deeper? Do big cod have a preference for bigger, one-off meals? Do you need a big lure to hang big terminal tackle from when chasing big fish? I decided to talk to a few gun anglers and a few of the lure manufacturers to get a bit of an overview of why anglers should have at least a few big cod lures in their box – or as the case may be, in a separate box!

A bit of history shows that bigger lures for bigger cod have been around for years. For starters the real old timers who trolled aeroplane spinners behind their boats went for the biggest home made versions they could find to tempt bigger fish. Then came the Flatfish in all its sizes, but cod anglers loved the big 5.5” model and then some of the Bagley’s stable of lures used for walleye fishing entered the market. Models like the Bagley’s Smoo look a lot like modern Australian cod lures.

After seeing how well these lures worked, Australian lure crafters got into the act with the legendary Peter Newell producing the famous and very much in demand Kadaitcha with painted bib and eyes on the bottom of the lure. The Kadaitcha really set a benchmark for large cod lures and many similar lures followed. But then, with dwindling cod numbers, worsening environmental conditions and poor fisheries management large lures dropped right out of favour for years.

That was until more recently when big lures like the CodSeeker from Michael Poulos shocked anglers with its sheer size (the original was 175mm) and now we have a range of quality, Australian-built large cod lures that are made specifically for big cod.

Cod are an aggressive and territorial fish. They are classic ambush predators that do not like other fish in their home zone. Sure there are cases where you will find more than one big cod on one snag, but each of these cod has its own home zone that the other cod stay out of, and vice versa. Anglers take advantage of both the predatory nature and the aggressive behaviour of cod by using big lures.

Rod Mackenzie (www.codmac.com.au) is no stranger to big cod, in fact he can be regarded as amongst the top big cod anglers in Australia. He firmly embraces big lures, whether casting or trolling, when he is targeting big cod.

“Have you ever noticed the change in body language when man’s best friend happens to spy a cat?” asked Rod when I spoke to him. I was hooked, so what’s the connection?

“This is the way I would envisage a large Murray cod might react when an oversized lure swims tantalizingly close to the cod’s home.

“The opportunity to pounce often overrides the cautious nature of the beast and the cod engages the food item in a life threatening embrace,” said Rod.

Large lures also have the ability to create a presence that can be viewed as a threat by a cod. Rod said “This intrusion will often draw a response from fish that, in feeding terms, are otherwise shut down.

“Either way, big lures most often draw the required response from big cod,” finished Rod.

Rod also went on to say that there were many other possible reasons why big cod lures are a necessary item in your tackle box including their high buoyancy, ability to reach greater depths, the larger meal size theory and of course the ability to carry larger terminals.

Roger Miles (www.codhunter.com.au ) is a Murray cod guide and has plenty of experience chasing the big green fish. Being on the water more than most gives Roger an opportunity to not only work out strategies for targeting big cod, but to also trial and assess these strategies almost daily.

“Big lures definitely attract bigger fish,” said Roger. “It’s just one of those things that you need to know if you are specifically targeting a big cod.

“Sure you will catch big cod on light gear and smaller lures, but in big cod country, give them something that is in their face and annoys them, or represents a decent meal served on their doorstep,” said Roger.

Michael Poulos (www.codseekerlures.com.au ) designed one of the first widely accepted big cod lures on the market, the CodSeeker 175. Michael and his mate Adrian Preston have made a habit of catching oversized cod on his oversized creations and his thoughts are well worth considering as to why big lures for big cod are an essential tool.

Michael says “When you catch your first really large Murray cod you will notice that everything is BIG!

“Big mouth, big lips, the list goes on so it seems sensible to offer theses brutes something large,” said Michael.

Big lures to an oversized fish represent a decent meal and the effort required to catch that meal makes it worthwhile to the fish. It’s kind of like the theory that if you’re hungry a hamburger with the lot looks a lot more interesting than a single grape.

“Oversized lures get noticed by active fish simply because of their sheer size, while a smaller offering may be ignored or go un-noticed.

“Most importantly, a large lure can take the hardware (hooks, rings and tow points) needed to stay connected with these brutal fish. 4/0 to 6/0 triple and sometimes quadruple strong trebles need to be used if you are to have any chance of landing the really big ones and even extra strong hooks this size get straitened from time to time,” finished Michael.

Glen Casey (www.bassman.com.au ) has experienced the mega-cod bug first hand and his latest design DT Spinnerbaits and Mumblers reflect just how much stock Glen places in bigger lures for bigger cod. Being a lure designer means Glen has the opportunity to talk to many anglers and draws on their experience, and his own, when it comes time to design a new big cod lure.

“It seems more and more anglers now understand that to tempt a big cod more often you need a big offering,” said Glen.

“I’ve been very lucky to fish with some of the best big cod anglers and while they have all caught great fish on smaller lures, when it’s the big ones they want, it’s the big lures they go for.

“Why big fish eat bigger lures is open to speculation. Is it a bigger meal, a territorial response or just more vibration through the water? I don’t know the fish have never told me, but I do know that big lures work wonders on bigger fish.

“And don’t believe you are excluding smaller fish from your catch either. Plenty of smaller cod and golden perch eat lures half their body size. I know, it’s scary how aggressive they can be!” finished Glen.

So take these thoughts on big cod lures from some of the best in the business and have confidence that what you’re about to do is not a form of insanity – well at least not a serious form of insanity. Big lures for big cod does work as a theory and the best of the best have been applying that theory for a few years, so why don’t you take the plunge?

With that said let’s look at what’s on offer for the seriously large lure fancier.

AC Lures burst onto the Australian native lure scene almost 10 years ago and the release of the biggest in the range, the 150 Invader, brings all the excellent design and quality control features AC Lures is known for to the fore.

Made from polyurethane, this virtually indestructible lure comes in two diving depths – a 35+ version and a 40+ version. Since they started AC Lures have always had exceptional attention to details and the biggest in their range are no exception. These lures not only appeal to big green fish, they also keep anglers keen on a quality product happy.

With the option of standard hooks or an upgrade to Owner chemically sharpened trebles, the AC Invader 150 is right at the top end of big lures for big green fish.

Like its big brother the AC Invader 120 is built from polyurethane making it tough enough to handle anything big cod can throw at it.

The Invader 120 comes in two diving depths also, reaching 35+ feet and 40+ feet. This smaller version of the 150 was designed for casting fans and many large cod are falling for this lure whether the angler is casting or trolling. At 80g, whether that be the 35+ or 40+ version, you will need to use a rod that is capable of casting this lure, but once you have this lure in the water you will understand why so many large cod are falling to its attractive action and finish.

Also with the option of standard hooks or an Owner upgrade, the AC Invader 120 is already making a big impact on large cod lure fans and on large cod.

Since its release the Mumbler has quickly risen to cult status amongst serious cod fishers with a string of massive beasts to its credit.

At the heart of this lure is a super strong 1oz head that sports a big vibration plate. Behind the head Glen Casey has strategically used a 6” Bozo’s Mullet soft plastic that has been pre-rigged with a stinger hook. Of course the big Mumbler comes in an almost infinite array of colours, which just adds to its appeal as local anglers can tailor their Mumbler to their needs.

Through the water the Mumbler has to be seen to be believed. It vibrates like nothing else and sends strong signals back to the angler that the lure is working. With the ability to be fished at any depth, the 1oz Mumbler is in a prime position to take on a lot of big cod.

The DT Spinnerbait from Bassman was specifically designed for targeting big cod.

The core design of this lure involved the use of two massive Colorado blades hung on separate arms that ingeniously linked into the spinnerbait head. The DT also sports a Bozo’s Mullet or Worm plastic rigged with a stinger hook and the colour combinations are almost endless.

The DT is a big and heavy spinnerbait but it can successfully be fished at almost any depth because the Colorado blades drag the lure up in the water column quite easily. It is a classic super slow retrieve spinnerbait that works as well on the drop as it does on the slow retrieve.

This lure is one of the first of the new brigade of large cod lures and when it hit the shelves in 2002 not too many anglers saw the potential of this beast of a lure. Originally manufactured as a 185mm lure, it was reworked down to 150mm to aid in reducing drag through the water while maintaining that enticing wide and slow action native fishers just love.

Luckily a few clued in anglers understood what such a large lure could do and the Codseeker 150 became a cult hit amongst serious big cod fishers throughout Australia. Made from timber to give the lure that solid feel through the water, the Codseeker 150 is fitted out with super strong terminals to ensure even the biggest cod stays connected.

The 90mm Hammerhead is a classic native fish lure for those who love casting and trolling. In fact Hammerheads of one description or another have been in the Custom Crafted range for the past 20 years.

Head designer Steve Kovacs is self-confessed tinkerer and when he hears the slightest rumour of someone wanting something a little different he knuckles down to work and produces another gem. Although this lure has not had a dramatic change in design, a new bib arrangement gets the lure down to an impressive 40+ feet and with the addition of a painted bib or holographic tape, the 90mm Hammerhead was reborn into a 160mm, deep diving monster.

Steve Kovacs says that enlarging the profile by bib painting means anglers can still cast the 90mm Hammerhead, yet be in a better position to persuade a bigger cod to attack the lure.

The 110mm Hammerhead was one of the original bigger cod lures that anglers trolled around quite happily catching cod and golden perch until the big lure craze started a few years back. Now a 110mm lure is considered a casting lure!

But like the 90mm Hammerhead, its bigger brother the 110mm version has had its bib remodelled and coloured to provide extra depth and a massive profile of almost 190mm. Like all Custom Crafted Lures, the paintwork is spectacular and the ability of the lure to reach 40 feet plus means that deepwater cod are now in serious trouble of being tempted by this lure.

And being built on the original 100mm body, this lure can still be cast quite comfortably, yet reach significantly deeper on the retrieve than the standard 100mm Hammerhead.

The Python, so named due to its slim-line, snake-like appearance is fast becoming the top selling large style Murray Cod lure for JD Lures.

This lure is designed to reach depths of 35ft plus and gets down very fast. Its slim design alleviates water resistance and its buoyancy to bib size ratio makes it a lure that will maintain depth at very slow speeds.

It has a very wide, rolling swimming action that large cod find irresistible and is designed to be very snag resistant so that it can be crashed through the worst snags in those deeper holes in our rivers and impoundments with the least possible chance of getting caught up.

The large bib makes the lure kick over most obstructions and the lure will reverse up and away from a snag if given slack line. This, with the bib to body wire towing system, makes these lures one of the most versatile and super tough lures on the market today.

The 140 Python Craw Series is the same deadly lure as the original Python but comes in all new colours and the added bonus of realistic vinyl sticker yabby-like claws on the bib to increase the lure’s apparent size.

This lure is designed to reach depths of 35ft plus and gets down very fast. Its slim design alleviates water resistance and its buoyancy to bib size ratio makes it a lure that will maintain depth at very slow speeds.

It has a very wide, rolling swimming action that large cod find irresistible and is designed to be very snag resistant so that it can be crashed through the worst snags in those deeper holes in our rivers and impoundments with the least possible chance of getting caught up.

The large bib makes the lure kick over most obstructions and the lure will reverse up and away from a snag if given slack line. This, with the bib to body wire towing system, makes these lures one of the most versatile and super tough lures on the market today.

Early tests with lures similar to these finished products have been very promising with great result on large cod.

Designed specifically for trophy-size Murray cod, the 150 Super Bug is a huge lure in anyone's book. The theory of "big lure big fish" certainly rings true when it comes to cod and lures don't come much bigger than these.

The 150 Super Bugs have a wide swaying action and the lures are best trolled or retrieved at slow speeds, but designer Jamie Harris has ensured these lures will handle moderate retrieve pace quite comfortably.

These lures will dive to over 30ft depending on drop back on the troll and the line class being used and are designed to be snag resistant, kicking over most snags or reversing away from obstructions when given slack line.

Fitted with bib to body tow wire for super strength the 150 Super Bug is a serious big fish lure.

The MoHawk is a wide-bodied lure that sports an interesting stripe of hair down its back, making this unique in a field big lures.

Diving between 20-40 feet, the MoHawk 130 was created specifically for large cod in deep water. With its roots in the New England area, the MoHawk has taken fish all throughout the range of Murray cod and the 130 comes rigged with 6H split rings and 4/0 Eagle Claw trebles.

Five colours in the range make the MoHawk more than just a conversation piece in your tackle box, it’s a serious Murray cod catching tool.

With recent upgrades in the size of lures acceptable to anglers targeting Murray cod, Jamie Flett upsized his 130mm MoHawk to a massive 170mm MoHawk.

Exhibiting all the fish catching characteristics of the 130mm MoHawk, the 170mm version is a very serious lure designed for very serious fish. Diving to and sometime beyond 40 feet, the wide action allows the 170mm MoHawk to shuffle through snags and it positive buoyancy allows it to back up and over the most serious of tree heads in deep water.

Rigged ultra-heavy for anglers using serious tackle, the 170mm MoHawk takes the next step up into big fish appeal.

The Big One is an oversized version of the popular Mudeye lure The One.

At 130mm body length and diving to an impressive 30 feet, The Big One is a classic bony bream shaped lure that will be available in 8 fishy colours. With the ability to be cast or trolled, The Big One is rigged with large cod in mind with 4/0 Eagle Claw hooks and 6h split rings ensuring big fish will be landed.

With a tighter swimming action than other Mudeye Lures, The Big One is a fantastic addition to the range as it provides diversity in action and may just be what’s needed to get he big fish to play.

The Popeye is a wide body lure that is capable of diving between 25-28 feet. The action is best described as a typically wide, cod action and is a firm favourite with many New England cod fishers.

There are five colours in the range that vary from attractor colours to more neutral colours and designer Jamie Flett says the Popeye was specifically designed for cod.

Fitted out with 4/0 VMC treble hooks and 6H split rings these lures are ready to fish straight out of the box.

This is a serious lure aimed at serious cod that was spawned in one of the cod lure hubs of Australia Wagga Wagga.

Designed to get deep and attract those big cod, the Big Mong has a 13cm body and a bib designed to get the lure down over 30 feet. The range of colours is extensive and the classic wide bodied sway makes this lure a classic in the big lure field.

The Big Mong is fitted with through wire construction for extra toughness and the terminal hardware matches this internal strength. With 20 standard colours to choose from the Big Mong is a no-nonsense big Murray cod lure.

The Full Body Mong Mong takes everything the Big Mong brings to big cod fishing and expands on it with a fantastic painted bib.

With the painted bib the Full Body Mong Mong measures in at a massive 200mm, the equal largest profiled lure available currently. The Full Body Mong Mong gets down over 30 feet and with its super large profile, it is designed to catch massive Murray cod.

Through wire construction, tough terminal tackle and a superb range of colours makes the Full Body Mong Mong a lure that screams out to be included in your big cod tackle box.

The King Mong is the biggest bodied lure in the Muldoon Lures range at a massive 170mm.

Every King Mong lure is tank tested before despatch, which is something that is definitely needed in such a big lure and shows the attention to finished detail that Muldoon Lures has.

Like all Muldoons, the King Mong uses through wire construction, heavy duty hardware and comes in a standard range of 20 colours that will please every angler.

The Big Willie Popper is a massive jointed paddler-style surface lure aimed squarely at big fish.

If it’s big noise you want in a surface lure, then it’s big noise you will get with the Big Willie Popper. This lure walks with the slightest twitch of the rod and the loud callop, callop call of the lure attracts the attention of cod anywhere they are found. Easy to cast, the Big Willie is also jointed which allows the tail to wobble seductively and, when at rest, the tail sits slightly lower in the water exposing the important rear hooks to the inaccurate surface striking cod.

Manufactures to the same strength parameters used in all Muldoon Lures, the Big Willie Popper is a great surface paddler that will attract big fish.

The Plonkey is a real change up for lure fishers as, when you first see it, everything seems to be upside down.

In reality everything was designed to be upside down in a very cunning piece of lateral design. The Plonkey actually sits with the hooks down at rest, when most cod hit a surface lure, but when it is retrieved, the Plonkey flips over and rides hooks up.

The action of this lure is something to see. It has a really wide body paddle and roll and pushes water out of its way more than chops through the surface like traditional surface offerings. For me it is so different that it is a must have for cod on surface. And its large size means big cod will be interested in nailing it good and proper.

Like all Muldoons, the Plonkey is built tough so the target cod will not destroy it on the first strike. Get one of these for no other reason than to have one.

The Oar-Gee Plow has a heritage steeped in catching big cod, but it wasn’t until just recently that Oar-Gee Lures could claim to have a really big cod lure. This occurred when the Oar-Gee Plow 100mm with painted bib came out in March 2009.

With two diving depths, 15 feet and 25 feet, the 100mm Plow has all the same fish catching and snag-resisting qualities of the original 75mm Plow. The difference is that everything has been upsized to cope with the demands of big cod.

Available in all the popular Plow colours, the 100mm Plow with painted bib is a limited edition lure made for specific retail outlets so you will need to scout around to get your hands on one – and you won’t regret the search once you have one in your hands!

The original Oar-Gee Plow has undergone an upsize without the need for re-jigging of the entire lure.

Wayne Lennon has developed a method to paint the bib of this popular cod lure making its profile much larger and taking the 75mm Plow’s profile to an outstanding 13cm.

Anyone who has ever used a Plow will know the fish taking abilities of this lure and now that the Plow is available with painted bib colours, keen fishers are seriously targeting larger cod and oversized golden perch.

Available in all the popular Plow colours, the 75mm Plow with painted bib is a limited edition lure made for specific retail outlets so you will need to scout around to get your hands on one.

Radar Lures hail from Inverell in NSW and the Radar Slim is a very neat lure that could be regarded as a carp, bony bream or redfin imitation lure.

The Slim is a neat 120mm in length and comes rigged with extra heavy duty everything: bib, tow point, split rings and hooks. Getting down to around 20 feet, the Slim is an easy casting 47g making this lure a good all round casting and trolling option. Handcrafted and painted from timber, the Slim exhibits all that is great about the Australian cottage lure industry in one neat package.

The Toby from Radar Lure at Inverell is a deep bodied diving plug that will get down around the 20 foot mark on the troll and has a wide, rolling action that cod lure fanciers just love.

Like its brother lure the Slim, the Toby makes use of heavy duty split rings, hooks, tow points and bib material to ensure that when that biog cod smashes the lure, it won’t fail you at the most important time.

Weighing in at over 70g, the Toby can be cast and retrieved with a heavy casting outfit, but it is a far better prospect as a trolling lure, especially in big cod water where bony bream, carp and redfin are on the menu.

The Four ‘n’ Twenty is a piece of design work that stretches the boundaries and combines the best of a lot of lures.

At it’s heart the Four ‘n’ Twenty is a lure that started life as a spinnerbait, had a chatter-style blade added to it and then had a soft plastic trailer plonked on the end to create a big profile, high reflection, big vibration bait that big cod just love to chew on.

With a 6” plastic shad attached the Four ‘n’ Twenty measures out at 19cm, but this does not take into account the large vertical profile created by the design. It’s a seriously big lure for seriously biog fish that can be fished at any depth.

There is also a twin Four ‘n’ Twenty that employs two willow leaf blades on the spinnerbait arms and instead of a 6” plastic trailer a 4” plastic trailer is used. This lure still measures out at 18cm in length, but the twin blades make extra racket and throw off extra flash for hose days when the cod are really agerssive.

The Cod Strutta is a version of the increasingly popular chatter-style bait. With the big blade at the front, the Cod Strutta sends out a massive amount of vibration under water and attracts predators from some distance to investigate. When they get near this lure, the predatory fish will see a fluttering and pulsating stick bait with a pulsing skirts and a flashing front end. It’s quite often too tempting for the fish and it ha to eat it.

Measuring 16cm with a fork tailed stick bait plastic trailer, the Cod Strutta is built with tough components to withstand the attention of large and small cod.

The Mag Cod Blade spinnerbait is a large spinnerbait that has the advantage of being packaged with three different blade options: Willow blade, Colorado blade and Mag Willow blade.

To make things easy, Secret Creek has developed a quick change system for the blades. It is basically a split ring bend in the spinnerbait arm that allows the blades to be twisted off easily and replaced just as easily. This means that as an angler you can alter your spinnerbait on the water to adapt to the conditions and get amongst more fish. If you want fast retrieves you can, if you want slow retrieves you can, if you want extra depth you can – simple!

The Mag Cod Blade spinnerbait also has a 4” plastic shad trailer and comes with a stinger hook pre-rigged making this a great all rounder for cod fishers looking for more.

You want big, really big? If you answer yes then the Gigantor Series Spinnerbait from Secret Creek is the spinnerbait for you.

At a massive 24cm long and a working horizontal profile of around 15cm, the Gigantor is seriously large spinnerbait. If the theory of offering the big fish a big meal is given any credit, then the Gigantor is an absolute certainty to catch big cod. At 86g, it’s not the heaviest lure in the review, but you’ll still need a sturdy rod to cast it. Adding to the big profile and the weight is the use of willow shaped blades. This will help keep the lure deeper in the water if you retrieve a little fast. The use of a 6” plastic shad trailer offers more big fish appeal.

The Gigantor is a no muck around big cod spinnerbait that big fish specialists just might find offers them something bigger than they expected.

This is probably the most well known of all large cod lures and sneaks into the review by virtue of the fact you can add a coloured bib.

The No. 1 Stumpy is designed to be one of the best jumpers of stumps down deep and it certainly does this well. A massive range of colours and interchangeable bibs means there is a StumpJumper for almost every occasion, and with the addition of the new MegaBib range (not in the review because they are clear bibbed), you can now fish a No. 1 StumpJumper down at 40 feet.

Strong terminal tackle and a tough body make the StumpJumper one to include in your big cod lure box.

If you like the sound of some of these lures (and who wouldn’t?), you can check out their swimming actions by logging onto www.fishingmonthly.com.au and clicking on the link on the front page. We have tried to capture the actions of these lures in a pool and underwater so you can be better informed about how the lures swim and what you can expect from them