The Murray cod is the king of Australian freshwater — our biggest native, an apex ambush predator, and a fish that’ll happily eat a lure as long as your forearm. “Green and gold” are aggressive, territorial and structure-bound, which makes them a brilliant lure target once you understand how they hunt. Here are the best Murray cod lures for Australian rivers and impoundments, the colours and gear to run them on, when to throw each one — and a few cracking Aussie-made brands worth backing.
How Murray cod hunt (and why it dictates your lure)
Cod are ambush predators that live tight to structure — sunken timber, rock bars, undercut banks, weed edges and bridge pylons. They sit in that cover, hold territory, and explode on anything that looks like an easy, substantial meal. Two things follow from that. First, you have to fish your lure right up against the structure — a cast that lands a metre away from the snag often gets ignored. Second, cod eat big, so don’t be shy with lure size; a hungry cod will inhale a lure that looks absurd. Get your offering into the strike zone with a tempting action and you’re in the game.
1. Spinnerbaits — the all-day cod workhorse
If there’s one lure to learn cod on, it’s the spinnerbait. It’s weedless enough to fish straight into timber, flutters on the drop, and pumps out vibration that calls fish from cover — and it produces through the middle of the day when surface and hardbodies go quiet.
- Size: 1/2 to 1 oz covers most water; go heavier for deep impoundment timber, lighter for shallow rivers.
- How to fish it: cast tight to the structure, let it sink on a tight line so the blade is already spinning as it drops — a lot of bites come on that initial fall, so stay ready. Then roll it back as slow as you can; cod are lazy and won’t chase a fast lure. Bump it into the timber and let it flutter — the deflection often triggers the hit.
Back a local maker: Spin Wright are an Aussie outfit built around exactly this style of fishing — spinnerbaits, chatterbaits (their “Grunta”), swimjigs and jigheads aimed squarely at Murray cod, golden perch and bass. If you want a homegrown alternative to the big imports, they’re worth a look.
2. Swimbaits — the big-fish game
Swimbaits are the biggest advance in cod fishing since the spinnerbait, and they’re how a lot of metre-plus fish get caught now. The category covers both hard-bodied (often jointed/glide) and soft swimbaits, in slow-sink and fast-sink versions so you can match the depth fish are holding at.
- When: a genuine trophy-hunter’s tool — fewer bites, bigger average size. Cooler months and low-light periods are prime.
- How to fish it: a slow, steady wind for hard swimbaits to keep that wide “S” swim going; for soft swimbaits, a slow roll along structure or a lift-and-sink near deep timber. Patience is the price of admission — you’re fishing for the bite of the session, not numbers.
3. Surface lures — the dusk, dawn and night bite
Nothing in Australian freshwater beats a cod detonating on a surface lure in the dark. Low-light hours — last light, into the night, and first light — are prime, though cod will boof a surface lure in broad daylight when they’re fired up.
- Styles: walkers (“walk-the-dog” paddlers) draw the most attention; fizzers and paddlers with a steady plop also produce.
- How to fish it: cast to the bank or structure and work it slowly with a steady, rhythmic retrieve or walk-the-dog cadence. Resist striking on the splash — wait until you feel the weight of the fish, then load up. Striking too early pulls the lure away from a cod that’s missed.
Back a local maker: Lighthouse Lures hand-make timber cod lures in Australia — surface walkers and divers built specifically for big-bodied Murray cod, plus their “Illuminator” timber vibes. And Barambah Lures (designed by Matt Fraser in Queensland) make surface walkers like the Bidjiwong alongside a deep range of cod-capable hardbodies. Two genuine Aussie makers worth supporting.
4. Hardbody divers & vibes — covering water and depth
Big deep-diving hardbodies are a classic cod producer, casting and trolling. Trolling deep divers along submerged river channels, rock bars and impoundment edges is one of the most reliable ways to find fish when they’re holding deep or you’re searching new water.
- Casting: 100–150 mm+ divers worked tight to timber and banks; let them deflect off the structure.
- Trolling: run deep divers along channel edges and drop-offs at slow speed to locate active fish, then cast back over the area.
- Vibes: lipless/vibe lures (like Lighthouse’s timber Illuminator, or soft and metal vibes) sink fast and shine in deeper, dirtier or colder water where you need vibration to pull a bite.
5. Colour selection
Cod aren’t as fussy on colour as they are on presentation, but a simple approach helps:
- Clear water / bright day: natural tones — “green and gold” (cod pattern), browns, purples.
- Dirty or low light: dark and solid — black and purple are night-time staples because they silhouette against the surface.
- Bright/loud (chartreuse, white) for stained impoundment water.
6. Gear & rigging
Cod fishing is heavy-tackle work — you’re throwing big lures and dragging fish out of timber before they bust you off. A baitcaster rated for the job, 30–50 lb braid, and a 40–60 lb leader (heavy mono or fluoro) is a sensible starting outfit. Use quality split rings and strong trebles or single hooks — cheap terminals are the most common reason a big cod gets away. Lock the drag up reasonably hard; the first few seconds after the hit are about turning the fish away from the snag.
7. Where and when to fish them
Target the cover cod live in: fallen timber, rock bars, undercut banks, weed edges, deep holes and impoundment structure. Fish change of light hard — dusk, dawn and after dark are the most productive windows, especially for surface. A rising or warming spell, and the days around the full moon, often switch fish on. For a real-world walk-through of reading a cod river, see our guide to fishing the Macintyre River for cod.
Look after the green and gold
Murray cod are long-lived, slow-growing and were once threatened — the fishery exists today because of careful management, so the rules matter. There’s an annual closed season (1 September – 30 November) across the natural range to protect spawning fish, and legal slot limits (a protected size band — typically around 55–75 cm, with all bigger fish released) that vary by state and between rivers and impoundments. Always check your state’s current rules before you fish, because they differ and they change. The big ones are the irreplaceable breeders: wet your hands, support the fish horizontally, keep it out of the water for seconds not minutes, and send it back. There’s more on the species’ recovery in our piece on saving the Murray cod.
Wear the Goodoo
Chasing green and gold is a rite of passage for Aussie anglers, and The Goodoo is the cap for it — embroidered Murray cod artwork on a breathable mesh-back trucker built for long sessions on the bank and in the boat. See the full Freshies range, or browse every species in the Outfished fishing hats lineup.
Sources & disclaimer
General information only. Lure choice and technique are personal and conditions vary — treat the above as a proven starting point, not gospel. Murray cod are subject to a closed season, slot limits and bag limits that differ between states and waters and change over time; always check your local fisheries rules before fishing or keeping a fish. Brand names are mentioned for reference only.
Further reading (accessed June 2026):