Surface popping for Murray cod by Robbie Alexander

Anybody who has ever experienced the thrill of a surface strike from a Murray cod will already be starting to get excited.

The idea of cod boofing the surface will quickly stir up a few casting twitches in anglers arms, making their working week longer as they are by now most likely dreaming of tying on a surface popper on the weekend.

The reason for all the excitement is because surface popping for Murray cod is one of the most addictive forms of freshwater fishing you are likely to find anywhere. Surface fishing in general has a pretty special attraction to it, whether your surface popping for Murray cod or dry fly fishing for trout; catching a fish off the surface is always exciting.

The thing about surface fishing for Murray cod though, is that they are so aggressive and exciting to watch that a single surface strike can be enough to almost send your heart into an irregular beat. Murray cod don't just sneak up on a surface lure, open their mouths and gently inhale a bit of water with the lure in it like many fish do, they will hit the lure on the best possible angle that allows them to quickly grab the lure with their mouth, turn around and dive straight back under the water to their log or rock where they can seek shelter. Explosive is the word.

Murray cod have usually began turning around ready to head back under by the time they hit the lure, which effectively means they are hitting the lure from the opposite direction to what the lure is travelling. As they turn, their large tail swings rapidly and slaps the surface of the water, causing a loud gun like explosion. The bigger the fish is the bigger the tail slap will be and the bigger the splash will be.