Fishing enthusiasts are taking to Copeton Dam waters in search for hidden treasure this week as $29,000 in prizes remains under the surface for the MO Tackle and Outdoors Cod Cash competition.
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Over 500 people have already tackled the challenge, in the hopes of snagging one of the 10 tagged fish, with nine $1000 prizes up for grabs and one valuable cod worth $20,000.
Enormous catches are regularly being pulled from the dam, with at least eight fish measuring over a metre reported to organiser Nathan Hughes.
However the tagged fish remain elusive, and no one has caught one so far.
“The number of entries is fantastic,” Inverell Shire Council mayor Paul Harmon said. He was impressed by the large catches which he said highlighted “what Copeton is known for”.
The number of entries is fantastic.
- Paul Harmon
He said that although Copeton Dam had already built a name for itself as a cod fishing destination in Australia, with interest shown from Japanese filmmakers, their reputation “could go international”.
The competition, which kicked off on Saturday, April 14, is in its first year with organisers hoping to make it an annual event.
Participants encouraged to upload Cod Cash related photos to social media with the hashtags #Inverell and #MOTackleCodCash for their chance to win $500.
A $500 Shimano prize pack will also be on offer for a golden perch or murray cod that fits a mystery length chosen by organisers, with entries emailed to mysteryfish@codcash.com.
Whoever catches the longest cod and yellowbelly will win a 12 month subscription to Fishing Monthly. The biggest one so far is a cod, which comes in at a whopping 1230mm.
Mike Shelton, manager of Kingfisher Lures Australia, said Copeton was at the forefront of their lure testing for cod.
“The immense population of large Murry Cod in Copeton Dam has been a huge factor in shaping the fishing tackle industry to what it is today,” he said.
He said fishing for cod was not just a luxury pastime for pro anglers. “Fishing for our metre-long Copeton Cod is for all age groups,” Mr Shelton said.
Registrations are open until this Sunday, April 22.
Forms are available at the Australian Hotel, Compleat Angler and Camping World Inverell, Inverell Fishing and Hunting, Inverell H Hardware, Northern Tablelands Local Land Services, Regional Australia Bank and Simply Print Anything Inverell.
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