Hi Gazman, xpt and co..I used to catch em mainly off Frankston Vic, and didnt chase any other species...used up to 7 rods at a time, conditions permitting...but never caught any near as big as 17kg...sounds like SA or WA territory to me.

I agree not much chop eating the big ones..but fun to catch. A 10kg one can be 70 yrs old... or more .. so no wonder they dont taste all that great LOL

we get em big here in NZ too, but they dont fight anywhere nearly as well, pound for pound, as those Victorian ones do..at least thats what I experienced.

Fishing on the Murray for Murray Cod is something I never got around to doing. I like the baitless hook idea...much less work and nothin to get in the way of studying the form LOL.