I Analysed Over Three Thousand StumpJumper and Murray Cod Fishing Reports. Here’s What We Learned About Lures

I analysed 3983 Yellowbelly and Murray Cod fishing reports to determine which lure and bait categories are most frequently mentioned in reports spanning the past ten years.

Specifically, I compared the frequency of mentions for different lure and bait categories in Murray Cod and Yellowbelly fishing reports.

We learnt a lot about what has been reported regarding the catching of Murray cod and yellowbelly. And I’m sure you will too.

Here is a Summary of What We Discovered:

1. StumpJumpers are used but are a small fraction of our reported catches, totalling a surprising 0.5% for Murray cod and only 0.4% for yellowbelly.

2. Soft plastics were equally surprising at only 3.0%** and 8.2% Murray Cod and Yellowbelly, respectively.

3. Other lures, comprising a variety of lure types, were much higher with 51.3% for Cod and 57.5% for Yellowbelly.

4. Bait, on the other hand, things like earthworms, yabbies, freshwater shrimp and others showed Murray Cod catches at 35.4% and Yellowbelly 47.9%

StumpJumpers Have Been Used Since 1986

John Ellis created the prototype “StumpJumper” in 1986. So it’s a 40-year-old design that has received a lot of attention over the years. It features in YouTube videos and popular fishing magazines. It’s even appeared on TV.

The design of this lure is, as the name implies, to jump over “stumps” or branches in the water. Australian inland waterways are filled with fallen trees and branches. Native fish, like Murray Cod, love to make this cover their home. Targeting fallen timber is a perfect way to get “snagged.” This can become both expensive and wearying. The lure is designed to deflect the stumps, floating at the surface, requiring a flick of the rod to “stump jump.”

Yet despite this, they are underrepresented in our reports.

The Report Findings Surprise Me

I was surprised to see the relatively low number of StumpJumper reports. The lure, I would have thought, would be more widely used given its intended application, years on the market and Australian origins. Soft plastic lures (of various brands) fared better but were still on the very low end. Indeed, the spinner baits, Old Codgers and Bassman lures dominated reported lures.

But it was bait that really led the way, with various bait types dominating at almost 50% of the total.

The Issue With Collating Fishing Reports As a Source

Collating thousands of fishing reports is not necessarily a complete representation of the real data. It’s simply the best we can get. No more. What any collection of reports does is show you what was reported, which may or may not be a full indication of the “real world.”  

This is because some anglers are more likely to report or share their catches and experiences than others. Indeed, we need to keep in mind the very real possibility that the reports represent certain kinds of fishers, but not all or even most.

Thus, the findings need to be viewed, to a certain degree, with a “pinch of salt”.

What I can say is that amongst the anglers making reports on fishing for Murray cod and/or yellowbelly, the reports show, among them, a surprising trend. ‘StumpJumpers’, something I would have thought to be prevalent in usage, is in fact much less favoured.

Conclusion

We are all prone to assume certain things are so. I have enjoyed using StumpJumpers targeting Murray cod and Yellowbelly for decades. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right method. Most likely it is one option in a range of possible choices to have in your tacklebox and try out on the day. Not forgetting to try bait, too.

I shouldn’t be surprised here. A recent trip to Mildura on the Murray River with a local fishing club I’m a member of there’s wasn’t much happening, other than carp and turtles. I landed the only Yellowbelly for the day on freshwater shrimp - live bait. The StumpJumpers I used yielded no interest at all.