An Australian angler has made fishing history after landing a mammoth freshwater river beast that nearly tore the rod from his grip during a solo expedition along the Murray River.
Kasey Parkinson, a dedicated angler from South Australia, had his Murray cod certified by the Australian National Sportfishing Association at 1,370 millimeters (about 4.5 feet), setting a South Australian state record and an Australian national length record. Rigged with Abu Garcia gear and a Bassman SiliJig lure, Parkinson found himself locked in a test of nerve and muscle that pushed his solo angling skills to the limit.
An Early Morning Strike
The journey began in the early morning quiet, following a string of promising outings along the South Australian stretch of the winding waterway.
"I was doing some fishing solo along the Murray River and had been doing really good the last few days, so I got up early and snuck out before the sun popped up the following morning," Parkinson told Yahoo News Australia. "I already had a good fish at this stage at sunrise, and then around 9 a.m. it all unfolded."
Having already found early success, Parkinson was enjoying the morning when the water erupted with force. Recounting the moment during an appearance on the morning program "Sunrise on 7," he quipped:
"I just went around the corner, and I bumped into this one. Looking back on the video, it actually — I was like, 'Well, that was pretty easy.'"
However, any ease vanished the instant the giant clamped down on his line. The predator struck the Bassman SiliJig lure — which was still in testing — with explosive force, nearly overpowering the angler on the boat deck.
"I didn't think it was the size it was until it was boatside," Parkinson told Yahoo News Australia.
The Tense Solo Battle
Taming a fish of such proportions without a crew quickly proved to be a challenging operational feat. Alone on the water, Parkinson had to steer the boat, manage line tension on his reel and maneuver an oversized landing net around the thrashing predator.
"Then it played up, thrashing around, and there were some tense moments as I was trying to net it," Parkinson told Yahoo News Australia. "Not easy whatsoever with a fish of this size!"
Speaking with "Sunrise," the angler underscored the anxiety of netting a creature that could snap gear or slip free at the final second.
"There was a few nervous moments when I was going to net it at the back of the boat because obviously a fish of that size, by yourself, it was pretty hard," Parkinson explained. "When I went to lift it up for a photo, that was a different story."
When the fish finally slid into the mesh, the magnitude of the achievement set in.
"Once it was in the net, which it only just fit in, I was over the bloody moon," Parkinson told Yahoo News Australia. "After a quick measure and some photos, it went a whopping 1370mm."
Humility and River Respect
Taking immediate care to protect the fish's welfare, Parkinson handled the catch gently and released the Murray cod back into the water unharmed.
Reflecting on the milestone once the formal paperwork arrived, Parkinson took to social media to share his gratitude for the gear, partners and community that made the feat possible:
"Well, here it is, I've finally received my ANSA South Australian State Length Record AND Australian Length Record for this absolute monster Murray cod! Still can't believe how big this fish actually was," Parkinson wrote. "It absolutely smashed my PB, and hooking a fish of this size solo was something I'll never forget."
He continued: "Massive thanks to Glen and Sue Casey from Bassman Spinnerbaits for their ongoing support and for creating one of the best Murray cod lures going around, the Bassman SiliJig. Proven to smack some seriously big cod! And a massive thanks to Rod Mackenzie & Lucas Weaver for all your help, guys. I honestly can't thank you's enough."
For Parkinson, the ultimate reward remains grounded in the pursuit itself rather than accolades.
"A lot of anglers don't submit their catches or are not with a club associated with ANSA, but it's still a pretty cool achievement," Parkinson told Yahoo News Australia, adding that holding such a magnificent creature and letting it return to the wild "still feels pretty bloody unreal."
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