Colby Lesko's newest 'Let's Go Fishing' Lake Guide Series episode commits an unusually long five-night block to Copeton Dam, the NSW impoundment the Australian YouTuber calls "one of my favorite Murray cod dams in Australia, if not my number one favorite." Lesko and his brother Jackson based themselves in a Holiday Park cabin after an 11-hour drive from home, launching for short evening and morning sessions across the trip.
The opening night underscored how reactive Copeton cod can be even when they don't eat. A fish chased Jackson's surface paddler all the way to the boat without committing, prompting Lesko's disbelieving commentary: "How did he not eat that?" Another cod was fouled on a tangled leader. The session was rescued by a swim-jig fish hooked just before dark, a near-metre cod that Lesko described as "absolutely awesome fish to start the trip off."
Lesko's 4:15 a.m. alarm the following morning set up the slow grind impoundment cod are famous for. He summed up the opening hours bluntly: "It's been a tough morning this morning. We've had a heap of really good follows, like fish vertical on the lure, but just zero bites." Persistence eventually delivered one cod on the swim jig and another Murray cod that ambushed Jackson's DS60 Reic while he worked an edge for yellowbelly.
The most useful portion of the trip for viewers is Lesko's on-water breakdown of Copeton itself. He confirmed the lake holds significant numbers of big cod and yellowbelly, carries roughly one and a half metres of visibility in the main basin, and grows thick weed when levels hold steady. He also flagged that flooded spinifex and other drowned structure currently interfere with forward-facing sonar, recommending a blend of casting and live-scoping rather than relying on screens alone.
Copeton's surface-lure reputation drew the most nuanced analysis of the session. Lesko has caught big topwater cod there over the years but was upfront that the bite has softened: "Definitely years ago when there was a lot of weed in the lake, it produced some amazing amazing surface fishing." He speculated that live-scoping and changed cast patterns may have altered fish behaviour, but stressed the dam remains a credible option in colder months when water temperatures are lower. The lake guide format, with four more nights to go, is pitched at viewers planning their first Copeton trip and wanting a full-context breakdown rather than just highlight catches.