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Cod?


Guest Elton

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Okay, who caught any cod to talk of this year? Is the fishing up on last year, or still declining in your area?

 

We read so many conflicting reports that it would be nice to find out from people who fish, rather than talk about it (like me!). I did very little fishing last year due to my health and other commitments, but this year is going to be different!

 

Sea fishing used to be my passion, but it went into decline when my job became busier. I just found that a sea session took up so much time and, after bait and travel had been sorted, it was expensive. Can you beach fish successfully on a budget?

 

There you go, a couple of genuine questions to get this forum started.

 

Tight Lines,

 

Elton

 

------------------

Elton Murphy

Anglers' Net

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk

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Guest Rob Stubbs

Elton,

I should point out that I never caught any cod, never mind a nice one. My mate managed an 18lb fish whilst on the same trip another bloke had 12lb one (ish). That's more cod than we've ever caught from that venue (Hayling Island) for a couple a years - except the odd one wrecking.

 

We have had a reasonable season we we've got out. We book 8-10 boat trips per year and probably got out 3 times due to the weather. But in those trips we had some of the best ever sessions. The cod one above but also we had an excellent session after tope and smoothounds. You should have seen the ones we would have caught if we hadn't run out of bait <g>!

 

I find shore fishing too much hassle unless I stay around a mates. It takes a couple of hours getting there, you have to order bait (and get there before they close), then try and find a reasonable venue, fish 4 or so hours of the tide and then spend another couple of hours getting home. If I lived by the sea it would be very different.

 

Rob.

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  • 5 years later...
Guest stevie cop

Hi Elton

Around our bit of coast it was patchy. On some days, some small boats had some nice catches of decent size Cod early in the season. But even then it was only the odd boat out of many. Boats returning to the same marks the very next day blanked! It seemed as though the Cod were in small, tightly packed groups. Either that or there was just one tightly packed group moving around the area. Doesn't sound good when you read about how the Cod fishing went on the grand banks just before the stock collapsed!

 

The spring run, which is usually very good around Felixstowe, hasn't amounted to much for the last two years. There were plenty of codling around, but they were all just sizeable with perhaps the odd bigger one amongst them.

 

Whatever the reason, things ain't what they used to be!

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Elton, So far this year, I have only been fishing for cod twice ,and only had a few small ones...up to 4.1/2lbs....which is about usual for this part of the world, Kircaldy coastline, therefore I cant comment if its down on last years catch.

As far as beachcasting on a budget, I think you can, but be prepared for your gear to pack in on you..usually when you have a fish on ..try and buy the best gear you can afford. I make all my own weights, and in the main, get my own bait....and by doing this, I save a few bob anyway....

 

To be honest, owning a boat, and worrying about fishing expenses doesnt equate....it would be much cheaper to use charter boats, my usual fuel outlay ,for both boat and car,to fish round Fife, is £40...and thats just the start....but, if i worried about the cost, I wouldnt have even thought about a boat of my own...as I am sure, you are well aware... :D:D

In sleep every dog dreams of food,and I, a fisherman,dream of fish..

Theocritis..

For Fantastic rods,and rebuilds. http://www.alba-rods.co.uk/

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Guest stevie cop

If you go for secondhand rods and reels, you can beach fish on a budget. You can buy a top quality Conoflex or Zziplex beachcaster secondhand for about £150, and a good secondhand Abu 6500 for around £50.

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Guest jay_con

All I can say is that our shore fishing season was about the worst I can remember, but I still had some nice fish. My biggest last year was 9 and a half although I snapped one off that was easily bigger. My best bag was a bout 20 pound in 3 hours. A lot of blanks in between though. Im still raring to go this Autumn though.

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