Cod, off the menu

[wurzel]

The phenomenon you talk about Paul, seeing all the coal fish coming to the surface was one that I was also privileged to of seen on many occasions when I worked on the oil rigs. It was an amazing sight seeing all the fish coming to the surface like they did. Most of the rigs I was on where in about 80 meters (or there about) of water. You would watch the massive shoals come up (chasing the feed) and then boil up on the surface like mackerel do when chasing sprats.

I remember on one occasion watching the coal fish coming to the surface and then seeing sharks chasing into the shoals feeding on the coalies. Quite an amazing sight and one that I will never forget.

 

Hello Challenge

 

With over 400 oil and gas rigs all with exclusion zones around them I've always thought there were enough fish around them to repopulate the North Sea many times over.

[H.A.]

I've always thought there were enough fish around them to repopulate the North Sea many times over.

 

The wrasse and gobies around South Parade Pier behave exactly the same ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can walk to Cherbourg on their backs ....

 

 

 

I thank you (Wurz and wurz than you) on behalf of the next generation.

 

 

 

[clem]

Hi Paul,

 

I think you may have misunderstood me. You are calling Clem Clive. But I think Clem is Howard not Clive mate ??

Yep its me H! Pauls been on the sherry. He must be seeing giant blackjacks in his sleep.

Come on Paul whats the fishing like at the moment with all this fine weather despite the big tides are the codlings still around?

Edited November 6, 2009 by clem

[big_cod]

Yep its me H! Pauls been on the sherry. He must be seeing giant blackjacks in his sleep.

Come on Paul whats the fishing like at the moment with all this fine weather despite the big tides are the codlings still around?

 

Only kidding howard the water is still fairly clear mate big improvment on wednesday uptiding i think the cod are now moveing into there winter patern squid fished well howard on the south hard (off sandsend) mixed with blacks the water temperature is now going down if we dont get a northerly gale before the next slack tides the wrecks inside should fish well they did on the last slacks but as each day goes at this time of year cod are more are to be found on the wrecks rather than ling you could see that last week on the dead tides is there nothing doing opposite the cottages your special little beach mark .

paul.

[big_cod]

Hello Challenge

 

With over 400 oil and gas rigs all with exclusion zones around them I've always thought there were enough fish around them to repopulate the North Sea many times over.

 

You would think so peter but like wrecks not all rigs have fish swarming round them certain times of the year fish will leave wrecks and rigs and go chasing feed i fished off quite a few platforms in the north sea before they banned it from humberside to the north off the shetland basin but interestly i was out yesterday with the skipper of our lass 2 charlie they are doing very well fishing on norwegian coast but on his last trip had a go at one of his old haunts round the judy platform 100 off aberdeen he said it looked like there was big improvment with cod round that area it did get flogged to death in 90ss with some big fishing there till it was cleaned up but nobody has been bothering to fish in that area in recentl years but there is sighns of a recovery there thats all it needs is a rest.

 

paul.

[Guest challenge]

Hello Challenge

 

With over 400 oil and gas rigs all with exclusion zones around them I've always thought there were enough fish around them to repopulate the North Sea many times over.

A good question, I worked on several of the bigger platforms in the northern sector of the North Sea and witnessed hours upon hours of observations carried out by ROV operations when they where doing survey work of the rig jackets. I certainly agree with big cod that rigs very in the ones that do attract large amounts of fish and others that don’t.

I observed ROV work in varying calendar seasons and the fish changed dramatically according to the season that the lads where filming. Summer time was the time to see the large amounts of coalie chasing the feed and I saw plenty of evidence of this through the surface observations and the ROV coverage. What we could never work out was what they where actually chasing. you could not see with the naked eye from the surface or underwater with the ROV yet some of the ROV operators said they had never seen the coalfish chasing sprats and thought that they where actually small shrimp or squid.

What I did notice and found fascinating footage was to see all the ling just laid underneath the pipes that where actually on the seabed. They where just laid side by side, hundreds of them vary rarely moving besides when disturbed by the ROV or when they actually moved to feed on something passing bye.

All the manned platforms have a 500 meter exclusion zone that is guarded by standby boats and with today’s technologies it would be a foolish fisherman to try and enter into the exclusion zone if at all possible. So your correct wurzel. There are hundreds of square miles of no take zones already in (and have been for years) in existence throughout the North Sea.

[clem]

Only kidding howard the water is still fairly clear mate big improvment on wednesday uptiding i think the cod are now moveing into there winter patern squid fished well howard on the south hard (off sandsend) mixed with blacks the water temperature is now going down if we dont get a northerly gale before the next slack tides the wrecks inside should fish well they did on the last slacks but as each day goes at this time of year cod are more are to be found on the wrecks rather than ling you could see that last week on the dead tides is there nothing doing opposite the cottages your special little beach mark .

paul.

The shore fishing is off to a very slow start down Holderness as last year it seems to start later these days even the whiting are not as numerous yet. Ive not started yet because the cod is not there and theres loads of crabs still. Best bet is the river with odd good fish coming out. It is not through lack of fishing effort though Paul the beaches have been fished hard for weeks now I suspect unemployment is a factor. Last I heard the beach netters were having a poor time of it too.

I hope you get a good winter fishing we are in uncertain times both fishing wise and economically me thinks. H.

[big_cod]

A good question, I worked on several of the bigger platforms in the northern sector of the North Sea and witnessed hours upon hours of observations carried out by ROV operations when they where doing survey work of the rig jackets. I certainly agree with big cod that rigs very in the ones that do attract large amounts of fish and others that don’t.

I observed ROV work in varying calendar seasons and the fish changed dramatically according to the season that the lads where filming. Summer time was the time to see the large amounts of coalie chasing the feed and I saw plenty of evidence of this through the surface observations and the ROV coverage. What we could never work out was what they where actually chasing. you could not see with the naked eye from the surface or underwater with the ROV yet some of the ROV operators said they had never seen the coalfish chasing sprats and thought that they where actually small shrimp or squid.

What I did notice and found fascinating footage was to see all the ling just laid underneath the pipes that where actually on the seabed.

All the manned platforms have a 500 meter exclusion zone that is guarded by standby boats and with today’s technologies it would be a foolish fisherman to try and enter into the exclusion zone if at all possible. So your correct wurzel. There are hundreds of square miles of no take zones already in (and have been for years) in existence throughout the North Sea.

 

It is a good job that we have these so called conservation like rigs with exclusion zones but locally the best thing to hit our part of the coast is david frampton he has created a lot of no go areas with the sheer amount of potts at sea many areas of hard ground are now what you could call conservation zones where trawlers cant get once upon a time he would have nodoubhtably been towed away but with his boss being the daddy it doesnt happen .

 

paul.

[glennk]

It is a good job that we have these so called conservation like rigs with exclusion zones but locally the best thing to hit our part of the coast is david frampton he has created a lot of no go areas with the sheer amount of potts at sea many areas of hard ground are now what you could call conservation zones where trawlers cant get once upon a time he would have nodoubhtably been towed away but with his boss being the daddy it doesnt happen .

 

paul.

 

 

So maybe its a good idea to set up permanant conservation zones Paul, where no-one can go ??

[Guest challenge]

It is a good job that we have these so called conservation like rigs with exclusion zones but locally the best thing to hit our part of the coast is david frampton he has created a lot of no go areas with the sheer amount of potts at sea many areas of hard ground are now what you could call conservation zones where trawlers cant get once upon a time he would have nodoubhtably been towed away but with his boss being the daddy it doesnt happen .

 

paul.

There certainly is a lot of static gear on the inshore grounds. There are next to no trawlers on the inshore grounds with very few places they can fish.

The static (lobster potters) fishermen cannot do anything but catch shellfish because they have no quota. The trawler men (that are left) cannot get on to the ground to catch the bit of fish they have quota for because of static gear. So the only people that can fish where they want and catch what they want (weather and conditions applying of course) are you Paul and the angling industry.

Regards.