Caught A Good Cod Last Weekend

[thurso angler]

http://www.magix-photos.com/mediapool2/1E/...245C2F7297A.jpg

 

Bigger cod starting to show noe off scrabster!

 

But tried again for some bass but to no avail, the large shoals of baitfish were there but we had no takes??

[maximo]

does anyone do much shore fishing up there i bet it fishes a treat,nice fish by the way what weight was it

[RichardB]

Thats a cracker Thurso . Like to see a few more like that down our way .

[thurso angler]

Maximo, the shore fisjhing is bound to be great as we can catch fish like this half a mile off shore and sometimes as little as a few hundered yards off shore, i have tried it twice and lost my tackle both times, its very hard rough ground, if anyone is more knowledegable than me on it im welcome for ideas or advice??

[tugmistress]

been shore fishing up here since i moved up, only been out on a boat this year and we have never been far from shore.

up here you have to look at the rock strata and work out where you will be fishing and reeling in coming with the steps in the rocks and not against them, the tackle loss is phenomenal if you get it wrong!

beaches are easiest up here along with piers, but one of those set ups where the lead lifts as you retrieve will help

[maximo]

rock fishing off the shores not too bad youve just got to be prepared to lose gear,35lb or stronger up to 50/60lb line , rotten bottom,lead lifts you can make these yourself personally i dont bother with them.cheapo traces mines just a loop at each end and a blood loop with a hooklength less than the mainline.then if you lose the lot its only a hook and weight,and the line you made the trace with.

[Spur-Hound]

East coast cod fishing tactics will fit the bill, its the same sort of ground and fish! You would have to go prepared to loose anything up to 20 or more leads a sesh. A simple rig made with no components other than line, hooks and rotten bottem device. Loop on the top, and a loop attatching your snood. This way you will loose much less gear other than leads ( i tend to use less than 15lb weak link, and 35lb mainline) Traces should be made with minimum of 60lb mono. Mussel/lug is a good shore cod combo. Im dying to go up there to try the shore cod, will be like home turf, with more fish. Think it could be more of a summer venue though (mainly due to weather)

 

PS, lead lifts are totally useless for rough ground fishing. They are big, bulky with a large shape and are likely to get caught up in the snaggs.

Edited November 8, 2005 by Spur-Hound

[Guest @AUTUMN@]

Maximo, the shore fisjhing is bound to be great as we can catch fish like this half a mile off shore and sometimes as little as a few hundered yards off shore, i have tried it twice and lost my tackle both times, its very hard rough ground, if anyone is more knowledegable than me on it im welcome for ideas or advice??

 

 

Wish you werent so far away. Id love to have a crack at your grounds.

 

THere will be clear areas even amongst the heaviest of ground. Scout out your area on the big spring lows. Work out where the clear areas are amongst the kelp and rocks and work out how your gonna get your bait there. I Start at the point I want my lead to land and then pace it back to where I will be able to get a cast from on a smaller ebb low tide or at high water. I then mark A rock with a chiseled X and right down which direction to cast (ie 12oclock 70 yards etc - deep clear gulley, 1 o'clock etc) and how far on a peice of paper.

 

Is it far to Arbroath from where you live Max?

 

 

Not a perfect example but the pic shows a nice gulley. To either side is thick kelp. Not really visible as its layed flat due to it being low tide, but it is a forrest when afloat in the water. Casting into the clearer ground of this gulley from the rocks at the side or back often produces a good fish or 2.

 

 

Or a nice black patch like this often hides a nice place to find mr cod.

Edited November 8, 2005 by @AUTUMN@

[Ken Davison South Wales]

Nice cod thurso angler, a steak of that would go down a treat

[Norfolkdan]

Nice cod mate, well done