where are all the cod

[alcaucin]

seems to have been a very quiet year for cod/ling so far. Anyone got any ideas as to why that is? I've heard , too many trawlers, algal bloom, water temp. Too much bait fish. What do you think.

[Wasabi]

seems to have been a very quiet year for cod/ling so far. Anyone got any ideas as to why that is? I've heard , too many trawlers, algal bloom, water temp. Too much bait fish. What do you think.

The herrings need a mention.

However, I found this season so far very good. 2015 we had more cod early in the year, but this year they are much bigger. When I look back on 2015 it took well into autumn that we landed the first 15lb+.

This year we already had half a dozen over 15lb on our 2 boats...top was a 24lb ling by James and an in
uptider cod of 18lb by Ash and I contributed an 18lb cod inshore last week.

I believe the other factors you mention have contributed. I also still blame El Niño and the funny currents we are getting. I think the fish is there but harder to find. We also had some very odd tides and SE winds to spoil the drift fishing.

They seem to follow the herring inshore and dont stick on the wrecks.

...but its picking up again on the wrecks...I had yesterday a cod a drift on the 4 mile range and all nice fat lumpy 6-8pounders

[alcaucin]

Also , I think that there is a lot less catch reports being posted. This has been a very poor season for me so far. I am still waiting for it to kick in. I don't think I've had a ling on board yet.

[parker]

Be very surprised if the wind is not a major factor ? Contastly windy hard work keeping garden moist because its always got a canny blow on.
which will make drifting over wrecks faster !
Been out today on jfk and was pretty good fishing with little wind holding wrecks for canny periods at time !
Plenty cod and ling of fair size around the tides and the usaully slog inbetween the top and bottom water !
Must say aswell top skipper good craic and works hard to find fish with more fishing than steaming between wrecks far apart , first year used this charter boat and will be top of the list in future years to come

[northeast1]

It has been a poor year all round other than the stamp of fish is much improved and for the people only able to fish weekends it has been a disaster, this year I have fished 29 times from my boat with 7 of the trips being on a weekend.

I have no idea what the reason in but some days we have fished in near perfect conditions of wrecks harldy touched that have fished well in the past and the fish finder shows zero activity, we have fished this year from as far north as Amble to as far south as 1 mile past Hartlepool harbour and as far out as 38 miles, every where the same, odd fish of a good stamp but not jumping in the boat.

If I was to round this season up in a few words they would be:-

Windy
Good stamp
Miles covered

I had very high hopes for this season as last year we had some amazing fishing with the boat (2-3 anglers) taken 50-70 keepers often but this season a good day IMO is 6 or more keepers per man (keeper=cod, ling or Pollack over 3lb only)

The stamp of fish is very good this year with a lot 6-8lb and we have already had more doubles than last year with a few in the low teens but numbers wise have just not been great.

Chin up, still about 8 weeks left of the season and you never know they may show up with a bang

[tonynufc]

interesting that no one has mentioned the large number of seals about this year.

this is my first season back after a 4-5 year break, my goal at the start of the season was to bag a double but i haven't even got close to it, im on a evening trip on predator next week and i'll probably have a day on the jfk2 in september and if them 2 trips aren't an improvement on the other trips ive been on i think my gear will be going away till next year.

[alcaucin]

what I have found is that there are plenty of good fish marks showing but they just will not feed. I was out today and everything was perfect , slow drift, water like gin good fish marks, but again very few fish taken. It's weird. I think if I didn't catch a snag I wouldn't catch anything.

[Wasabi]

what I have found is that there are plenty of good fish marks showing but they just will not feed. I was out today and everything was perfect , slow drift, water like gin good fish marks, but again very few fish taken. It's weird. I think if I didn't catch a snag I wouldn't catch anything.

what seems perfect sometimes is not
after the big tides the water will only be like gin at the top and mucky down at the bottom.

offshore fishes better
you needed big smelly baits today or colourful lures

[stray]

I had my best days fishing yesterday (wednesday) this year and one of the worst days fishing today. Hopefully it will be better tomorrow.

[dt1]

Tue was alive with bait fish and loads of mackerel and cod to a mate in the yak , same tide/area Wed no baitfish struggled to get one decent cod although still a lot of Mackerel . Seems to indicate the cod following the baitfish find the baitfish catch the cod