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I actually prefer the winter fishing from the boat.
We do most of our fishing around the Hard Ground off Sunderland though you are blessed with great winter Cod ground off Hartlepool as well. Just off Steetley pier is really rough ground if I remember correctly. There are numerous boats that fish the Pool bay in the winter also.
What I have found strange is that there are always plenty boats out in the winter from Sunderland and Hartlepool but very very few from the Tyne. We have fished the Tyne winter marks quite a bit and they are very productive.
Our tactics have proved very successful over the years and are summarsed below. I hope they are of some help. Some will have a differing opinion but that\'s what fishing is all about-:
1. Anchor up over hard ground or uptide of wreck. Don\'t be fooled into travelling too far offshore. Some of our best fish have been caught on ground 150-200yds from shore with as little as 24ft of water. It\'s rare we go more than 2 miles out. Flat calm and big tide works best in the area\'s we fish. The boat also needs to be in a north /south position. If the wind is blowing you off this orientation the fishing tends to be crap.
2. Use Uptide type 9-10ft rods with Penn 535 type reel loaded with 30lb braid. If you have an old beachcaster chop this down and save yourself some money. We use two rods each.
3. Use a long flowing trace, (4-6ft) heavily loaded with bait, (worm / crab / mussel best). Size 4/0 to 6/0 Pennell type set up. Use a 5 /6oz gripper. Cast either up or down tide around 50-60 yds. Rest your rod like you would on a pier. Leave your reel in free spool mode but put the ratchet on. You have to be very unlucky to loose gear and the most traces I\'ve been through on a session is 4. No matter how rough the ground or wreck you tend to get you gear back as your coming from a stationary position and almost straight up once you\'ve taken up the slack.
4. Be patient......it\'s not like wrecking when you hit the bottom and \"bang\". Your bait will bring the Cod to the vicinity...give it time. Ground baiting can work as well, though it is better is the smaller tides.
5. Cooking at anchor is much easier. Bacon is best as it cooks quicker. Take plenty of coffee or hot tea if you don\'t have a kettle. It\'s freezing out there at times.
6. From a safety standpoint....be very aware of your surroundings when casting. Your in a confined space and it\'s not a casting competition. I\'ve found hanging my hook over one of the gripper wires means there is less to trail when chucking out. It always seems to release.
We have tried the usual \"summer\" wrecks in the winter but with only a small amount of fish being caught, always with bait and flowing trace though. I personally wouldn\'t waste time with lures in the winter.
I think I\'ve covered most of our tactics here but try having a look back at some of the winter reports off the Volante...I may have missed something. As with the summer, winter fishing isn\'t a guarantee of Cod but get a good day and it\'s on par with wrecking but considerably more relaxed. In fact it\'s like shore fishing except you catch fish....!!!!!
Cheers,
Jeff.
PS..... I learned this from the skipper of the Volante and his mate. They have fished this way for years. Most of th boats out of Sunderland fish this way in the winter.....only the less experienced are seen to be drift fishing. Prior to learning this my winter fishing exploits weren\'t good at all which resulted in waiting for the summer each year.
If any of you haven\'t tried it yet...do it this year.....!!!!! You\'ll be surprised.
but of course this must be used with caution .... LOL I remember Volante anchored at St Marys with all of you fishing at leisure with lines out .......... ooops everyone else was drift fishing and whizzing past time and time again ...... sometimes tooooo close (not myself I add, I kept clear enough)
Norman is quite right...one idiot would have went straight into us if we hadn\'t jumped up to the front of the boat and pushed them off....to be honest they didn\'t seem to care anyway...T@ssers.
Depends on wether my new sideline as an Anthony Hutton looka-like continues into the winter months, you know showbiz, a cruel and fickle world. I\'m doing a PA at The Keelboat on Wednesday afternoon, \"Matinay Performans\" apparently, bring a bottle. :P
We really must get further a field this year...!!!
Aye Frain can drive us
Alreeeeeeeeeeet John.
[Edited on 26/8/2005 by Charlie_Thompson]
"I mock thee not, though I by thee am mockéd.
Thou call'st me madman, but I call thee blockhead"
Codfather - you asked...........now you know....lol
Would just like to add - as well as Alan mentioning the warm / waterproof clothing - don\'t forget that the Winter daylight hours are much shorter( it can be dark by 3:30pm) - allow plenty of time for getting back during daylight.
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