No mystery

[The Great Wallsendo]

I'm starting to realise there's no great mystery or fine art in catching Cod...if they're in front of you, you'll prob catch them (LOL hopefully )

Last night my tactics were as follows:

Size 2 Aberdeens on a two hook flapper - single Ragworm

6/0 - 4/0 Pennell - worm baits (lug and rag)

I had frozen peeler but only the crabs liked it - caught some monster shore Crabs and a small edible one too

My first codling fell to the size 2 hook so that proves straight away you don't have to be launching huge baits all the time

Couple of lads were discussing the merit of the humble Ragworm last night...there's no denying that if we could all have the finest peeler, yellowtails etc that we'd be stocking up on them but sometimes the fish won't even sniff at much else

I know there's a few out there who are frustrated at the apparent lack of fish in their general direction - my advice is to keep it simple, and keep trying out different marks...we all have our fave spots but sometimes you have to put the effort in to find other spots that may yield fish - you can't always rely on the goodwill of others who have put in the time to always give out their "best" marks

[ScottyJim]

You said the magic words, “If cod are in front of you”. You can have the best bait in the world, and the most meticulously tied tackle, but it’ll be no good if the fish aren’t there. It’s knowing where the fish are to be found that’s important. Know your ground. Read the conditions.

[Lowrider]

100% agree.
That is why i laugh when you see people chasing where the fish were " last night".
That is fine but if you do not learn WHY the fish were there then your catches will always be low.

It’s knowing where the fish are to be found that’s important. Know your ground. Read the conditions.

Well said.

[Davyred]

I'm all for giving anyone advice, but forums have now become the 'quick fix' for many anglers who can't be bothered to do their own homework.

When I first started fishing seriously 20 odd years ago (), you joined a club, then watched the good anglers, picking up all you could. I was lucky enough to fish for Sunderland SAA when there were some great local anglers there, Jack Melton (who used to actually run an angling class on a saturday morning), Colin Smith, Arthur Bulmer, Micky Hill and Ivor Spraggon to name just a few.

I kept diaries of sea/weather/tidal conditions everytime I went fishing and used them to my advantage, but you still learn everytime you go out.

Now, it just seems that people want a quick fix - 'Where should I go to catch'. The answer is go and try somewhere. When your homework comes off, there's not a better feeling in the world.

[The Great Wallsendo]

don't get me wrong I've gleaned LOADS of info off this forum and it's members - but I've come to realise that there's only so much theory you can learn before you have to put in the miles...

[ScottyJim]

You can lessen the miles, though, if you sometimes stop and think a little. Ask yourself “Why do the cod come inshore during a blow?” The answer is to get food. How do they get the food? The crashing surf dislodges it out the rocks. Where does the dislodged food go? Into run-off gullies and deeper water adjacent to the surf line. Where are the fish? Where the food is. Some people laugh at me fishing in 6 to 10ft of water 30 yards out, but when conditions are right, I catch fish. You don’t have to fish in 50ft of water to catch. Be prepared to move. The fish will. If the surf line in front of you disappears when the tide rises, then the food disappears with it. Fish won’t hang about. Move. That’s what I meant by “know your ground, read the conditions”.

[Lowrider]

I'm all for giving anyone advice, but forums have now become the 'quick fix' for many anglers who can't be bothered to do their own homework.

When I first started fishing seriously 20 odd years ago (), you joined a club, then watched the good anglers, picking up all you could. I was lucky enough to fish for Sunderland SAA when there were some great local anglers there, Jack Melton (who used to actually run an angling class on a saturday morning), Colin Smith, Arthur Bulmer, Micky Hill and Ivor Spraggon to name just a few.

I kept diaries of sea/weather/tidal conditions everytime I went fishing and used them to my advantage, but you still learn everytime you go out.

Now, it just seems that people want a quick fix - 'Where should I go to catch'. The answer is go and try somewhere. When your homework comes off, there's not a better feeling in the world.

Cracking post and so often people forget that this is the way to learn to fish and i can almost say that the same names that win the comps each year learnt this way.