the cod are on the decline

[paulthespark]

40 years ago cod were in abundance, my dad would tell me of sessions where one lad could land 50 fish [and good ones] in a night.after 25 years of being a keen winter cod angler i,ve seen the decline. years ago even i could get a 100 fish during a season last year i got 6 for the season [o.k.one of them was 9 pounds]but that was it.i,ve spent 100,s of pounds on gear and bait ect.and i,m just wondering if it,s worth it, standing on the beach with sleet hitting you horizontal in the face for a couple of pin whitings and a postage size dab.i know this is a bit of a moan, but does anyone else feel the same . the eternal optomist

[tonynufc]

ive always been happy just being out fishing, if you catch great if you dont there's always next time. anyone that cant handle blanking should think about another hobby

[The Great Wallsendo]

I'm only a relative newbie to this whole Cod worshipping thing, but why are they revered in such a way in the North East?

[Topfly]

I started fishing fifty years ago when i was knee high to a dinghy's gunnell, over a lot of years dad took me to places where the fish came close to the shore when tides and conditions were right.Although the quantities and size of fish are not there anymore, i still get excited getting my gear together to go fishing. as tony says, if you dont catch there's always next time

wallsendo, most of the fish caught up and down this part of the coast are usually whiting, flats, puddlers, pout, codling or the like,it's just that you can target bigger cod if you know where to fish, i think that is why they are top of the hit list in the winter.

[Charlie_Thompson]

I'm only a relative newbie to this whole Cod worshipping thing, but why are they revered in such a way in the North East?

History, Culture and all the rest young man A proper fish amongst fish

[Topfly]

History, Culture and all the rest young man A proper fish amongst fish

you old salt

[mick dunn]

I look at the sea sometimes and think how could they have fished the t-ts out of that. Look at how big it is. The simple answer is quite easily. I remember fishing over 35 years ago and it was a whole different ballgame.

I still enjoy going down though its just a case of trying harder,(i fish with 2rods now) being selective about your spots and keeping an eye on conditions.

Agree with the lack of cod.But if i catch few whities and flatties i,m happy.

ps took up fly fishing last year and caught some nice rainbows. One slight problem though. £25 licence and £18 a day to fish, Also blanked on stocked waters but still enjoyed the day.

[Charlie_Thompson]

I've near on given up myself through reasons of patheticness. What is encouraging to me is that lads and lasses who really know their onions - I'm not suggesting these people are born that way - but have worked their nuts off (when I say work you no what I mean) thinking and remembering, and travelling and testing and experimenting and spending cash or breaking their backs digging or collecting good bait, and practicing and learning etc etc.

Still manage to catch decent fish on a reasonably regular basis just about

Plus My waders are donald ducked and my Shakey smock is full of leaves and spiders and what with the drink and all that I can't afford to replace them -

[paulthespark]

i agree with most of your replies :and i love sea fishing, always have always will, but it doe,st change the fact the fish are not there anymore

[bigpaul]

Big decline, but still good to be out tho.......

[Rex Church]

..

[Rex Church]

History, Culture and all the rest young man A proper fish amongst fish

eh?
any look over sea angler reports and regional club reports over the last 30 years and you'll see cod angling in the winter is just as popular across most areas of the country. Not as if it's some 'northern hardman (monkey) fishing for the proper stuff against his southern counterpart.

[Rex Church]

40 years ago cod were in abundance, my dad would tell me of sessions where one lad could land 50 fish [and good ones] in a night.after 25 years of being a keen winter cod angler i,ve seen the decline. years ago even i could get a 100 fish during a season last year i got 6 for the season [o.k.one of them was 9 pounds]but that was it.i,ve spent 100,s of pounds on gear and bait ect.and i,m just wondering if it,s worth it, standing on the beach with sleet hitting you horizontal in the face for a couple of pin whitings and a postage size dab.i know this is a bit of a moan, but does anyone else feel the same . the eternal optomist

and you still can mate...after a fashion. Places like whitley bay beach and Blyth as well as Horden have went daft this year with some good bags - 20-30 pound each angler on two occasions I've seen. The truth is, most people (despite their 'purported' help) will never tell you where is fishing. And before any one calls me worse than wrotten - I've been one of them. So wind it it before anyone starts. Ps - if the seas come away as we expect this weekend - pm me - I'll put you in touch with a couple of marks that WILL fish. And I'll also sell you some fresh crab - but it'll cost you £2 a shell.
pps - and for every catch report you see on here there are more that people will never share - greed rules my friend amongst the bitter majority of the elite class of our north east shore angling community.

[davem2005]

April last year I spoke up on a video that went to every MP in the country ...basically I said fishing here in the NE is not what it used to be.

I lost a lot of friends by saying that ...but I do remeber taking my 14 ft ski boat out of flambrough head and filling the back seats with 10lb+ cod in a day, and I do mean filling it!!

I also remeber when you had to book for a midweek day on a whitby boat a year in advance.

Things have changed...but hopefully they can change back.

Tomorrow I will post a pic about why whitby anglers never used a two hook rig...lets hope those days return.

Cheers
Dave

[mark]

I do think it is a bit regional, the beaches a blaze with NCB donkey jackets and tilley lamps in years past, IMHO the boat obsession can be even worse though, nobody seems to target anything else, or want to eat anything else. I divvent care, if it swims and I catch it, I'll eat it at least once (draw the line at 2lb black ribbed nobblers caught of the end of whitley pipe though)

there's still fish there though, granted not in numbers like there once was, but maybe thats a good thing. Folks are appreciating them a bit more these days, rather than take them for granted, and have to use a bit of cunning to get the little blighters.

got a pic emailed from a pal, late last year, a comemrcial boat, and all legal and above board an within quota, but might get some juices flowing, all caught longlining at... well lets say mark X:



guess where I'm heading in the boat come easter!