the cod are on the decline

[YoursTruly]

Paul, yes the cod numbers have declined over the years, i can remember when i was in my early teens and seeing some of the senior members of our club (South Shields & District) catching numerous cod in excess of 10lbs.
They never fished when the sea was to big, inst4ead they waited till it dropped off and caught fish for around 4-5 days after it fell away.
You could go down to the bays at marsden and expect to see at least one double if not more in them days.
I remember catching a 9lb 8oz cod from the top of frenchy's, packing my gear to go along to Marsden where i knew some of the senior club members were fishing that night (pleasure session) i was so proud and wanting to let them see it ( cos i thought it was a beauty, my biggest fish to that date), when i approached les smith and doug peel and showed the my fish they both complimented me then said take a look on that rock and to my amazment there was not one double but three of them along with a couple of 5 pounders which made my catch look a bit feeble.

Now for Rex: catch reports: some like me dont do catch reports because it can look like bragging.
If i am lucky enough to catch fish in club matches and someone asks where i had been and i tell them they usually dont believe me anyway so for that reason i dont put reports on nesa and i know i should.

[stewy07]

I think the whitley bay night open was won with around 19lb of cod this/last year with excellent backing weights. How does that compare with 70's and 80's? Did they used to have massive weights? Just curious.

[red rock]

I think the whitley bay night open was won with around 19lb of cod this/last year with excellent backing weights. How does that compare with 70's and 80's? Did they used to have massive weights? Just curious.

40 pound bags of blyth beach in the 80s that any good for you. the fishing is not as good, that i can say for sure. i am not saying there is not fish about now but there was more fish in more places then

[stewy07]

Well i was born in the wrong era then! I remember my Dad catching nowt and he fished in the 80's. He must have been useless

[red rock]

Well i was born in the wrong era then! I remember my Dad catching nowt and he fished in the 80's. He must have been useless

he was not useless,there was good years and bad years,lol but more fish came to the scales then and you could catch even when it was flat in many places. but now most of the time you need a good sea to get a good bag if you are lucky,or you scratch about for 1 or 2 fish when its flat

[red rock]

Does anyone remember the season of 1986? It was absolutely incredible...there was a mass invasion of codling on the piers and beaches - not big fish, but in the 1lb - 3lb range...

Club matches were being won with weights of 50+lb. I recall having a pleasure session on the Boat House beach at Ryhope, during the day (not noted for big catches in daylight), and in two and a half hours I had 15 codling to 3lb, and ran out of bait!

Everyone reckoned that the following year, the fish would return bigger and in the same numbers - they never did!

i was there,lol if i had less than 15 codling on blyth beach on a night it was rubbish,lol i used to be forever digging bait as i went through tonnes. you even got the codling when the sea was flat on the beach that year

[dazza3278]

fish whatever the weather and enjoy it the day you stop enjoying it its time to try something else me i just love been out fishing always have always will and 1 things for sure i will never give up trying for that 1 big fish like so many of us try for
Dazza