[Rex Sumner]

Now that the bass have gone, we are still waiting for the cod to arrive on the shore in any numbers - but this cold weather should bring them in. I think they stick to temperatures below 5 degrees in the main, and with the sprat shoals going it's time for them to turn on to the whiting.

This winter I am keen to take a cod on a lure from the shore.

has anyone ever managed this? Or tried and blanked?

The mark I shall fish is from a pier, which I know pretty well from bassing, and am confident to cast at night from it, knowing where the snags are. It is a well known mark for cod, most taken either at range from the end of the pier past the mussel beds or to the sides on the sand.

My thoughts at the moment are to stick to sandy areas, back from the wash of the waves, and to fish a barrel weight for distance with a sluggo or jelly worm on the end and bounce it on the bottom. Alternatively a jig, again bounced on the bottom with lots of pauses. I feel it needs to be a fair sized lure, though. At night will use darker lures, though if I get a go during the day will try paler ones.

Any suggestions much appreciated!

 

[rob d]

Rex, I won't advise you on stuff that I don't know about myself i.e. how to catch a cod but, I will say and I'm sorry to say our (sussex) cod season has been and gone already... there may well still be one or two about at the mile marker but from the shore they'll be like rocking horse doo doo now...

 

[Rex Sumner]

I know, but we haven't really expected them till December which is the hot month in Eastbourne. The regulars who fish (with bait) three times a week or more expect to get at least 20 each in December. They are usually scarce up till then. I am still expecting several on bait, but want to lure fish at the same time!

 

[rob d]

I don't blame you mate, I have often thought exactly the same thing. I wouldn't have thought that they would come in close enough to hit from the beach with conventional lure kit though... Thinking out loud, I would probably go for them with either a big dexter wedge on a beach caster using a slow sink and draw, alternatively the same method but with a 4" shad (Berkley Gulp Crab maybe?) about 4ft behind a 4-5oz lump of lead... I'm thinking down the lines of boat fishing from the shore..... Prob miles away from a successful method but hey....

 

[rob d]

Just seen an unconfirmed report of a 14 & 19lb'er from Alices Pipe....

 

[Adam Sidney]

alrite mate, av had a few codlin on lures but through the summer when the water was clear.

One a took fishing for wrasse on a heavy rock mark with a sluggo rigged weedless so I could get it right in amongst the kelp and rocks

And also took two on a £1 spinner bumped along a clean sandy bottom, but this was near a heavy rock mark.

Deffinately worth a shot mate, and also they can be really close in when fishing rock marks so u could easily get away using your normal plugging gear:wink:

 

[Rex Sumner]

Yeah, I heard it was a 12lb and a 19lb!

 

[Rex Sumner]

alrite mate, av had a few codlin on lures but through the summer when the water was clear.

One a took fishing for wrasse on a heavy rock mark with a sluggo rigged weedless so I could get it right in amongst the kelp and rocks

And also took two on a £1 spinner bumped along a clean sandy bottom, but this was near a heavy rock mark.

Deffinately worth a shot mate, and also they can be really close in when fishing rock marks so u could easily get away using your normal plugging gear:wink:

Cheers Adam, interesting! Will give it a bash when they get here, should be cold enough now, as there is snow on the land though the water still seems warm and I hear they are still catching bass on the boats. Pevensy where the big ones came out is only a few miles away, and shallow water, while here is deeper. The crowds will now be at Pevensy...

 

[Andy Coghlan]

Yeah, I heard it was a 12lb and a 19lb!

I heard that they were 17lb & 24lb. They must be growing as the news travels west!!

 

[Rex Sumner]

Another double from the shore in Pevensey yesterday, that's three in three days.

 

[Ben Jones]

Rex,

I had two codling last Tuesday from St Austell Bay using a shrimp & minnow giant Xlayer on a 20g jighead fishing from my kayak in about 10m of water - I don't see any reason why you shouldn't catch from a deep water shore mark. Good luck - it'll be interesting to hear how you get on.

 

[Andrew Younger]

I would love to catch a Cod from the Shore in PLymouth. I hear they shoot up the tamar would devils point be a possible mark for cod?

 

[Toby Harnett]

They're in in the Tamar & the Plym Andrew. Lots of places that you could catch them from, incl DP. I caught my first ever cod, on bait, a couple of weeks ago. Like others on here I'd love to catch on on a lure too

 

[Mike Sullivan]

There have been a few pulled from river this week buddy, hough distance would be an issue i think. bigger jig heads and using the current to take the lure into deep water maybe?

 

[Andrew Younger]

I heard a few catching on xlayers, mind you what are xlayers not catching at the moment.

 

[Matt Jones]

I think any SP would potentially take 'em. I don't think distance is necessarily an issue if you pick the right mark on the Tamar, it'll actually be being able to get the lure down enough with the tidal flow going on.

I heard an interesting theory the week before last whilst fishing the Bristol Channel that if the cod are chasing sprat up the rivers then they tend to feed closer to the surface. If you meet that scenario then lure fishing for them could prove highly effective perhaps.

 

[Simon L]

I landed a couple of them earlier in the year on a swimbait (whilst targetting Bass it must be said) . . .

This was the lure . . . .