Cod fishing sport hits top form

The cod fishing season has arrived and a number of the nation’s best marks have finally hit top form.

Fish to over 30lb have been caught at various areas, with marks in the South East corner of England currently topping the bill, with impressive shore and boat catches being taken.

Venues that have been almost devoid of the species in recent years have also made a major revival, with the Bristol Channel amongst the fisheries in this category.

“The cod have finally arrived and this could be one of the best years for the species in a long time. Double figure fish are common, cod over 20lb are a possibility and even a 30lb plus beast could be taken from various spots across the country,” explained an insider.

For more details on the latest catches and best marks, pick up next week’s edition of the Angling Times, on the shelves from Tuesday December 20.


Cod PB smashed in fine style!

“When it first came up I thought I had caught a baby dolphin!”

Those are the words of delighted sea angler Kevin Bailey-Green after he had landed this fat 22lb 8oz cod while fishing from his own boat at a mark in the eastern Solent.

Kevin, who lives at Cowplain in Hampshire, tempted his new personal best with a squid hookbait presented on a pennel rig, and beat it using 30lb braided mainline and a 50lb leader.

“The weather was calm and sunny, and I hooked the fish right at the bottom of the tide. I’ve only ever caught four cod before, and this is by far the biggest – my previous best was 14lb 8oz,” he said.


Shore anglers enjoying good flatfish sport

Shore anglers in southern Ireland have been enjoying excellent sport from various species of flatfish in recent weeks, with peeler crab hookbaits doing most of the damage.

Despite the gale force winds colouring up the water, multiple bags of flounder to over 2lb have been taken on three hook (2 up and 1 down) flapper rigs from the South Wexford coast.

One of the best fish was this 2lb-plus specimen caught by Brian Cooke, who works for the Irish Federation of Sea Anglers.


Cockatil bait works wonders for Dave

A fishing trip out of Folkestone, Kent proved fruitful for Ashford boat angler Dave Wilson, 48, who is seen here holding a 19lb 2oz cod that he caught from a private veesel.

A big bait approach worked for Dave, who put his faith in a cocktail made from four lugworms and a large squid.

He said: “ I still can’t get over the fact that I caught a fish that big. It made my day when it was officially weighed two hours after capture.”

 


Big cod heads list of bumper catches

Boat anglers are enjoying a bonanza due to the fact that the summer fish haven’t quit the coast because of the warm weather, and the winter species have moved in boosting everyone’s fishing prospects.

Mark Davey from Milton Keynes proves the point with this 23lb cod, caught from the Weymouth-based Duchess II on a squid mackerel cocktail fished on a Pennell rig.

The boat's skipper Jeff Clarke revealed that over the same weekend his crews also landed big numbers of black bream and pollack to 16lb.

 


Sandeel lures big blonde

A sandeel bait presented on a 3/0 Pennell pulley rig proved the winning combination for Alex McKay when he caught this fine 14lb 12oz blonde ray.

The Welsh angler, from Llantwit Major, fished a rough ground mark near Aberthaw to make the catch, after which he said: "This is a personal best ray for me so I’m over the moon!”

He fished with his pal, John Austin, who had an 8lb specimen along with some open ground conger on the same trip.


85-year-old lands huge marlin weighing a third of a ton

An 85-year-old great grandmother has landed a marlin weighing more than a third of a ton.

Connie Laurie hooked the fish off the north of Queensland, Australia.

Experienced fishermen have been amazed at the elderly lady’s ability to play the black marlin and haul it in to the boat.

'I got lifted out of my seat twice as I was pulling it in, but I was able to get it right up to the back of the boat before we released it back into the sea,' Mrs Laurie said.

Connie’s black marlin weighed over 850lb. The Australian record for a black marlin is 1442lb.


Inshore marks producing bass

Ray Crowe, a 45-year-old plasterer from High Wycombe in Bucks, fished aboard Dick Peckham’s Poole, Dorset-based Strongbow with a mackerel livebait to take this 7lb-plus bass.

“We had a great day’s inshore bassing,” says Ray, “and I really enjoyed playing this fish out to the side of the boat.”


Channel mark produces big plaice

Fresh mackerel strip lured this late season plaice for Isle of Sheppey, Kent angler Dave Hughes.

He was fishing a Varne Bank, English Channel mark aboard the Louise Jane, skippered by Andy King out of Dover.

The super flattie was taken on a 5ft flowing trace and was brought to the surface on a sporting 12lb class outfit.


Blackpool sea anglers celebrate parking victory

A council that banned sea anglers from taking their vehicles within feet of a popular venue has moved to solve the situation by creating a permit system.

Fishermen have campaigned to be able to take their cars on to the Lower Walk area of Blackpool Promenade ever since it was banned in 2009 for safety reasons and the local council is now piloting a 12 month scheme that allows them to snap up a ticket to park close to the shore.

So far the move has been greeted with delight by visiting anglers, and over 250 badges have been issued to date.

 


Huge squid bait lures double-figure bass

Double squid mounted Pennell style and fished downtide lured this superb 12lb 3oz bass for Herne Bay, Kent small-boat angler Barry Seabrook.

He was fishing from his own boat, Jessica Blake, off the coast of his hometown, and said: “I beat it on 12lb class gear, which gave it a chance to scrap really hard.

"I took it ashore to get weighed at the Herne Bay AA headquarters, where it caused quite a stir.”


Huge cod, followed by a big bass!

Here’s concrete proof that the big cod have returned to the south coast of Ireland.

Arnaud Briere, a visitor from The Liberty Peche Club in France, is holding aloft a 24lb 6oz beauty caught on a soft lure while fishing from one of the Bellavista, self-drive boats at Cobh, County Cork.

Just to top things off, Arnaud later added a stunning double-figure bass weighing 10lb 8oz bass on the same trip!

For all the latest saltwater tips and tactics, get the new Sea Angler magazine - on sale now! 

 


Mackerel strip fools big blonde!

John Preston from Bolton, Lancs, is fairly new to boat fishing but already he seems to be making his mark!

Here we see him with a 25lb 10oz blonde ray caught aboard Outlaw, out of Dartmouth, Devon, skippered by Owen Malia.

The big ray took a mackerel strip hookbait, and just to put the cherry on the cake John had a 4lb 7oz plaice on the same trip.


Huge 16lb 8oz bass landed from harbour!

Ireland’s biggest bass in 10 years has been landed.

Polish visitor Krzysztof Knopp took the 16lb 8oz specimen from Courtmacsherry on a live joey.

The Irish Specimen Fish Committee has confirmed that it is the biggest bass caught since the record of 17lb 13oz was taken off the coast of County Clare in 2000.

More details in tomorrow's Angling Times.


Mackerel hookbait lures big tope off Devon

Simon Silvester shows off a 37lb 8oz tope that he beached at a local rock mark near Ilfracombe in Devon.

The 40-year-old groundworker from Barnstaple, Devon, mounted a fillet of mackerel to an 8/0 Sakuma circle hook attached to a pulley rig when the shark struck during a late night session.

“The fish put up a great fight and was quickly released after we weighed it,” said Simon.

 


Torbay Sea Angling Festival set to go ahead

The secretary of the Torbay Sea Angling Festival has dismissed rumours that the 2012 event is in jeopardy.

Concerns over next year’s extravaganza had been expressed when the council threatened to ban anglers from fishing in the harbour after damage to boats.

But the event secretary, Paul Vaggers, has been quick to end the speculation.
“The festival will definitely go ahead,” said Paul. “The local council give special dispensation during the event for anglers to fish in the harbour and because of some issues with boats being damaged, they have yet to give us consent for 2012.

“But whether they do or don’t is irrelevant. The harbour is only one small area that’s used for fishing so it will be happening regardless.”

*The 2012 Torbay Sea Angling Festival will start on September 7th and run for nine days. For more information visit www.torbayfishingfestival.com


Supermarket bait tempts massive bass

Mackerel fillets bought from a local Morrison’s supermarket lured this magnificent 11lb 2oz bass for 11-year-old Cameron Atkinson.

He was competing in a local Appledore Shipbuilders AC annual bass competition held on Westward Ho! beach, North Devon.

Needless to say he won the event by a mile, as it’s the best bass ever caught in the event.

A proud dad, Andrew says: “It was only his second night bass session. The fish struck at around 11pm, ten minutes before high water, then gave him the runaround for five minutes before we could land it. “


Tope 'went off like a train'!

This is the best of two tope Neil Taylor caught from the private boat Cutty Sark, skippered by his mate Ade Pinchbeck, fishing 16 miles south of Bridlington, Yorkshire.

It weighed 37lb and his other fish weighed just a pound less. Both fell for half a mackerel fished in 50ft of water.

“The biggest fish went off like a train,” said the Selby, Yorks printer.

“It made three long runs before I could get the better of it.


'Yak' session leads to big bass on a lure

Sam Fuller caught this 10lb 1oz bass on an evening kayaking session off Lyme Regis, Dorset. 

The fish latched on to his Rapala Husky jerk lure while trolling over a reef. 

He says: “I had to let the fish pull me round because my second lure managed to rap itself round the line. In the end I grabbed the line and brought the fish in close enough to land it by hand.”

The bass is a personal best for the 46-year-old Honiton, Devon teacher, his previous best being a 6-pounder.