There are still cod to be caught around the coasts of southern England and Wales despite their huge decline in numbers over recent years. Dave Lewis explains how using the detective skills of a good private investigator is the best method of locating your subject – a plump winter cod!

A dictionary defines the word season in several ways, one being, ‘a fixed time of the year when a particular sporting activity is pursued’. As I write this it’s November and I am mindful of the fact that it wasn’t that many years ago that right now would be prime ‘cod season’ for shore anglers fishing at eastern end of the Bristol Channel – and many other areas of the coastline around the UK. The current weather conditions would have been ideal to target cod, too. A decent set of tides, a settled spell of weather with light winds, and this morning I woke up to find we had the first frost of the year. Sadly, were I to venture to one of my once favourite venues in the area, I’d be nowhere near confident of my chances of catching a cod. However, there are still fish to be caught if you do your research and plan. The skills needed to be successful are akin to those of a good private detective if you are to first locate, and then ‘apprehend’ a cod!

STARTING YOUR INVESTIGATION

It’s not just here in south-east Wales that we have seen cod numbers crash. All around the coast of the British Isles areas that once provided consistent winter sport for shore anglers are now, at best, a shadow of their former selves. Overfishing, climate change, water quality, lack of feed, take your pick: there are plenty of reasons given as to why the numbers of cod have been affected so badly. Regardless which are right, the end result for shore anglers is the same.

Thankfully it’s not all doom and gloom. In most of those areas where cod once provided the backbone of a shore anglers sport throughout the autumn and winter, from time-to-time fish do turn up. Occasionally these ‘runs’ consist of good numbers of codling, along with a few bigger ones. Find yourself in just the right place at just the right time, and even today you can catch reasonable numbers of cod from the shore.

GATHERING THE EVIDENCE

Up to the minute information is key to success when targeting cod today, just as it always has been. Often the fish arrive in one particular area and stay for just a few tides before moving on, meaning that you need to fish these windows of opportunity as and when they present themself.

Social media is the primary source of catch information for most shore anglers but reports on Facebook and other online forums need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Certainly, social media will give you an indication that fish are being caught, but you need to be aware that many catch reports are multi-shared, during which process many invariably become exaggerated. Always try to confirm exactly when the original catch report was posted, as this might have been weeks or even months ago. And remember the old saying that ‘one swallow doesn’t make a summer’. A single fish caught amongst the literally thousands of hours fished by anglers on one stretch of coast doesn’t mean ‘they’re in’!

With the right detective work you can still apprehend your target.

INTERVIEWS

In my opinion nothing beats a good old fashioned telephone conversation with friends who have actually been fishing, friends who can be trusted to give you an accurate first-hand account of what they and other anglers have caught.

You need to determine in which area cod are currently being caught, but of course there are no guarantees that cod will still be in the same area where your informants caught them. It is certainly encouraging to start a session with the knowledge that fish were caught in the exact same area that you are fishing just a day or so before.

INTERVIEWING WITNESSES

Your local tackle shop will be an excellent source of information when trying to find out what’s being caught and, most importantly, exactly where. Try and track down, talk to and ‘interrogate’ those anglers who have been successful catching cod in recent days. Cross examine them to confirm that any previous intel or leads you might have picked up upon matches their first-hand account of what they caught. Try and narrow down exactly where they fished: such as the exact spot on the beach or the rocks from where they were fishing, not just ‘such and such’ a beach or headland. Where did they cast? what was the size of tide and prevailing weather conditions? And perhaps most importantly, at what stage of the tide did they actually catch fish? What other observations can they make? Were they the only anglers catching fish at that specific venue, or were there others who enjoyed similar success? Make notes of all this information as it’s helping you to build a picture of where and when your target was last seen. Remember to respect the confidentiality of your sources. They may have told you in confidence and won’t help you in future if you pass on their valuable intelligence to other people. Before you know it, the venue and your favourite mark is chock-a-block with anglers who’ve heard rumours through the grapevine of social media and want in on the action!

PATIENCE

For big numbers of codling head to the north east coast of England and the east coast of Scotland

My choice of rig when targeting cod from the shore is either a fixed paternoster, or a pulley rig. If fishing over relatively clean and open ground invariably I’ll choose the former. If fishing rough, snaggy ground, the latter will be my go-to rig. In both cases I mount what invariably will be a large bait onto a Pennell rig which consists of two hooks rigged in tandem: one above the other, which will ensure the very best bait presentation, along with maximum hooking potential. My personal choice of hook for cod when fishing from the shore is the Sakuma 545 Manta Extras, typically size 1/0-3/0.

Often when targeting cod you’ll be fishing in strong tides where you’ll need a decent grip lead to firmly anchor the baited rig hard on the bottom, which is where cod feed. If fishing rough ground it is advisable to attach the lead via some form of weak link, a rotten bottom, to help keep tackle losses to a minimum. There’s nothing worse than getting snagged when you can feel the weight of a good fish thumping away at the end of the line.

SOLVING THE CASE

Provided you have done your research and set out your stall in an area where fish have been caught in recent days, and providing the fish are still present, you stand a good chance of catching a fish or two. The effort of using your private investigator skills will have all been worth it. Trust me!