Starting Cod Fishing – A Beginners Guide

When?

Firstly, knowing when cod can be caught will greatly assist your quest. There’s an old saying within sea angling that goes along the lines of “If it’s not there, you can’t catch it”.

The winter months of September through to January are regarded by many to be the best time to target cod as they move inshore to feed and to spawn. Seasonal fish movements across the calendar year are something that any new angler should become familiar with. There are some areas of northern England and Scotland where cod are present throughout the year, but it is generally accepted that those fish targeted on the south coast of the UK are seasonal.

Where?

There are many many marks across the south and south west coasts of the UK that produce cod throughout the winter months. As a starting point, the Bristol Channel is renowned for its cod fishing, with marks such as Battery Point, Lady Bay and Hinkley Point all well documented. Chesil Beach in Dorset is another famous location, with good catches made from the central and eastern stretches of the beach every year. Locations such as Abbotsbury, Langton Herring and Ferrybridge all have a long history of producing cod.

How?

When it comes to cod fishing, the first consideration should be tackle. Your choice of rod and reel will depend very much on the mark you have chosen to fish and the conditions on the day. Clean, sandy venues could be fished with reasonably light tackle during settled weather. A rod that could cast 5oz of lead and an average size bait would be more than adequate. If you’re fishing over what might be considered mixed to rough terrain, a more powerful rod with some backbone to assist with retrieving tackle and fish through snags would be more fitting. If the venue you fish has a strong flow of tide, again, your rod should be able to cope with heavier leads, especially during strong onshore winds when these heavier leads will punch through the wind with greater ease.

Multiplier or fixed spool reels can both be used, but should also be spooled up with a line that is suitable for the venue. A low diameter 15lb breaking strain line would be the perfect starting point on a clean ground venue, but it may be possible to fish even lighter in order to get a little extra casting distance. Mixed to rough ground venues will require a heavier mainline, so look to be loading up with a mono of around 20lb breaking strain. This extra strength will ensure your outfit has the guts to extract snagged tackle and being slightly thicker, will offer greater abrasion resistance over the harsher terrain.

If you’re starting cod fishing from the shore, I would not recommend the use of braid. Braid has its uses, but it can be troublesome. It has zero stretch and so is not particularly forgiving. It requires experience to understand its benefits and in the hands of a new angler is likely to present problems from the get-go.

Cod fishing rigs need not be technical. Many anglers favour the simplicity of a pulley rig, and although this rig was originally devised for fishing over rough ground, there is no reason why it can’t be used on cleaner venues. It’s easy to tie, features minimal components and has the potential to be cast a long way. A pennel rig (two hooks in tandem on the same trace line) is the norm and wide gape hooks should be used to present a bait. Cod have big mouths and hooks of around a size 4/0 are generally regarded as the right size, though your bait of choice should also be a consideration.

Bait

Cod absolutely love lugworm, and for numbers of fish, there can be few more productive options. Several blow lugworm slid over the main hook and then compressed down to form a sausage like bait is a great approach and you should always ensure that both hook points are sticking out proud of the bait. Other effective cod fishing baits include peeler crab, ragworm, squid and herring.

A combination of any of these baits can be hugely effective, but remember that the bigger the bait you use, the more your casting distance will be reduced. On some venues the fish can be caught very close to shore, particularly at night, so this is unlikely to be a problem. But if you’re fishing a shallow venue in daylight and distance is the key, a smaller aerodynamic bait is the answer.

Baiting needles and fine bait elastic are very useful tools to help with adding bait to your hooks. Squid and peeler crab is quite a sloppy bait so securing it to the hooks with bait elastic is crucial to prevent it flying off the hooks on the cast, or stopping small fish from stripping the hooks when the rig touches down on the sea bed.

Tackle shops that sell bait can be very busy at this time of year, so it’s worth a call as much as a week in advance to order your bait in good time.

General tips and guidance

The cod fishing may not be as productive as it once was, but there are still ample fish to hold our attention in most regions. Be prepared to put some time in on the right venues, fish with confidence, and you’ll be in with a chance. Build up a rapport with your local tackle shop, as if you’re spending your hard earned money on live bait there week on week, they will be more inclined to share information with you regarding local catches.

This information is priceless and could save you going to all the effort at the wrong venue or least productive stage of the tide. Get familiar with the venues they fish, understand which way the coast faces and how the wind and weather in general may affect the fishing. The winter can be harsh at the best of times, but purposely fishing out in bad weather for a period of time requires some thought. Buy the best clothing you can afford.

It sounds obvious, but keeping warm and dry is essential if you’re going to remain focused on the fishing. A beach shelter would also be a good investment for the same reason and will last for many years.

Think about the food and drink you’re going to take and at the very least, a flask of something hot and a slab of chocolate can certainly perk you up if the fish are not playing ball.

Above all else, have fun!