The Cod Are In!

It’s the words every sea angler wants to hear and thankfully even though it is still only September, we are starting to hear some tales of good bags of codling from the upper reaches of the Bristol Channel. Chris Buxton from Weston-super-Mare enjoyed a short but busy session fishing from the shore near Aust, where in amongst a bag of flounders, whiting and codling he found this cod that weighed 6lb on the nose.

Chris Buxton with a fine cod of exactly 6lb

A few day’s previous to this catch and a little further down the coast at Portishead’s popular Battery Point, Jeremy Salisbury also got in on the action with a fish of similar size that took a liking to a bait intended for sole.

I have heard other, as yet, unconfirmed reports of fish of a similar size also take from the upper reaches in the last week and it’s really good to see that the fish that visited us last year are starting to make a come-back having fattened up throughout the summer. What is surprising though is the real mixture of different sizes coming ashore and since the end of August I have seen fish ranging from just a few ounces to nudging double figures.

It will be very interesting to see what materialises this year, especially in the period around Christmas when there is the potential for a huge cod being landed. Where exactly is a bit of a lottery, but Hinkley Point, Brean Down, Sandpoint, Ladye Bay and Battery Point have all produced these enormous fish in the past and are very capable of doing so again.

I must admit to usually showing little interest in cod fishing until the new year when I find that the spring run of fish are generally heavier having spent a long winter feeding on sprats, but this season I may well be tempted into having a go earlier on. Large fish bait’s are just as likely to pick out the better fish later on but for the time being, straight lugworm will be the only bait worth consideration in the Bristol Channel.

You have to be in it to win it and everything is pointing towards the 2015/16 season being one to remember for a long time! Keep an eye on the VMO blog for further reports.

Jeremy Salisbury, Battery Point cod.