Cod
Shore - Page 4
Beaches offer several target species so whenever I fish them I tend to take along two rods. One goes out with conventional cod bait but the other I fish with an up and over leger and a smaller hook. In this way I can continue to fish for cod but I can also target smaller species like whiting and flatfish, which can keep interest up when the cod are not making an appearance, which is, more often than not, the case in Torbay.
Many people believe that they can increase their chances by adding attractors, like strings of white flounder spoons, to their tackle. Cod are certainly a curious fish so they might well be right but the flip side of this is the casting distance lost because of the significantly increased air resistance.
Personally, if I was going to experiment along these lines then I would concentrate on increasing the smell near the bait, using something like the Sea Scenter from Veals, or sea feeder, just above the weight. You can stuff this full of cotton wool and then pour pilchard oil over it to lay up a strong scent trail very close to your tackle. Alternatively you might prefer to experiment with mashed fish or other bait additives until you have come up with your own winning formula.
Many people believe that they can increase their chances by adding attractors, like strings of white flounder spoons, to their tackle. Cod are certainly a curious fish so they might well be right but the flip side of this is the casting distance lost because of the significantly increased air resistance.
Personally, if I was going to experiment along these lines then I would concentrate on increasing the smell near the bait, using something like the Sea Scenter from Veals, or sea feeder, just above the weight. You can stuff this full of cotton wool and then pour pilchard oil over it to lay up a strong scent trail very close to your tackle. Alternatively you might prefer to experiment with mashed fish or other bait additives until you have come up with your own winning formula.
Sea feeders are much more robust than coarse feeders while some weights even have feeders incorporated into their design.
When you have caught a cod, especially if it is a big one, please consider putting any further captures straight back into the sea. One will give you plenty of fillets for meals after all. I know this goes against the grain for such a beautiful eating fish but their numbers, today, are seriously depleted. If we do not practice conservation ourselves then it would, to be quite frank, be pretty hypocritical standing around moaning about the huge numbers harvested by trawlers. We need to do our bit, especially since the species has been targeted so heavily that many scientists believe that the stocks are on the verge of collapse.
To connect a sea scenter, I would mount it on a stainless steel link - allowing enough space to get the top on and off - which had a fast link or strong stainless steel link at the bottom to connect to the weight.
