Live-Baiting (Fish) For Cod

[Joyce_boat]

Hello All,
I am interested in live bait (fish) fishing from a boat for cod. I normally fish onto inshore weed coved rock/reef marks in 12 to 80 feet of water on the North-East coast of England.
My present Shakespeare outfit is a 30lb elite rod with a brutus level wind multiplier loaded with 30lb braid.
Can any one give me any advice regarding:
1. Suitable small fish for bait.(there is an abundance of small whiting here)
2. Tackle i.e. rods,reels,line etc.
3. Rigs.
4. Fishing methods including mounting the fish bait,striking etc.
Regards,
Joyce_boat

[MRG2000]

Small whiting are ideal,upto about 6 inches,just lip hook them,and they will stay alive for quite a while.You can hook them as with a sandeel ,nicking the hook thro the mouth and then into the belly fleash,but we find they die very quickly when hooked like that....

[Joyce_boat]

Hello Charter Skipper,
Many Thanks for your help!
Regards, Joyce_boat

[nimue]

Hi Joyce,
Am probably gonna be shot down in flames here but why do you want to live bait for cod?
Most live baiting is done for pure predators and I think cod are mainly bottom fishing scavengers. OK OK OK pike are the same and we live bait for them but the big ones come to dead baits.
Possibly pirking is similar to pretending to be live fish but injured?
Umm maybe I'm just missing something here but hey...give it a go , try all sorts of small fish and get back to us, we all have a lot to learn!!!
Yours, Jules.

[Lookfar]

Originally Posted by nimue

Am probably gonna be shot down in flames here but why do you want to live bait for cod?
Most live baiting is done for pure predators and I think cod are mainly bottom fishing scavengers.

Hi Jules,
Depends on local conditions, but cod in most areas are very predatory. On the South Coast, its unusual NOT to find small fish, or at least their remains, when cleaning cod. Livebaiting is a very effective method down here. On the NE coast as mentioned they may well be primarily looking for crab but I'd put money on them being happy to nail any small fish they turn up.

Steve

[Joyce_boat]

Hello all,
Many thanks for all your comments.
My fishing is mostly from inshore reefs in relatively shallow water. On more than one occasion I have hooked small fish only for it to be stolen within a few feet of the bottom. I suspected a ling or small conger(even though conger seem to be a rare catch here). Once I managed to reel the thief to within 2 feet of the surface and identify it as a decent size ie 10+lb cod only for the hook to straighten out before I could use a landing net. Boy was I disappointed! Well I thought why not use 2 rods one for cod baited with worm etc and the other with a live bait for the rare monster.
I understand live baiting is done in some areas of Britain but I was unsure of the tactics or rigs.I thought I would consult the forum.
Regards
Joyce-boat

[MRG2000]

Here`s a 20lb Conger hanging on to the tail of a whiting of around a pound in weight.Proof that you can use live bait to good affect.Although i must admit to not seeing the whiting bite,only noticing when the conger grabbed the whiting and headed off downtide.The eel let go of the whiting ,seconds after the pic was taken.He`ve had cod do the same with smaller whiting on several occasions......