Noob question about casting

[peter3006]

Hi all,

Simple question really,

How far do you generally cast out for Cod?

What's your favourite Cod bait?

Thanks in advance,

Peter

[apak692000]

Hi Peter,

I always aim for about 80-100yds and do very well at this didtance although my biggest shore caught cod i took at about 50yds!! So i dont think distance really matters.
For bait i find whole squid packed with lug worm on a pulley rig is my choice.
But generally big baits for cod that stink.Hope this helps mate.

Andy

[Bluesbro]

The answer to your question really depends on where you are fishing mate. Each different venue you fish at will hold fish at different distances as the underwater feature dictate where the fish will be. For example at dungeness where I fish there is a steep drop of where the water gets really deep at around 80 yards from the lowtide mark. This steep drop off is where a good majority of the cod are caught, but it is unique to this mark. Another beach may be shallow and deeper water may be over 150yards out, another beach may have sand bars running along the beach at 30yards out holding fish. The best bet is to ask the locals or the tackle shop for more info on where you are fishing specifically. Baits for Cod are generally lugworm and squid (lots off!), but mussels, razor fish and crab also work well.

For casting advice read my old thread and it shold help you get some distance

Casting for beginners

Tight lines

Joe

[LittleFish]

As has already been said to know the distance, you first need to know your beach.The steeper the deeper the better.
As for bait big fat yellow tails are the top bait on the southeast coast,but any lug will do and worm/squid cocktails are always worth a try!

[peter3006]

HI guys,

thanks for your replies, some really good advise there.

Was out for a few hours tonight at Pevensey Bay (near the moorings) and had quite a few bites
but only 1 fish (whiting) lol.
Funny thing is though I get quite some bites but almost no hooks, if you know what I mean.
So I reckon I must be doing something wrong somewhere.

Also, fishing tonight, I used a cocktail of black lug and squid, but the fish did not even touch the squid,
only the worms. Could this be because the squid had been frozen and then re-frozen?

Thanks again Gents

Peter

[Bluesbro]

Originally Posted by peter3006

HI guys,

thanks for your replies, some really good advise there.

Was out for a few hours tonight at Pevensey Bay (near the moorings) and had quite a few bites
but only 1 fish (whiting) lol.
Funny thing is though I get quite some bites but almost no hooks, if you know what I mean.
So I reckon I must be doing something wrong somewhere.

Also, fishing tonight, I used a cocktail of black lug and squid, but the fish did not even touch the squid,
only the worms. Could this be because the squid had been frozen and then re-frozen?

Thanks again Gents

Peter

If you find your geting lots of bite but not many fish, and the worm dissapears quickly but the squid remains I would suggest that the crabs are out in force mate!! The little buggers can strip a hook of a worm in less than 5 mins but it takes them much longer to get through a strip of squid due to it being tougher (you can inspect the squid for small tears as well)!!! They also look identical to a fish bite so a lot of people get confussed as to why they are not catchiong all these "fish"

Next time you notice this happening I would suggest picking your rod up after a few bites, striking into it gently and then winding in a few turns, putting it down again and tightening the line back up. If the bite continues in the same way its more than likely a fish, if the bite stops then it was a theiving crab and theni wouldnt leave it out more much longer because its more than likely had your bait away!!! If you find that there are lots of crab bites then I would be reeling in, rebaiting and casting out every 10 mins because if you leave it any longer you will be fishing with empty hooks

Crabs are a real pain in the arse and there aint much you an do about them, you can buy floating beads which lift the bait of the bottom slightly but as the fish will be feeding on the bottom I can`t see there merit. All you can do is either change to a more durable bait, rebait more often or pack up and move to a different spot

Joe

[peter3006]

Thanks again Joe, some more valuable info for a newbie like me.

Peter