Poor Cod season?

[keana]

I seem to remember the Cod season for the Cardiff end of the Bristol Channel starting in earnest at the beginning to middle of October. By this time last year, I had bagged a 10 pounder and loads of smaller 2-3 pounders.(the smaller ones went back to fight another day). Apart from a 9.5 lb-er that I caught in my little boat back in November, i`ve had nothing but a couple of tiddlers off the beach so far this year. I know that people are blaming the number of sprats in the channel, but surely sprats visit the channel every year? Cod are predominantly bottom feeders scooping up crabs, shrimps and worms with their big gaping mouths. Are we sure that these bottom hugging predators really swim up to mid water to feed on sprats or is there some other reason they`ve disappeared from everyones echo sounders and started to evade everyones baited hook.......Anyone got any views??

[MRG2000]

Originally Posted by keana

I Are we sure that these bottom hugging predators really swim up to mid water to feed on sprats or is there some other reason they`ve disappeared from everyones echo sounders and started to evade everyones baited hook.......Anyone got any views??

This season has got off to a great start,a good number of double figure fish,and plenty of 3-6 lb fish also.The Sprats arrived a couple of weeks ago and the fishing consequently died,as it does every year for a short period when the sprats are in.This year unfortunatly due to the settled weather they have hung around in large shoals.Cod a re not a s daft as they look and the sprats shoals are easy food for them,no need for the to search the bottom ,when they can just hoover up the sprats mid water....Today every fish kept has been stuffed with sprats,including the whiting.even tho they have disappeared off the fish finder screen.The fishing is definatly picking up now the sprats are dispearsing,so fingers crossed for better fishing any day now.

[keana]

Thanks for your views Mike. Its refreshing to know that there is some expert advice out there particularly from a local Charter skipper. Your obviously out there all the time and seeing first hand the changes in catch stats. But I do get very down hearted with the fishing around here somtimes. A lot of effort goes into catching very little. I think its probably that i`ve just bought my own little boat and expected to be catching Cod on every trip. I realise now thats not going to be the case. I was beginning to think it was just me not catching fish. Thanks for the re-assurance...Heres to the rest of the Cod season then.

Cheers
Andy

[MRG2000]

Originally Posted by keana

But I do get very down hearted with the fishing around here somtimes. A lot of effort goes into catching very little.
Cheers
Andy

Sometimes its really hard !......the good days always make up for the poor ones tho !.....

[gullyworm]

Down hearted not catching cod every trip?
You want to spend a winter pout bashing around the solent then you d get cheesed off

[fishingbonsai]

Here Here GW

[keana]

Nice one Mike. An excellent philosophy.I suppose we do get a bit spoilt with the cod in the Bristol Channel but then again, I suppose you lot (FB ang GW) get the better of us in the deeper crystal waters around you. You should try fishing in water that resembles a cold chocolate milk shake. Even then, we do get our fair share of good summer fish too with just a short trip down channel.

[Old Smoothound]

This year has seen the largest concentrations of spratts in the Bristol Channel for many a year.

All reports from the shore have been poor. But by the end of this month and into January the shoals should have dispersed and the cod coming back onto the shore line to feed in earnest...kinda like the lull before the strom. We hope!

[Ben]

look on th plus side, they should all be real fat after all the sprats as well!

[fishingbonsai]

Most people in my area are saying it has been a poor year all in all, I'm not including Bill and Ben of course, but still time to get a cod from the shore so they say.

Never been fishing in the Bristol Channel but going to the Gower next summer is that classed as the Bristol Channel? Good chance of a bass then I recon.