Cod or Bass....

[JuanPablo]

Once this storm has passed I expect the majority of us on here will be thinking two things - where to fish and how to avoid the missus!
I have checked BBC and it looks like Saturday will be sunny and calmer so heres your mission!
The storms will have done nothing but good for the big bass and cod fishing. All the food thats been disturbed will bring the fish inshore but they both enjoy nothing more than lavishing on small whiting.
Using the following method is a very effective way of maximising your chances. The only skill required is to find the whiting shoals, obviously it helps to check that your chosen venue has some sort of bass or cod history otherwise you may be completely wasting your time - but surprises do happen!

Use a simple rig - either a pulley rig or a simple 1 hook paternoster. The hook snood should be fairly long and have a 3/0 or 4/0 hook tied on the end. Then approximately 4inches above that hook tie on a very short length of mono with another smaller hook. Normally a 1/0 baited with lugworm works.

Once you get a bite you need to be sure its a whiting or pouting so reel in and check it out. There is no point leaving a school bass hooked (although bass are canabalistic!). Whiting are a shoal fish so if you get a very similar bite (normally a violent rattle with small whiting) you need to simply ignore it. You should now have a small whiting hooked on the smaller hook whilst the bigger unbaited hook is left free. The commossion that the small fish will cause should attract any big predators (this includes conger) to the fish, they will eat it and more often than not get neatly hooked by the bigger hook.

This rig is called a livebait rig. It is the most effective way to fish livebaits because trying to cast a livefish normally rips the hook clean out of the fish or the fish dies and is therefore not as effective.

A tried and tested method definately worth a try if all u r catching is small whiting. Remember not to bait the bigger hook because you will probably hook another whiting!

I know most of you guys know this stuff - not intended to be patronising - more intended for any newbies!
If I manage to get a session in this week I will definately be trying this! Gotta beat Wellys bass!!!

[pingu]

cheers juan will try that if ever get to a beach again i:e the weather breaks

[wellyfish]

clip down pulley rigg,size3/0 viking,or pennel, whole calamari,job done....

[JuanPablo]

except when surrounded by hundreds of dogfish
there seem to be more of them than I can ever remember in the BC at the mo....

[wellyfish]

you know jp i aint caught a doggie this year,im begining to feel left out ,just put it down to luck really,cos fishing carries a lot of it..

[JuanPablo]

i wouldnt want u to feel left out mate! wanna swap locations?!

luckily the cod do seem to be showing more and more now up here. heard a few being caught from cardiff foreshore in the last few days...

[pingu]

i'll swap a doggie for a bass anyday you like welly

[wellyfish]

next bass i have ping is yours mate ,...no worries,

[kiwimarty]

Hey Juan...........move along your coast a little mate. Plenty of Bass around Gower and the like. In fact Welly and I will be up there next year.

On really good piece of advice............Forget distance. Welly will tell ya. There at your feet!!!

[JuanPablo]

Kiwi i live on Gower! lol
These dogfish hoards are affecting the gower rock marks in plague proportions! - just ask Tommy!

let me know when u come up here and we can fish some marks around paviland cave and worms head if you like? plenty of bass - biggest this year was a 15.5lb fish from port einon point back during the september storm. i havent seen evidence of this fish YET however... but its very popular gossip round here!
take a look at my website (in the footer of this post) for some wicked aerial shots of worms head. bet you will see the bass hotspot straight away!