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North East Worst Cod Season To Date

DEEP SEA JOHN

DEEP SEA JOHN

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Dec 16, 2023
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South Shields
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I know anglers all around the country are having a poor cod season. but i cant remember a winter so bad. i have done a lot better than most as i live very close to the coast. up here in the north east we cought cod all year round but the last 5 years has seen a steady decline. the local club competitions have reflected this very few cod weighed in mostly whiting which has become the main species in the area. can this be conected to global warming or as most anglers are sugesting over fishing. it is very disheartning to see the amount of anglers just packing it in club numbers are plummeting and very few younger anglers taking it up
there i have got it off my chest
any other anglers in other areas of the country having same problems
D.S.J. 🦀 :(
 
Not sure how much is overfishing John, I'm more inclined to think climate change is as much to blame. Look how the mackerel have moved North following the colder,food rich waters. In recent years we've seen an influx of warmer water species that as a kid I associated with fishing the Med.
 
Been a fkin stinker
I start my cod season early October every year, keeping fish over 2.5-3 lb only
This time last year I was over 100 keepers, this year I’m on fkin 7!!!!!!!
Trips nearly every weekend , quite often 2 sessions per weekend, and odd ones throughout the week
Fished it hard , anywhere from south of the Humber up n just past whitby
Thought I would run out of frozen blacks this year, as only had just over 1000 frozen down, I reckon I could
Have got away with 300!!!
Many miles driven for next to fuck all!!
Been shit
Was running up
Country again tonight , but not feeling it , so gunna get pissed ( again) instead
 
The only codling I've had have come off the NE Coast. Its rare for me to travel for seafishing but this happened because of a business trip. Here on the Lancashire coast its been worse than dire. Its been devoid of cod and inundated with rays and whiting along with the now obligatory dogfish🙄 I do wonder if these species are now so rife that codling are and will be finding it hard to survive? Several boats from our club went 30 odd miles out to the wrecks and found mackerel, herring, small pollock to 3lb but absolutely zero codling. I suspect it will be down to a combination of many reasons but much of it will be man made - overfishing, massive amounts of pollution and agricultural run off, rising sea temps etc. I hope its cyclical but have my doubts😕
 
It's not good nationwide, but I've not seen or heard of any shore Cod being caught down this way for more years than I care to remember, so hence I wouldn't bother to target them.
Hell up down here too, with the commercials wanting a netting permit for a local estuary that is also a Bass nursery. Those that pop into the Dark side will know what I'm on about.
 
Trampster said:
It's not good nationwide, but I've not seen or heard of any shore Cod being caught down this way for more years than I care to remember, so hence I wouldn't bother to target them.
Hell up down here too, with the commercials wanting a netting permit for a local estuary that is also a Bass nursery. Those that pop into the Dark side will know what I'm on about.
Click to expand...

For anyone interested that doesn't frequent the Dark side, here's a link to what is going on from BBC News.
Sorry to hijack DSJ's thread.
I'm not a member or fan of the Angling Trust, but they do appear to be proactive on this issue in resisting proposals..

www.bbc.co.uk

Salcombe estuary net fishing proposal causes concern

Seals and dolphins are among creatures at risk if net fishing is approved, conservationists say.
www.bbc.co.uk
 
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There’s no doubt about the decline in the catch rates from certain shores however the winter of 2022 for me here on the southeast coast was the best for cod for probably 15yrs! With a grand total of 7 fish in the 2.5-4lb bracket. This year I was lucky enough to catch 1, I just appreciate them more.
 
Whatever the reasons I don’t think we’ll see any recovery of the cod fishing in the UK. Rather do 2 charter trips a month here which I used to do I now invest in the Norwegian economy with 1-2 11 days trips each year. Two UK turbot trips last year resulted in nothing big enough to keep so c.£260 including fuel and parking for those 2 days= 2 days fishing in Norway. Even in Norway the fishing has been declining over the years. Opening the fjords to commercial fishing and the influx of mackerel that were never seen in the northern region have had their impact. I can’t say I’m surprised that there are few youngsters getting into sea fishing nowadays. Mostly dogfish and whiting, they can get a bit monotonous after a while!
 
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DEEP SEA JOHN said:
I know anglers all around the country are having a poor cod season. but i cant remember a winter so bad. i have done a lot better than most as i live very close to the coast. up here in the north east we cought cod all year round but the last 5 years has seen a steady decline. the local club competitions have reflected this very few cod weighed in mostly whiting which has become the main species in the area. can this be conected to global warming or as most anglers are sugesting over fishing. it is very disheartning to see the amount of anglers just packing it in club numbers are plummeting and very few younger anglers taking it up
there i have got it off my chest
any other anglers in other areas of the country having same problems
D.S.J. 🦀 :(
Click to expand...
Sweet f all this way, been scooped up by the kin large trawlers, same as mackerel in the summer months.:(
 
Mushty said:
There’s no doubt about the decline in the catch rates from certain shores however the winter of 2022 for me here on the southeast coast was the best for cod for probably 15yrs! With a grand total of 7 fish in the 2.5-4lb bracket. This year I was lucky enough to catch 1, I just appreciate them more.
Click to expand...
SE coast as in east Sussex?

My friends brother had a good hit on the codling that way in 22/23 .
Also picked up a lot of bass and sole in the same sessions.

It's just too much of a faff of a drive for me 🤣
 
Shirleycodlin said:
SE coast as in east Sussex?

My friends brother had a good hit on the codling that way in 22/23 .
Also picked up a lot of bass and sole in the same sessions.

It's just too much of a faff of a drive for me 🤣
Click to expand...
Would that have been at a prominent venue on outskirts of Eastbourne? 🤔😉
 
Seems to have been a few better ones in the BC this year.

Not for me, obviously (🙄) but seen a few low doubles on Facebook
 
I tend to fish off the beaches in West Sussex, it has been abysmal in 2023.
 
Haven't had one myself down this Here Fish Swansea Area of Bristol Channel usually get Few Every year Still got time has I've caught them in March previously it's Quiet all round the UK lot of Anglers don't like to Report Cod catches has the next Day they be at the Venue in their Masses .
 
Timmy H said:
Not sure how much is overfishing John, I'm more inclined to think climate change is as much to blame. Look how the mackerel have moved North following the colder,food rich waters. In recent years we've seen an influx of warmer water species that as a kid I associated with fishing the Med.
Click to expand...
I've noticed the same sort of thing, I fish the solent.
 
Had a single 2lb fish from the Bristol Channel back in September, and 10 from chesil in the 4 to 6lb class. It was the Minehead cod festival this weekend, if I've heard rightly? There were only 2 cod landed for all those boats. Overfishing is 100% to blame, the collapse in cod stocks is absolutely staggering! Not long ago 5 x 3lb codling a session was nothing special, now you won't see or hear of 5 x 3lb codling all winter.
 
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