Wots yer biggest cod ??

[Beach]

Shore, Clyde est. 10-11lb. Boat Clyde again, Gantocks est. 23-25lb, both back late 1960`s, were getting so many in those days that never weighed much, those two were mediocre for Clyde back then. To be notable shore had to be 20lb plus and boat at least 30lb.

That's a small boat - just jesting

 

[Skaterboy]

Shore, Clyde est. 10-11lb. Boat Clyde again, Gantocks est. 23-25lb, both back late 1960`s, were getting so many in those days that never weighed much, those two were mediocre for Clyde back then. To be notable shore had to be 20lb plus and boat at least 30lb.

It was reading about Doug Dinnie, George Mann and Bill Freshwater's big cod catches on the Gantocks that got me making pirks and getting out on the Whitby boats. Great days!

 

[Bluemicky]

Shore 22lb 12oz

Boat. 13lb something.
That's my profile pic a bitterly cold day with snow on the roads in the morning.


Doubt I will ever get another shore 20,the spots that used to produce the big ones around North Devon much like the rest of the Bristol Channel are absolutely dire now.
It's sad and it has broken me for winter fishing really as that's what it was all about really over November December January.

 

[stan m]

It was reading about Doug Dinnie, George Mann and Bill Freshwater's big cod catches on the Gantocks that got me making pirks and getting out on the Whitby boats. Great days!

"The trio". I had a 32 ft charter boat back then I used to work part time, weekends, days off etc. I can assure you, having been part of it that the anglers caused much of the demise of Clyde cod. Those three would launch from Cloch lighthouse, motor over to the Gantocks weed bank near the wreck, fill up their dinghy until there was hardly any freeboard, return, unload perhaps 1000lb of cod to their mate with the van, go back out and do the same again. Sad part was there were possibly 20 or 30 boats all doing the same, day in and day out up to around 1974 when lo and behold the cod started getting smaller as well as catches. Thousands of tons of breeding stock over a 4-5 year period. In all that time I never saw a commercial except prawn boats further south. The pirks of the day, well there were many black cabs and cortinas` going around minus door handles. I made my own from lead filled chrome pipe with white feathers.

 

[Mr Fish]

"The trio". I had a 32 ft charter boat back then I used to work part time, weekends, days off etc. I can assure you, having been part of it that the anglers caused much of the demise of Clyde cod. Those three would launch from Cloch lighthouse, motor over to the Gantocks weed bank near the wreck, fill up their dinghy until there was hardly any freeboard, return, unload perhaps 1000lb of cod to their mate with the van, go back out and do the same again. Sad part was there were possibly 20 or 30 boats all doinmg the same, day in and day out up to around 1974 when lo and behold the cod started getting smaller as well as catches. Thousands of tons of breeding stock over a 4-5 year period. In all thast time I never saw a commercial except prawn boats further south. The pirks of the day, well there were many black cabs and cortinas` going around minus door handles. I made my own from lead filled chrome pipe with white feathers.

That’s what the Angling Trust types can never accept - anglers do and did play a role in destroying stocks.
In the bigger picture they were the junior partner maybe, but as you’ve said, localised effort can do a lot of damage in a relatively short time.

The same is true I’m sure of the cod and pollack stocks on the mid channel wrecks - if you’ve got multiple charters from south coast ports hammering the wrecks whenever they can get out, it won’t be too many years before the stocks take a serious dent.

Yes I’m sure the commercials overall took and take a bigger share, but it annoys me when angling acts blameless and people use it as an excuse to take a dozen 2lb ish codling from Chesil or wherever.

 

[Skaterboy]

"The trio". I had a 32 ft charter boat back then I used to work part time, weekends, days off etc. I can assure you, having been part of it that the anglers caused much of the demise of Clyde cod. Those three would launch from Cloch lighthouse, motor over to the Gantocks weed bank near the wreck, fill up their dinghy until there was hardly any freeboard, return, unload perhaps 1000lb of cod to their mate with the van, go back out and do the same again. Sad part was there were possibly 20 or 30 boats all doinmg the same, day in and day out up to around 1974 when lo and behold the cod started getting smaller as well as catches. Thousands of tons of breeding stock over a 4-5 year period. In all thast time I never saw a commercial except prawn boats further south. The pirks of the day, well there were many black cabs and cortinas` going around minus door handles. I made my own from lead filled chrome pipe with white feathers.

That’s what the Angling Trust types can never accept - anglers do and did play a role in destroying stocks.
In the bigger picture they were the junior partner maybe, but as you’ve said, localised effort can do a lot of damage in a relatively short time.

The same is true I’m sure of the cod and pollack stocks on the mid channel wrecks - if you’ve got multiple charters from south coast ports hammering the wrecks whenever they can get out, it won’t be too many years before the stocks take a serious dent.

Yes I’m sure the commercials overall took and take a bigger share, but it annoys me when angling acts blameless and people use it as an excuse to take a dozen 2lb ish codling from Chesil or wherever.

The same thing happened on the Yorkshire wrecks with 1000lb catches of big fish gradually reducing over the years due to constant angling pressure until all the big breeding stock had gone. The charter boats now have to make do with smaller fish and catches. Being an enclosed fishery the Clyde suffered much worse.

 

[Mr Fish]

The same thing happened on the Yorkshire wrecks with 1000lb catches of big fish gradually reducing over the years due to constant angling pressure until all the big breeding stock had gone. The charter boats now have to make do with smaller fish and catches. Being an enclosed fishery the Clyde suffered much worse.

Not Yorkshire but I freely admit even 20-25 years ago I was among those who had some cracking channel wrecking days and we filled a lot of fish boxes, way more then everyone on the boat needed.
I’d probably only go once or twice a year at most and I didn’t twig at the time, but it gradually dawned on me what we were doing.
It’s an excuse to say ‘everyone was doing it’, but nonetheless everyone was.

And those times although decent were nothing like the 1970s/80s hey days.

 

[chesilpete]

Shore 22lb 12oz

Boat. 13lb something.
That's my profile pic a bitterly cold day with snow on the roads in the morning.


Doubt I will ever get another shore 20,the spots that used to produce the big ones around North Devon much like the rest of the Bristol Channel are absolutely dire now.
It's sad and it has broken me for winter fishing really as that's what it was all about really over November December January.

A double comes out every year at Clovelly to the boys hunting spurs.... but they are as rare as an honest politician.

 

[chesilpete]

You moved to Norway Mike ;-)

It’s quite possible to get a double figure cod locally to where I’m living, it’s not a rareity ether as long as you can get past the tings and straps

 

[Mr Fish]

A double comes out every year at Clovelly to the boys hunting spurs.... but they are as rare as an honest politician.

Meh, stand on that wall long enough you’ll get most things, but it can become a bit crowded…

 

[Topwater]

That’s what the Angling Trust types can never accept - anglers do and did play a role in destroying stocks.
In the bigger picture they were the junior partner maybe, but as you’ve said, localised effort can do a lot of damage in a relatively short time.

The same is true I’m sure of the cod and pollack stocks on the mid channel wrecks - if you’ve got multiple charters from south coast ports hammering the wrecks whenever they can get out, it won’t be too many years before the stocks take a serious dent.

Yes I’m sure the commercials overall took and take a bigger share, but it annoys me when angling acts blameless and people use it as an excuse to take a dozen 2lb ish codling from Chesil or wherever.

I've always considered these charter vessels to be commercial fishing. They just do it with fee paying anglers. Greed is greed no matter if its with nets or rod and line. Thankfully we mostly live in enlightened times but there are still many that think the sea owes them a harvest/payout. Its a shared resource and one we should all be held responsible for

 

[chesilpete]

The same thing happened on the Yorkshire wrecks with 1000lb catches of big fish gradually reducing over the years due to constant angling pressure until all the big breeding stock had gone. The charter boats now have to make do with smaller fish and catches. Being an enclosed fishery the Clyde suffered much worse.

Every fish I ever took has been eaten..... commercials one in 50 fish gets eaten the rest is discarded

 

[Bluemicky]

A double comes out every year at Clovelly to the boys hunting spurs.... but they are as rare as an honest politician.

These fish are outliers mate.
Trust me from someone who's fished it from the good times until now.

 

[Skaterboy]

Every fish I ever took has been eaten..... commercials one in 50 fish gets eaten the rest is discarded

When I recently did a summary of all the sea fish I'd caught in my lifetime I did a rough calculation of the amount of fish I'd taken as food for my family or for use as bait. The result was a figure of about 3 tons. That doesn't seem a lot spread over nearly 60 years but I have to admit that I've contributed to the depletion of fish stocks over that time. I don't lose any sleep over that though.

 

[Cwab]

If manage a double in next few seasons and a good example of a cod fish it’s going back where it came.
Came close this time but no cigar

 

[Shirleycodlin]

Every fish I ever took has been eaten..... commercials one in 50 fish gets eaten the rest is discarded

I'm surprised it's as high as 1 in 50

 

[Shirleycodlin]

Anyway, back on topic

 

[Cwab]

Slightly off track but a cautionary tale perhaps of future times, close and trusted friends pal and passionate salmon angler in quite recent times caught and landed a 44lb salmon in a Scottish salmon river and albeit a kipper, a fish of several lifetimes and fantastic experience. Was advised privately to be very selective on any picture he may post of himself and said fish due to antis.
End result received much abuse including letters to home address and threats as was holding fish out of water and some may have thought dead, which it was not. Sign of the times.

 

[SirGunner]

Having only been sea fishing for just under a year the Cod on my resumé are drastically lacking. However, I did manage a small codling around end of August on my first trip to Chesil. I was one happy chappie that day

 

[flappy]

Slightly off track but a cautionary tale perhaps of future times, close and trusted friends pal and passionate salmon angler in quite recent times caught and landed a 44lb salmon in a Scottish salmon river and albeit a kipper, a fish of several lifetimes and fantastic experience. Was advised privately to be very selective on any picture he may post of himself and said fish due to antis.
End result received much abuse including letters to home address and threats as was holding fish out of water and some may have thought dead, which it was not. Sign of the times.

As they say.. empty vessels make the most noise..