mysterious disapearance of the cod!

[chrisbond]

hi guys
looks like ive found out why us boys are not catching many cod up north, they have all packed up there suitcases and headed off south, as if you are fishing off the south east coast there pulling them in 10 to a penny. apparently some lads fishing off the kent coast are catching an average off about 8 fish on a night session( we can only dream off catching cod like that).
so it looks like if we want to catch a cod you have to travel about 350 miles to catch one lol.

[Phantom of Hook House]

not in the last week we haven't. The easterly winds have cleared the water and the cod have moved off the beaches. Lads in the boats are getting a lot still. This has been the best codding for 20 years down here. Weve been averaging 5 codling a session at night....but they have averaged 2.5lb and not many over 3lb. Its been dabs, pin whiting and rockling for the last week, but as soon as we get an on shore blow it should pick up again.

[mick dunn]

Wondered where the bu--ers went.

[davem2005]

Chris,

Intresting you should say this. I got an email to say that the inshore under 10m commercial boats have filled their annual quota for cod in six weeks in that region.

Defra have now closed the fishery. So in theory whats left is breeding stock for next year and hopefully a few for anglers...in practice we will see...my money is that some additional quota will be found from somewhere to "help out" the commercials.

Be prepared to see news stories about the huge number of discards the commercials have to chuck away because the quota is full whilst the commercials claim it is still full of fish...if only they would learn that those are next years fish for us all and not just an additional repayment on this years mortgage.

Cheers
Dave

[jam8376]

just to let you know mate the winds are suppose to be all north and north eastly winds all week and i heard that its fishing well further south near saltburn to whitby

[seanyrooroo]

I don't think it's all doom and gloom. I've had one of my best seasons, still been plenty of cod our way this season, just a lack of ideal weather conditions.

[Phantom of Hook House]

Cod Stocks.... fyi

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This published on Thursday for the south coast:

Increased monthly catch limit leads to Channel cod closure
Published: 14 February, 2008

IN another blow for inshore fishermen, the Marine Fisheries Agency said today that the 2008 English Channel cod quota for boats of 10 metres and under in area V11d has already been taken and the fishery will be closed from 00.01 tomorrow.

Records of cod landings on the south coast indicate that after only six weeks of the year, all the 54.8 tonnes of 2008 quota for the sector have been exhausted, the Agency said.

Originally in 2008, fishermen were to be limited to a catch limit of 100kg a month of that 54.8 tonnes quota, with a view to keeping the fishery open for much of the year.

But in January fishermen from Hastings, along with their MP Michael Foster, lobbied Fisheries Minister Jonathan Shaw for an increase to one tonne per vessel per month.


Fishermen argued they should be allowed to take a tonne a month of the 54.8 tonne total because there were few other fishing opportunities open to them in the early months of the year.

The Minister accepted their case, but shortly afterwards wrote to Mr Foster explaining that the increased monthly catch limit would almost certainly result in the fishery being closed as early as February when the quota for the year was exhausted.

An MFA spokesman said: “We have now reached that point. After reviewing the catch up-take data we have no option but to close V11d cod to the under 10 metre fleet for the rest of the year.”

The V11d sea area runs from just east of Dungeness to just west of Swanage.
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The local inshore boats tend not to trawl unless they want cod. Once the ban is in place they shoot sole nets or pull for scallops, so don't get much wastage. It's the bigger trawlers that do the damage!

PS. My dad saw a bloke catch a 4lb codling off whitley bay beach yesterday in daylight. He lost one as well, then they watched a small commercial boat shoot nets all the way from the boat station heading south about 150 yards from the beach. Now thats what buggers itv up for us beach fishermen!

[fishingfanatastico]

No the wonder theres not many catching up here LOL.