Same for me, have not had a decient flatty since last summeralthough I/ We have had a few canny whiting this winter as for Cod whats one of them?... all the ones I catch are about 6ins long and weigh no more than 8oz my mates have had one or two the best to about 2.1/2 lb..Using all the usuall baites,, One lad in the boozer said his old man used to use cooked bacon ???? he said it never failed.I suppose if nowts doing you can always eat it,I think its also something to do with the trawlermen fishing closer and closer to the shore, saw/ had one last summer actually had one end of his net tied to the legs of Blyth pier while we were spinning for Mackerel.Afew days later the same boat that in casting distance, was off the Pipe at Whitley Bay needless to say we caught nowt... mebbies there should be some law prohibiting trawlers from fishing within say a mile of the shore..This would atleast give all the little ones I usually catch (and return) a bit of a chance to mature and breed