Well, after a nigh on a week snowed in followed by a gale on Saturday it was great to get back out today in search of prime winter Cod! Today saw a group of individuals making up a a crew of 8 including 2 youngsters Callum and Tyler. We set off on a relatively mild morning by recent standards on a flat sea, albeit with a big residual swell after the previous days gale.
Expectations were mixed as on one hand the quantities of Cod caught in recent weeks has been down, but the size of fish has increased compared to the last couple of years across the Brighton charter fleet, with most of the Cod landed being double figures with a fair few 20lb plus specimens reported.
Anyway, on an easing flood tide, as the Whiting and Dogfish attacked our baits, 13 years old Callum landed the first notable fish of the day – a very respectable 2.5lb Whiting, well done Callum:
Not much happened over slack water but as the ebb got away Andrezj had a decent bite and, after a bit of a tangle, landed a pristine winter cod weighing a couple of ounces over 20lb:
The Whiting and Dogfish kept coming until Darius hooked what was obviously a Cod, which went 12lb:
Things went quiet again for a while until just before home time when, out of the blue, 14 year old Tyler Hallett’s rod arched over with a stormer of a bite. I knew instantly it was a decent Cod, and guided Tyler as he expertly played the fish to the surface. It’s not often a Cod strips line off the drag in relatively shallow water, and there were suggestions of conger amongst the crew as the fight played on – but I knew it was a Cod and kept quiet as Tyler continued to play the fish with natural skill and ability.
Eventually the fish surfaced and I admit I was quietly gobsmacked as I netted this obviously monster Cod. Once aboard the scales were dancing about the mid 30lb bracket, so we arranged for Dave Grinham from the Tackle Box to meet us back on the pontoon for a verified weighing…. this Cod went 34lb exactly!!!! Wow, way to go Tyler, your first EVER Cod, using a hire rod too, and easily a new boat record for Cod on Grey Viking – wow what a day !!!
Anyway, here are some pictures of the monster Cod:
Thanks to all the crew for a truly memorable and fun day with an incredible fish of a lifetime for young Tyler and further thanks to Dave at the Tackle Box for coming down to authenticate the Cod on calibrated scales!
Bloody great stuff Ray. Well done Tyler! Cracking fish. I’m very jealous!
my big daddy cod 🙂
Well done to Tyler for a cracking fish and to Ray for putting him over it. Just don’t expect to get a bigger one any time soon mate, haha
Certainly was a clonker – well done Tyler on the fish of a lifetime !!
Well done fish of a lifetime.
how do you no i wont get a bigger one dont tempt fate never no next time could be a 44lb never no whats out there
What an amazing day to witness Tyler catching such a big fish next to me. Big congratulations!
Hi Hiroshi,
Always a pleasure to see you aboard and I’m glad you were there to see such a massive Cod !!
it,s brill to see the young ones catching good fish keeps them going nice one son
hoping to book the boat for 1st week in april got n5 so far waiting on lads from northampton to reply
wooooowww nice fish !! hope ill catch one of them tomorrow !!!
Thanks for the compliment. I’ve been blogging for a few years now but it had taken a back seat until the site redesign last month. Our blog will be updated regularly from now on 🙂
These young kids are the next generation of anglers! I just cannot wait to take my kids fishing with me too and teach them to love the sea and the sport.