Cold and windy night - 31st January 2012

I headed out on Tuesday evening before the arrival of the Siberian weather. However, it was still cold enough with a strong easterly wind. I had intended to fish the beach where I had a few bass last week but at the last minute decided to try another beach close by. I had only fished here once before, and that was on a Sunday afternoon in daylight with a weak surf and on an ebbing tide so needless to say I didn't do too well!!!

This time I was fishing a rising ride with a good surf. I found a section of the beach with a lot of structure; shallow gulleys and depressions, just the sort of terrain where you would expect bass to forage for food. I set up two rods with 4/0 pennel pulleys, one baited with fresh crab, the other with lug. About half an hour after casting out I had a strong bite. The fish was putting up a good struggle and I was convinced it was a bass until I hauled a 2.5 lb cod out of the surf.

Shortly afterwards I had a second smaller codling again on the crab. I missed another a little later. I was getting nibbles on the rod with the lug, but it was most likely small fish pulling on the bait, which couldn't get their mouths around a 4/0 hook. About 20 minutes later I spotted that the line had gone slack on the rod with crab, picked it up and reeled in a lot of slack, before connecting with a fish. It fought strongly the remainder of the way in  - another 2.5 lb cod.

After that the bites died off as the tide pushed in and the current running parallel to the beach from east to west became stronger requiring a switch from 5 oz to 6 oz grippers. I was also beginning to snag some big clumps of kelp. About a hour before high tide I decided to pack up as the fishing was becoming too difficult and the wind gaining in strength. Still I had 3 cod for the next few night's dinner.