Cod in the surf - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Bonefish · 01-08-2003, 11:59 PM

does anyone fish for cod in the surf? I just finished reading reading Frank Daignault's Eastern tides. As much as I loved the booked and wished I was surfacsting 30 yrs ago, I was curious to know if anyone out there was surfcasting in the winter for Cod? I would love to get any info. Also, after reading this book, I would love to share some of the experiences that Frank enjoyed, but maybe with a more preservative approach. Catching blitzes like he had would be the thrill of my lifetime. Prop's to the origanal surfcasters. I look forward to meeting those crazy characters in my own experiences.

Jenn · 01-09-2003, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Prop's to the origanal surfcasters. I look forward to meeting those crazy characters in my own experiences.

Oh I am sure you will find plenty of those...!!!!

Bonefish · 01-09-2003, 12:24 AM

I have already met my fair share! I'm looking to start my own book. Just kidding. bye the way has anyone read the book?

thewaterfordstriper · 01-10-2003, 11:06 PM

i am reading it right now. it has been a pretty good read. i think i am basically jealous of the way he was able to live and marathon fish all summer.

Adam R · 01-10-2003, 11:12 PM

Hey Waterford, we could do that too, just got to get permission slips from the wives!

bassmaster · 01-10-2003, 11:55 PM

I hope to go next weekend from shore. got worm?

fishweewee · 01-11-2003, 03:38 AM

Lemme know what time bubba. I'll bring clams.

-WW

bassmaster · 01-11-2003, 08:28 AM

come up during the day Bubba:th:
give Me time

Christian · 01-11-2003, 12:08 PM

i sort of do cod from the surf but i fish from piers for them. nut island pier in quincy, etc.

Jaiem · 01-11-2003, 08:50 PM

I remember reading brief articles in the LIF about winter night cod off the Fire Island surf many mant years ago. Guess you guys up north would have a better chance these days what with the diminished cod population anyway.

It would be awsome to get a nice cod from the surf!

Goose · 01-11-2003, 09:09 PM

Some time ago I pulled a 14# cod off the scusetts jetty while jiggin macks. Although I don't fish cod, I think clams on the bottom would be the way to go. Pick your days.

Christian · 01-12-2003, 10:56 AM

sea worms and clams are best. fresh clams are great but youll probally have to settle with frozen. i catch most cod from piers with seaworms. my biggest was a 24" last spring, aprilish. then i caught a bunch of little 12"ers. does anybody know a good place in the harbor to catch harbor pollock or maybe even bigger ones. when ever i fish off some rocks up in maine i can catch about a dozen of those with a castmaster.

Jaiem · 01-12-2003, 08:26 PM

Funny you should say that Goose. The last time I took cod off the south shore of LI was while jigging for macs in December. We were anchored over a wreck and I had the jog near the bottom. At first I thought a dog fish had grabbed it.

Days gone by.....

Blitzseeker · 01-14-2003, 12:43 PM

Me and the guys I fish with have caught some cod the last two years running from the surf on the Outer Beaches of Cape Cod. Always in May, gone by June.

One of the cod taken last year was pretty good size, about 31 inches or so if my memory serves me correctly. Not bad at all for a surf cod these days. There are not many out there, though. Our group of guys gets 3-4 a year as incidental catch as we're going for early season Outer Cape stripers.

Two years ago we caught plenty of small pollack in addition to cod. One night we were on the beach around sunset when an absolutely immense school of small pollack pushed right into the beach...even up into the wash. Some other folks were grabbing them with their bare hands. There were plenty of schoolie stripers mixed right in with them. I had a Yozuri Mag Darter with a teaser on, and I was catching fish every cast. Schoolie stripers hit the darter, pollack hit the teaser. All the fish were small, but it was an incredible scene. Plenty of older guys were saying they hadn't seen pollack caught off the beach in years, but I've seen it several times since.

Jimbo · 01-14-2003, 03:35 PM

I could probably look it up in one of my books, but I'm at work bored and curious now. If one wanted to specifically target cod or pollack in the surf or from a jetty, what would the preferred bait rig or setup be?

Christian · 01-14-2003, 04:26 PM

as stated above clams and seaworm, seaworms best i think. fishfinder rig or a single hook bait rig made with a dropper loop.
pollack are normally small so sometimes even a bober will work, when i mean small i mean like trout size. castmasters and sabiki rigs work too. soft plastics and flys are also really good.