Cod habitats
It is best to hunt for trophies in the cool waters of the northern seas and oceans.
You can easily find cod if you move in a boat along the coastline and try to look for places with depressions and holes that hide the cod. It is these conditions that are most acceptable for fish to hunt smelt, herring or fish.
The best chance of catching it is during high tides, and you can also see schools of fish on the sandbanks. This is where the favorite delicacy of this fish is located - colonies of sandworms.
Let's celebrate! Often schools of fish lie at a depth of 25-40 meters or more (even at a depth of 100 meters). It is worth knowing that the deeper the fishing takes place, the larger the weight of the catch you can take with you.
Cod tackle
For cod fishing, it is better to give preference to metal gear or a fiberglass rod.
Today, modern braided fishing lines, available in sizes from 0.25 to 0.4 mm, are in great demand. This is a tackle that is characterized by greater sensitivity to biting and hooking.
When choosing which tackle to prepare, you need to pay close attention to the reel. So, experts advise choosing the multiplier type. This ensures that the tackle will not rust or deteriorate due to salt water.
The importance of the reel in this process is difficult to overestimate, because at this moment it acts as a winch. It is the reel that will help you fish cod out of the water, so you cannot skimp on this gear; the reel must be reliable and durable.
Cod is a predatory and powerful fish; to drag it onto the boat after hooking it is necessary to prepare a hook in advance. It will help you easily hook the caught trophy. When choosing this tackle, you need to choose it with a long, comfortable handle so that it is convenient to grab the fish away from the edge of the craft.
Important! You should not take a landing net as a tackle to catch fish from the water, because the net will simply get tangled.
Rod
The most important base of equipment for catching cod is a rod, which today can be selected to suit every taste, “wallet”, depending on the required strength characteristics.
It is advised to choose a fiberglass structure, carefully looking at strength and reliability. In order to have the opportunity to try your hand at chasing large fish on a pond, you should choose a much higher upper limit of gear - about 500-700 grams.
The rod should be large in weight, because catching cod from the bottom with a light rod is quite a difficult task.
fishing line
When choosing a fishing line for cod, you should opt for monofilament, 0.6-0.7 mm in size, or braided fishing line with breaking loads of up to 60 kg maximum. This decision is due to the fact that in the case of fishing at great depths, it responds more to different wiring and hooking.
Coil
Specialized fishing stores offer multiplier reels for sea fishing. Otherwise, after each fishing, the reel will need to be disassembled and lubricated; the tackle will quickly become unusable from salt water.
On small multipliers, as well as classic reels, after powerful sea fishing, the rollers will probably wear out under heavy load.
According to numerous reviews from experienced fishermen, the PENN-320 multiplier is considered the most acceptable and reliable reel today.
Hook
To take a caught predator onto a boat you will need such gear as a hook. Unlike a landing net, the hooks will not get tangled and it always fits ergonomically even on a small boat. With the help of a hook, the cod is easily hooked and also easily removed.
Features of cod fishing in the White Sea
Cod fishing in the White Sea is a very exciting activity.
The cod of the subspecies GadllS morhua marisalbi lives in the White Sea; it differs from its Atlantic relative in its smaller size. Its length is generally 60 cm, but on average, specimens of more modest sizes are caught. Cod also varies seasonally. There is “summer” cod, which is smaller, and there is “winter” cod, which is larger in size.
Such winter cod approaches the coast at the end of August or beginning of September. The diet of cod includes smaller fish, primarily herring and sand lance, as well as bottom mollusks and various worms.
A large concentration of cod is noted in the Kandalaksha Bay (this is where the most productive cod fishing in the White Sea), but in shallow bays such as Onega and Dvina, cod is rare.
In summer and early autumn, cod are mainly found close to the shore. To get large specimens, you should look for them near rocks that go vertically into the sea, where there are sharp drops in the depths. Small cod are best caught off the rocky shore in shallow waters.
You should know that cod does not like silted and heavily foamed bays, as well as sandy beaches. As for the open sea, cod there prefers to be near rock ridges, which are covered by sea bottom vegetation. Such banks, as a rule, rise above the rest of the bottom topography. On the Coast of North Karelia, such places are called baklyshi or corgi.
In appearance, such areas look like a boulder that rises several meters above the water. It has no vegetation, and the depths there can reach 30 meters or more with fairly sharp drops.
Where the drop is steepest, cod fishing will usually be most effective. Cod also chooses places for parking where there are various rocky formations in places where coastal cliffs continue or in underwater crevices.
Such places are easily identified visually if you carefully study the coastline. This is, as a rule, a sheer rock, which is cut through by a crack and continues under water with a depth of 15-25 meters.
Of course, cod can also be found at much greater depths. Cod also loves the straits between the islands, where there is a fairly strong tidal current.
At the beginning of May, cod fishing begins, which often comes close to the shores when the sea opens up from ice. But soon, in the bays that cut deep into the land, cod bite for a long time. This is probably due to the fact that in such places the water is desalinated from melting ice for a long time.
Then the cod bite becomes active in early June and lasts almost until mid-October. In summer, there are also pauses in the bite, which are associated with the rise of cold water from the bottom of the sea.
Along with this rise, the migration of food organisms occurs. Shrimp, mollusks and others follow, followed by cod.
Also, cod during the mating of sea worms (nenreis), at this time cod fishing in the White Sea is carried out not with bottom gear, but with wire gear.
Local residents catch cod from boats using fairly simple gear consisting of thick fishing line with a diameter of 0.5-0.7 mm, reeling it on a reel. The role of the load is played by a fairly heavy spoon or a tube with a hook, white or made of brass.
The weight of such spinners is about 60-70 g. It is also possible to simply use a regular lead weight. In addition, tackle with a spinner may have leashes with a single hook.
In the Loaded Option, such leashes are mandatory. Fishing with such equipment is called “finger fishing”.
A cod bite is felt by the hand as a “blow”. Typically, anglers use a sandworm worm as a bait, which they extract with shovels at low tide. Since sea worms cannot survive for long outside their habitat, it is recommended before each fishing trip.
Alternatively, Nereis can be used to catch cod. When the breeding season of this worm begins, it comes to the surface of the water and is quite easy to catch.
And here's what you need to know: Feeder equipment, Gardner loop and other installations
Metal cats are used to pull out seaweed bushes from the water, in the roots of which they collect the Nereis sea worm. In addition, fishing for cod in the White Sea can also be done using bait such as pieces of capelin, herring, and chicken.
However, they cannot be compared with the first two baits in terms of effectiveness.
Cod baits
As bait you can use live bait or a wide variety of spinners and jigs. To ensure that the cod is definitely interested, it is better to choose a spoon that looks similar in appearance to herring or capelin - the predator’s favorite delicacy.
Based on the dimensions of the expected catch, the weight of the bait should be from 400 grams to 1 kg. This solution will help the bait quickly reach the bottom where the fish is hiding.
Live bait
To attract larger cod, every experienced fisherman knows that he will need to prepare a tasty delicacy.
The best bait for predatory cod is:
- It holds poorly, but bites well on the meat of mollusks and crustaceans.
- Mussel fillet.
- Shrimp meat.
- Offal (guts) or cod meat holds well on the hook, but perfectly attracts fish.
- Peskozhil - attracts cod well (near the shore). Excellent if fishing is done by casting a bottom fishing rod from the shore.
- Eelpout meat attaches perfectly to the hook and even after catching 2-3 individuals does not require replacement.
Artificial baits
In specialized fishing stores you can easily purchase ready-made spoons or make them yourself. This is a simple process; you need to fill the ends of a short copper tube (diameter 10-20 mm) with lead and flatten it on both sides. A hand-made spinner must be painted in bright colors to attract the attention of the fish.
Important! It is worth noting that cod on sunny days prefers orange-colored jigs, as well as silver-plated spoons. On cloudy, cool days, it is better to catch cod using red and green artificial baits.
Cod is a predatory fish and, once hooked, will try to get out of the trap and spin violently. In order not to injure the trophy catch, it is necessary to attach a carabiner with a swivel to the spoon.
In addition to the main gear, it is recommended to attach 1 or 2 hooks to the fishing line on short leashes, at a distance of 40-50 mm from each other.
You can also attach attractive, bright rags and pieces of fabric to them to make more decoys for cod. For a better smell of the bait, you can attach pieces of fresh fish or shrimp to additional gear.
When to catch cod on the White Sea?
On the White Sea, cod fishing is guaranteed in any season, each has key features and distinctive points:
- Fishing in winter and spring: the possibility of biting the heaviest individuals;
- most often you come across a fish of about 900 grams, this is considered large in size for the White Sea;
- maximum predominance of cod at depth or in underwater crevices;
- It bites best on a combination of organic and artificial baits.
- cod is small in size, approximately 40 centimeters and weighing 700-800 grams;
Knowledgeable fishermen claim that on the White Sea the most fruitful periods for biting are as follows:
- from late April to mid-May - especially near the coast;
- from the first days of June to mid-October - at a distance of 150-200 meters from the shore.
Interesting fact: the bite is lowest during the period when there is a rise in cold waters from the depths, so it is advisable to refuse fishing on these days.
Cod fishing techniques and tactics
Experienced fishermen often use the technique of catching cod “by hooking”. To do this, you need to cast the tackle to the bottom of the reservoir and carefully twitch the rod in one rhythm, bringing it 1-2 meters to the top.
In essence, this is a kind of game with gear, when conducting which it is worth considering that you need to change the amplitude, rhythm and speed of movement of the rod. Such maneuvers of the gear are similar to the movements of a live fish.
After throwing bait with a rod into the water, you need to be on alert all the time, because fish that may be closer to the surface will immediately take the bait. Having grabbed the tackle, the fish will immediately begin to pull it to the bottom; the technique for biting cod is comparable to a small short blow. If, while moving the line, the line stops and becomes tense, you need to immediately hook the cod.
When fishing for cod in the water, you will need to make every effort so that the catch does not fall through, because the fish demonstrates unprecedented strength and tenacity, often walking in circles, trying to get rid of the hook.
Note! Also, vertical or vertical fishing gear is often used to catch cod. In this case, when landing a fish from the bottom, it will definitely not be able to escape.
Fishing from a boat or from the shore?
Fishing can be done quite successfully both from the shore and from a boat. Basically, experienced fishermen prefer to fish on motor boats; this makes it possible, in case of low bite in one area, to move to another area.
On the White Sea, fishing from boats has some characteristic features:
- it is necessary to move away from the shore by more than 200 meters, this allows you to not depend on the tides;
- it is required to use fishing lines exclusively with a diameter of 0.5-0.7 millimeters;
- you need to give preference to fishing gear and choose hooks made of brass;
- with the arrival of cold weather, be sure to move closer to the stone ridges, and in warm weather, choose an area near the rocks;
- move to a depth of at least 10-12 meters and where there is a strong current.
Many fishermen note that fishing for cod from the shore will bring more expected results, especially from the end of May to mid-August, the main thing is:
- fish during high tide;
- change bait as often as possible;
- cast with several fishing rods, preferably long in size;
- be located next to rocks;
- choose the time for fishing from 6-7 am until noon.
Reviews from fishermen
Interesting and exciting cod fishing evokes only positive emotions for many:
I caught cod on the Barents Sea, prepared the tackle in advance based on what I read - predatory cod and bottom-dwelling fish. When I prepared some live bait (a little capelin and herring) – the bite went off with a bang! Grade:
Alexei
I caught cod using shrimp and mussel meat; I only managed to catch young fish. It’s not difficult if you choose the right gear, place and time, but it’s important to hook the fish quickly and persistently so as not to miss it. Grade:
Andrey
I was able to catch cod when I mounted a tee on the fishing line and put fresh fish meat on one of the hooks for scent. Grade:
Ilya
Cod is a tasty, interesting fish, but it requires experience and dexterity to catch; it often gets unhooked and goes to the bottom. Grade:
Kirill
It is best to catch cod from a boat so that you can thoroughly examine the coastal strip. We effectively catch cod only in winter, when it rises closer to the surface. Grade:
Dmitriy
Good to know! Cod meat is a delicacy; hand-caught fish in no way compares with the frozen counterparts that consumers are accustomed to seeing on store shelves.
Fishing methods
To catch cod in the White or Baltic Sea, you need a reliable watercraft. The vessel must be equipped with a powerful motor and navigation system. To understand what gear is needed for cod, let’s consider the methods of catching it:
- You can catch cod from the shore using a spinning rod, but more often it is caught as bycatch. This usually happens during high tide.
- In some regions, successful fishing occurs with bottom gear when a school of cod approaches a distance of 20-40 m from the shore.
- Plunge fishing for cod is the most common method of catching fish. To do this, the boat or boat anchors in a promising place. Then the vertical movement of the bait begins at the very bottom. It is useful to attach pieces of fresh fish to the hook of an artificial spoon.
- You can catch trophy fish using sea trolling. The boat moves slowly so that the lure goes close to the bottom. Some anglers successfully use the drift of the vessel by performing a herringbone pattern.
