First land-based cod

[sharkbaithoohaha]

Hi all,went down to Boggy Ck on Sat night for a bit of a live bait session.This never happened, as when I went to get my live poddy's from a spot at Brekky Ck,my first throw with the net and S#@T.Some-one had pulled out a whole fence panel and thown it in the drink.My net engulfed the whole panel and trying fruitlessly to retrieve it I tore all but about 15 leads off the bottom of the net.I didn't know what it was till later Sunday morn when I had a look at low tide on the way home.

Anyway I started at about 10:00p.m. at the top of a Big tide using some dead poddy's left over from last trip,which I put onto 3 x 1o"s ganged.While I had this rod out I thought I would throw some soft plastics for a while,but to no avail.(I still havn't caught a scale on plastics but am not ready to dismiss this style of fishing yet).I put that rod away and sat patiently waiting for something -even a bite-just to keep the interest,when at about 1:00a.m., taptap BANG and I 'm onto something.My first thought was a jewie as I cauht a few a couple of weeks ago at this spot,but when it took me straight into the rocks on the opposite side of the channel ,Ithought maybe not.I got it out and after another minute or so it burried me again,I got it out -again, and was begginning to think I was in control of the situation as it was now in the deeper part of the creek.Another 3minutes later, as I was getting close to landing it,it burried me again,this time about 2metrees to my left and about 1.5 metres from the edge .I couldn't believe it :-[.I gave it some line and felt nothing there for about a minute and was thinking I'd lost it and got snagged in the process ,when I felt the smallest of movements.It was all or nothing at this stage, so i lifted my rod straight upwith a reasonable amount of force and low and behold out it came ;)

My first land-based estuary cod,-definitely harder than from a boat.Kept fishing till about 3:00 without another touch.

The Friday before that I went to a spot at Brekky Ck that holds some BIG bream (you have to have the tide right though) and got a 39cm fish and lost another 2feet from the edge that I swear would have gone 45cm.Anyway that's fishing. I have included a photo of a pike eel my kids caught as they wanted me to post it.This was on last Thurs.

Cheers :)

[sharkbaithoohaha]

Having probs downloading piccies.Here's the bream

[sharkbaithoohaha]

Here's the kid's Pike Eel.Must be the first one posted??

[straddie]

Heya Sharkbaithoohaha

The little estuary cod are good fun land based aren't they, good job showing a bit of patience with it when it bricked you. Pike eels do the same trick at times. That bream is almost black, letting the bigger one get away gives you an excuse to get out and try a few times to catch him again. :)

[sharkbaithoohaha]

Yeah Straddie ,They do go hard.I've benn busted off by a few before I'm sure,but that's what you get fishing 2 rods at a time.They seem to always hit the rod you're not holding and by the time you pick it up it's all over.The breamis dark but so was the water - maybe this is why??The one I dropped was very silver though??

[richieboy]

Hey shark. Mate the way you described your tussle was very similar to mine. Standing on the edge of the drop offs in the mangroves I only cast 3-4m out off the edge. With the tide coming in I knew that sooner or later something (hopefully a jack) would start cruising the edge.
When she hit me it was no holds barred and she dove straight under the structure.
I was fishing with 17lb Fireline and 20lb leader so I didn't give her much of a chance but I swear she'd bricked me for a small period.
Giving her a solid pull and she came free before trying to have another go at the structure. Dirty fighters.
Congrats on the PB as I achieved mine as well. ;)

Richie

[Gladdy]

Nice looking Cod mate they go alright keep you bussy when you are fishing for jacks always a welcome by catch good tasting to.

Cheers Gladdy

[Matthias]

I recon estuary cod fight just as hard, if not harder, than jacks and taste almost as good. A little bit underated in my book.

pete.

[sharkbaithoohaha]

Thanks Ritchie,Congrats to you as well.

Gladdy /Matthias-I've never eaten a jack so I can't say, but if they taste anything like a moses ,I'd be most impressed ;D The cod was pretty good also.I kept it simple, just a couple of pieces of bread and a bit of S & P.

[heathrow69]

hey sharkbait!!! looks nice tell me how it tasted :D and congrats on your new pb cod. will have to have a fish with you again soon.

Cheers Heath