SHORE SHAD REDEMPTION
With a short window of opportunity to fish with lure gear at slack tide, it’s the way to encounter incredible cod sport
Fishing for cod with lure tackle.
My iPhone suddenly burst into life as the annoying shriek of its alarm woke me. I lay there momentarily in total darkness, not moving, before eventually flicking on the bedside lamp. I sensed an ache in my arms and shoulders and suddenly realised that I was suffering the after-effects of our previous day’s success with double-figure specimens in the deep water. Still, no pain, no gain, as the saying goes.
I trudged into the kitchen, switched on the kettle and peered out of the window into the darkness. Staring at the silhouettes of the treetops against the sky, I could see they were absolutely still in the early-morning calm.
The smell of coffee was quickly filling the kitchen and I was soon joined by the rest of the lads in need of a caffeine boost. I was tired, and I reckon I could have easily slept for another few hours, but I didn’t want to waste a single moment while in Norway.
Each day brings a new adventure and, to be honest, the excitement always fires me up. Let’s face it, how many of us wouldn’t relish the opportunity to catch a fish of a lifetime, every day?
Happily, the tide was a little later for us today, which meant there was no rush to get to our mark. That gave all of us a chance to prepare kit and sort tackle boxes at a far more leisurely pace.
“There’s a great opportunity to fish with some heavy shads at a local venue before heading to our intended mark,” said our host John Strange. “We have a brief window when the tide slackens, to target some cod and possibly a decent halibut,” he added.
I looked around the breakfast table to see Dublin angler Berg Power smiling and nodding in agreement at me. However, Sam Truan, from Bristol, along with Poole angler Si Clutterbuck and Dave Wood-Brignall, from Kent, had their own plans to head back to the deep water… those lads are gluttons for fishing punishment!
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
After a short drive we arrived at a layby in the middle of nowhere. Lure rods were quickly assembled, and with rucksacks on our backs the three of us trekked into a small wooded copse that led us to the edge of the fjord.
I love Bodo, not only because the fishing can be spectacular, but the total silence is an experience to relish. Other than the sound of water creasing and flowing along in the tide, there is literally nothing else to hear… it is absolute bliss.
On first inspection, the shoreline of the fjord is littered with rocky ledges in relatively shallow water. Mingled among these ledges is lots of weed where the water is impressively crystal clear.
While I was blissfully admiring the view, I heard a distinct plop around 40 yards in front of me. I looked up to see Berg winding in slack line after casting. After a couple of turns of the reel handle, the line suddenly tightened, followed by his rod tip arching forward.
“I’m in!” he cried, thinking I hadn’t noticed. I watched his braided mainline meander in front of him, as he played and manoeuvred a spirited codling nudging around the 3lb mark on to the rock in front of him.
After removing the hook and colourful shad from the cod’s mouth, he gently slipped it back into the crystal-clear water. With a
Above: Another beautifully marked cod for John. It was quickly returned to the water Below: Berg’s first cast resulted in this 3lb codling that hit the lure within seconds
huge grin stretched across his face, he made another cast. Astonishingly, within seconds he was firmly hooked into another. The place must have been stuffed with fish.
The lures are nothing fancy and are extremely easy to set up and use. A colourful shad with a large paddletail is simply pushed on to a leadhead weighing around 60-70g, heavier if the water is deeper.
A simple slow retrieve is all that is needed, with perhaps the occasional flick of the rod tip for extra attraction.
The cod were obviously patrolling along the ledges because each time the lads’ lures got closer, they were grabbed.
As soon as a fish is hooked, it’s important to keep the rod tip high and the mainline tight. Offer them any slack line and the fish know exactly where to head… straight into the cover and safety of the weedy snags.
GREAT FIGHT
Both John and Berg were clearly having fun landing cod one after the other. “If there’s a halibut close by, we’ve got a really good chance of attracting its attention with so many codling about,” revealed John.
In the meantime, I hadn’t even had a chance to make a cast, as I was kept busy running between the pair with my camera. In all honesty, I wasn’t that bothered as I was certainly prepared to sacrifice the fun, in the hope one of them would hopefully hook into a huge halibut.
The cod were getting bigger as the pair continued to catch. We didn’t weigh any of the fish, but I reckon John landed the best at around 8lb, a fish any angler would be happy with, especially on lure tackle. Importantly, they put up a great fight too.
After two hours, the tide was now back on the move with the start of the flood. I lost count of how many cod the lads landed, but it was easily more than 20, and all between 3-8lb, with every fish returned.
“I’m really surprised we didn’t hook a halibut,” said John. But, that would soon change as we headed off to our next venue...n