Deep-sea cod fishing is one of the most fun trips your family can ever take. Often fishing for cod is out of a small, motorized boat about 300 to 500 meters away from the shore. Cods are usually about 5 to 30 lb. heavy on average, and they primarily feed on whiting and pouting. They will also take codling and flatfish such as dabs, and any small, slow swimming fish. Besides that they also like shrimp and crabs, and any other small fish or crayfish that stay near the bottom of the water. The cod does not frequently catch Pollack and coalies because they are too fast and maneuver too easily for the slightly slow and laboring cod. The same goes for eels and squid. Cods have golden backs that blends into a white belly and a large shovel shaped tail. The best time for cod fishing will be around November to March, when the water is still cold and when the cod seeks a more shallow feeding ground.
Cod usually stays near something such as a wreckage or large logs in the water which the like to use as a tide break to limit wasted efforts on their own parts to get food. They are lazy and wait at the down-tide side of the obstacle for any fish that will float by near the cod. They like places where there is a tide cool water temperature and of course salt water. They can be found near many bays and ocean shores especially along the East Coast of northern and southern America. A fifteen-pound cod has been known to swallow an entire three-pound pouting whole.
The best time to start fishing for cod is when the tide cycle is at its smallest during neap tides. Usually the cod will not bite during spring tides probably because there is plenty of food available in the faster moving tide so it will not be interested in more food at that time. The line used to fish for the cod should be at least a 50-lb. class since the cod tends to be heavy and will fight a little. Usually it will be easy to bring in the cod, which is one of the reasons it is popular for a family fishing trip, even the younger children will bring in a catch. The rod should be short, soft tipped, and elastic. Usually cod fishing consists of you pulling upward and the cod underneath pulling downward. Therefore you should get a rod that is short, manageable, and provides solid resistance to the antics of the cod below. The reel should be large on strength, rather then line capacity. You will need only about 100 feet of line, but you do need a fast retrieval of the line to land the cod quickly and easily.
It is good to use a sinker to get your line to drop down to where the cod is. The cod will usually stay near their hiding places so you need to go to where they are. For bait use both small and large varieties since the cod will usually eat many different ones. Using jigs will be useful because the flash of it will look like a school of fish to the cod. A large jig of about 1 - 6 ounces will be a good size if you are fishing for cod. For night fishing it is good to use a glowing lure, especially one that will glow green. The cod will also be attracted by stink bait, so using either a factory made stink jelly on your bait, or using “aged” fish as bait will work very well. Sometimes cod can be seen feeding on crabs while “standing on their head” and splashing their tails on the surface. This is the best time to use a jig since it will attract his attention almost immediately. Fishing early in the morning or late in the evening is the best time to get them to respond since that is when the sun isn’t perpendicular to the sea, and the temperatures are relatively cool, at least in the morning.
Cod will usually eat anything that is in their way and isn’t nearly as selective as trout or salmon. Using grubs or fake worms of all colors is a good way to get the cod to bite. Try using a variety of different colors and shapes to see what the cod likes on a particular day. Keep the jigs or bait near the bottom, making sure it doesn’t get entangled. Make them swim slowly and in an unpredictable pattern. Since the cod is such a lazy fish it will not try to get bait that is moving near the surface quickly. A good technique is to drop the jig to the bottom, raising it slightly and repeating this over and over. Sometimes you should make the jig rest at the bottoms, so it will seem more life-like to the cod. Even when the jig is just lying on the bottom, the tide will make its “tail” move in the current and the cod will see an easy snack and will strike.
Once the cod has been caught, make sure you steadily pull him up, until you have him. The cod isn’t known as an avid fighter and he rarely escapes if he has been caught correctly and if the hook is embedded strongly enough to support his weight. The cod can be cleaned and frozen to eat later on one of those lazy cool winter nights.
