Cod Fishing, The Point, Dungeness

Right Time, Right Place Equals Perfect End To Year!

The Point, Dungeness, Kent. TN29, UK

The Calm AfterThe Storm

For the record, I've been secretly after my first Cod for a few seasons now, I've done probably 13 sessions this year and frustratingly haven't managed to catch one. I've heard other fisherman talk about these shore caught Cod like a mythical creature that only exist in dreams, and some even stated that they have given up chasing them. Although I have to admit that catching a Cod was going to be more difficult than I realised, I decided last year that my best chance to catch a Cod would be Dungeness, firstly due to the fact that I could find more info on this venue online than any other venue, Its steep single beaches giving access to very deep water at low tide, and of coarse its past history of glory days before extreme commercial fishing when catching 20lb fish were common, making this one of the best Cod beaches in the UK.

Left Ot Right First?

It wasn't a waste of time whilst I fished on the deserted beach totally alone in the dark, surrounded by freezing fog and only catching a Whiting, Although I didn't catch Cod, I was learning the venue, gaining knowledge, testing theory's and perfecting rigs. I now know enough about the venue to avoid the snaggy areas, I learnt the fishes movement along and around the point during the tides, when and where the current pushes through. And now I had decided exactly where I would be fishing once I knew the Cod were in, as with sea fishing you can easily forget that you will only catch the fish that are in front of you, so if you want a Cod you have to be on the beach when they are there. I missed the last run of Cod the week before because I was fishing for Bass where I knew they would be, whilst around the corner they were smashing out Cod, right time, wrong place! "Sod's law or Cod's law?!?"

Squid And Lug On Pennel

Well, a fortnight later, and the time was now!, Big spring tide giving easier access to the deep water at low water, A few days of SW 50mph gale force winds turning the sea brown and pushing food into the coast with the fish following. I even had a weather window where I could turn up just before dusk and fish 3 hours until low water and 1 up until the dreaded weed pushing through would make fishing extremely difficult, and even get home for bed time And to top it off, catches of cod had just started coming through a couple of days before. It was now! this was going to be my last session of the year so I really hoped that I would catch a dream fish. As planned, I arrived just before dark as the day anglers were packing up, leaving plenty of spots to jump into, this was again all down to the time of the tides, getting a place to fish where you want can be very difficult as it's a hugely popular venue which becomes over crowded during the Cod season. Although I took two rods I really only fished one rod at a time, a Greys Centaur TSX 12" 6" which is a very powerful casting rod, defiantly too powerful for me to get the best out of it, but at least I could cast the extra yards further needed during the strong inshore winds. I matched the rod with a Shimano Biomaster 8000 XBS spooled with 15lb Shimano speicimen mono line, with 15lb to 70lb tapered leader, end tackle was a single clipdown pennel rig with 3/0 viking hooks, 30lb snod and 5oz breakaway lead, which is just about heavy enough to hold bottom over low water. My bait was to be large Lugworm and squid cocktails.

Get In!!! My First Cod at 5lb 9oz

It wasn't long before I had landed a few Whiting and quite a large Dab as normal, but even they died off towards low water, normally this would be a home time, but this was when I expected to catch, my bait was now being left alone, maybe the odd twitch on the rod tip but at least I knew my bait was still on and giving off scent for the bigger fish to home in on. The weather was windy, blowing large rain drops horizontally into my face and soaking me, as quick as it started the rain stopped, the gale force wind then dried me off completely! ironically, just in time for the next downfall, this was the only part of my plan that wasn't right, but only a small detail, being a fisherman you quickly learn to appreciate that you will always either get wet or cold, or both if your unlucky. It was low water and the tide had stopped moving as it turned and I had a firm medium tug on the rod tip, followed by another and another, I wondered???? shall I strike? Is it weed? by the 6th tug I couldn't resist I struck, and immediately felt two large knocks on the rods, As I reeled in it felt like something heavy on the end, and again a large double knock. I was on! and this was big, It had to be a cod!!! In fact I was definite it was!! but then my rod straightened and my line went slack, I reeled in frantically to tighten the line to the fish, had I lost it? the fish must be swimming straight towards the beach. I walked backwards up the beach to help tighten the line and then with a big relief the line tightened and a big curve was back in the rod. The fish was still on! And now it was close, and in the surf, as the waves went out pulling the fish away from the beach the drag on my reel screamed as line was taken, As soon as it stopped I went for broke Reeling in fast and walking backwards to beach the fish on this wave. But by now I was at least 30m away from the water, Had I beached it? I wasn't too sure as I couldn't see in the dark that far Lol, I pulled another five meters of line it felt like a dead weight! I put the rod down and I ran with the fishing line line running through my hand, past the obligatory annoying clump of weed that always builds up around the leader knot, then I saw the fish glisten in the moonlight, as I got closer I realised it was what I wanted, a Cod!!! and to be honest a lot larger than I actually expected to catch. I was lucky the fish had shaken the hook out and without thinking I panicked as the fish was on the surf edge and could of quite easily flipped down the shingle to freedom. I grabbed the fish by putting my thumb into the fishes mouth!! WARNING!! fish have teeth, bigger fish have bigger teeth that will hurt you! please grab them under the gills or tail. I actually danced on the beach like a madman with stinging cut thumb singing "I'm a Cod, Cod man, I'm a Cod man!" I do apologise to anyone that may have witnessed that! but I had just landed my first Cod ever, I was so excited and somewhat relieved at the same time. What a fantastic way to end a brilliant year fishing!