The recent heavy seas failed to produce any significant numbers of cod and even the whiting were in short supply at times, though it won’t be long before they return in their previous numbers. The best bags of cod were taken just before the sea got away with a few double figure specimens reported. The rock edges around Craster and Beadnell have been productive with a good number of cod around the 6lb mark showing in bags of over 20lb. John Gilbertson had a cod of 10lb 10oz and Tony Rutherford just missed the double with one of 9lb 15oz. The rock edge marks either side of the Wear have also produced some bigger cod. John Ambler had one of 13½lb from the Targets at Ryhope; Darren Welsh had one of 10lb from Hendon Wall and then had a 14 cod bag during a later session from the same mark. Darren Donnelly landed one of 7lb 10oz from Hill 60.
South Shields pier has been a bit hit or miss with some tides producing mixed bags of cod, whiting, coalfish, flounders and dabs, and others producing very little at all. David Carrick won a Cleadon match with a cod of 4lb 13oz taken from the pier end followed by Paul Rogers with one of 4lb.
A recent Ryhope Tuesday night sweepstake saw six out of the 11 anglers weigh in a cod, a flounder and six whiting. Andy Rutherford won with a 2¼lb taken from Marsden and Paul Hossack had a flounder of 1lb 10oz from the White Wall that was returned alive after weighing. Another sweepstake saw Paul Riley win with a cod of 2lb 1oz, followed by Paul Hossack with one of 1½lb.
A Ryhope club match on Sunday saw most of the 72 anglers head for the shelter of the Wear. S. Moore fished the Glass Centre to win with 1.27kg; junior D. Tate had 1.27kg, which included the heaviest flatfish of 0.53kg. C. Smith had 1.26kg and K. Waters had the heaviest roundfish, a cod of 0.70kg.
Boat anglers continue to take good numbers of cod just offshore from the Whitburn area although they have yet to fall within range of the shore angler. Fishing uptide tactics, six anglers on the Samson 2 took 31 cod to 8lb only keeping the better fish and returning the remainder. The Sapphire out the same day took 12 cod to 5lb, all of these fish were taken just off from the rock edges on worm and bluey baits which also produced some specimen whiting to 2½lb.
The sea was possibly just a little too heavy on Sunday for the John Wylie open at Seaham with only seven out of 65 weighing in. Peter Appleby managed a cod of 7.13lb taken from the North pier before the pier was closed due to worsening weather. S. Dixon had a cod of 5.18lb from the Blast Beach, and he also had one more cod to take the heaviest bag prize with 7.82lb and M. Booth had a cod of 4.13lb.
