If you're thinking of fishing the River Mersey or do fish the River Mersey (Wirral side), Woodside ferry terminal is a great spot for the summer or winter.
It throws up quite the range of species. Depending on the season, you should expect to catch smooth hounds, plaice, dabs, flounder, rocklings, eels, rays, congers, sole, whiting, pouting and thats just to name a few.
In the winter we want cod! Now lets be honest this is the fish everyone wants in the winter months and if you can land a biggun you'll be hailed champion by every Facebook group under the sun (or bullied to tell your fishing spot haha).
The icey cold weather was perfect conditions but there were a few factors that planted the seed of doubt in my mind and that was mainly the size of tide, as it was massive and the fact it had been snowing a couple of days before. I always find fishing after the snow has been melting in the river, does something to turn the fish off. I put it down to the melted snow dragging all the chemicals off the roads into the river. The same said after a torrential down fall.
Anyway, I decided to go regardless and Liam Fisher came along with me. Most people know him locally as Liam Leads. If you're after any give him a shout on facebook (LJS LEADS).
Loaded with only frozen bait I took squid, black lug and mussel. I usually like to take fresh lug with me to this mark and to be honest, in the past, rag worm has been a killer.
Now, mussel is a funny one, I absolutely swear by it for the cod. I may have just gotten lucky using it but it never fails me. It's such an under rated bait.
I had a massive bait out with hopes of landing a monster. Rigged with a pulley penal size 4/0 & 2/0, with a rotten bottom attached, as if you plan on casting out over 80 yards, when the tides pulling it can be really snaggy.
On the other rod I had a 1 up 1 down with size 1/0s, top hook black and squid and bottom black and mussel.
With my tiny bass rod down the wall, live baiting a whiting, hoping for a decent conger. Unfortunately, not a sniff and the whiting survived and went back. Which is a bonus.
We finished up to an hour before high, as the pull was far too much and if I'm being honest was wanting a hot shower and my bed. But in that time we had 20 odd fish between us, mostly whiting and dabs, a five bearded rockling and a decent codling of 3lb 8oz.
Low and behold, taking the mussel.
If you're ever looking at fishing there, small - medium tides are great and you can fish straight through. In my experience, I've had all my conger 3-4 hours before high water.
Thanks for reading. See you on the next one.
Comentários