Northern Bites – 23/02/10

by Steve Walker

Shore sport has been quiet lately with the small tides proving to be unproductive for cod which are few and far between, with most of the bigger specimens are staying offshore feeding on the sandeel and sprat shoals. It has been the ever reliable whiting and flatties that have kept anglers busy with most of the regions piers and beaches producing fish; night time sessions being the most productive. Steetley pier has been consistent as usual with some specimen sized whiting to 2lb taking worm and mackerel baits and some tides have produced cod to 9lb. Roker pier has seen similar results, South Shields pier has been quiet with just the odd small cod, coalfish, and flatties reported. The Tyne is also quiet with undersize cod and coalfish showing, and the Wear also has a lot of smaller fish in residence, however there is always the chance of a big specimen flounder from the Wear. Although there is always the chance of a big spawning double figure cod being landed at this time of the year, particularly in the Teesbay area, club results clearly show that fish have generally been in short supply recently. A few days of heavy seas to shift the sandeel shoals should make a big difference, and even though some anglers are now hanging up their winter tackle, good bags of cod can still be taken well into May.

Congratulations to Dave Allison who won the Ian Golds Open fished at Seaham last Sunday; full report here.

Hartlepool Pirates fished on Friday and only two anglers managed to weigh in, John Readman had two cod for 8lb 10oz, best 7½lb, and Steve Gibbins had an 8oz dab.

The last two Ryhope club matches also saw anglers struggling, with nine out of seventy-eight weighing in for the first one. Gary Warwick Jnr. was a worthy winner with a whiting and a flounder taken from Roker for 650 grams. Stan Longhorne also fished Roker to land a single coalfish for 585 grams to take second spot. John Robson in third place had a flounder of 510 grams followed by John Wilson had a coalfish of 505 grams. The second match saw twelve out of eighty-four find fish. Top rod Wayne Harriman fished South Shields pier to land two cod and a coalfish for 1700 grams. Bob Surtees went to Roker for two flounders and a cod for 1290 grams and finished runner-up. Third placed John Topliffe had two cod from the Tyne Walkway for 930 grams. Bob Charlton had the heaviest fish, a cod of 835 grams and Scott Brown landed a flounder of 610 grams to take the prize for the heaviest flatfish.

The Ryhope Tuesday sweepstake saw five out of twenty-seven weigh in. Featherbed Rocks produced a nice cod of 5lb 3oz for first placed Mick Davison. Runner-up Wayne Harriman had one of 2lb 15oz from reliable Roker. Also fishing Roker Steve Harriman finished in third with a flounder of 13oz. Mick Hamilton in fourth had a flounder of 10oz, also from Roker.

Cleadon A.C. Only saw two out of twenty-eight weigh in. Jamie Brennan had a single cod of 2lb 1oz from Whitburn and Kris Brash had a coalfish of 1lb 3oz from South Shields beach.

The last Saltburn A.C. Rover only saw a single fish weighed in by James Southwick who landed a cod of 2lb 15oz from Port Mulgrave. The St. Mary’s A.C. rover match saw Steetley pier produce the winning bags again. Alec Gate had five whiting and one dab for 4lb 1oz followed home by Terry Dalton with three whiting, best 1lb 3oz, plus a single flounder for a 3lb 5oz total. Third placed Russell Miller travelled to Whitby to scratch out seven rockling for 1lb 7oz.

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