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Some Tips on Winter Fishing from the Beach
by John Ungar

With the winter well and truly establishing across the country, anglers are recovering from an autumn of difficult weather conditions. Even optimistic anglers are planning to cash in on some splendid winter fishing. In many parts of the country winter is the time when big cod are targeted, dabs are in their prime and flounders are full of roe. You will have to read the whole fish pages of the Fishingworld.co.uk. to find out where we predict the fish will be.

If its cod from the beach that you want to catch, why not target some of the big 'uns' that come in close to spawn on and in the banks and gullies just off shore. You can target them by using a single hook rig with a big hook at least a 4/0 a Mustad Vicking or Cox & Raule uptide will do the trick but make sure that the gap of the hook is not filled or fouled by the bait. If you are using squid, one tip is to use elastic to keep the squid flush tight and snug against the hook and offset that hook. In addition to a single hook, you can use a pair of hooks as a Pennel or Wishbone. Big cod feed like big vacuum cleaners. They move across the sea bed taking food and debris in through their large mouths. With this in mind you have to ensure that your single hook rig is set so that the snood allows the bait to be in the vacuum zone. If you are fishing over a clean bottom or snood attach close to the weight and clip up, i.e. a winner. For kelp and rocky sea beds then a snood set up the line allowing the bait to be located high in the kelp - this is probably best.

Bait is the most important ingredient when looking for cod. In different parts of the country. Different baits and combinations of bait work. Be prepared to experiment, but remember this, one golden rule -big cod like big bait and the bigger baits that you use you will need bigger hooks.

If you have had your fill of cod and want to catch that winter princess, why not target dabs. With a sweet flesh they are much sought after. Two and three hook rigs are best used - chose, in size 2 and 1 Kamasan or Aberdeen on 15" snoods but remember to try different snood length (as short as 8" or as long at 18"). Dabs love worm, if you are after a big one, try tipping it with a sand eel strip.

Flounder fishing has become more and more popular over the last 15 years as stocks of other fish have thinned out. A nice flat makes a welcome addition to a match man's bag and a single big one has won many a match. The rigs used for flounder fishing are many and varied but if you remember to use slightly longer snoods when fishing for dabs you should be okay. Keep the hook size on the small size with no. 2 in a fine wire pattern best.

Flounders are aggressive hunters when looking for food and have good eye sight so use some attractions on the hook snoods

Beads and sequence are great, the fine wire hooks are good for threading up fine baits such as your local type of small rag worm, usually known as Harbour Rag but local names are proliferate.