1. DON'T BAIT ABOUT THE BUSH!
Fish your baits for 20 -30 minutes max then change them over, this ensures you're putting a fresh bait out regularly. It also allows you to work out where snags and features may be within the mark you are fishing. Fresh baits also ooze loads of natural juices which is an added attractant. Baits fished for long periods of time will quickly become washed out.
2. SIMPLICITY ITSELF!
By keeping your rigs simple, will not only minimise the chances of tangles and poor presentation. It will also ensure your rigs are strong as there will be fewer knots or components incorporated within the rig itself, ensuring less chance of a rig failing during the cast or bullying fish out of snaggy marks. Check out our article on our recommended Top 3 Cod Rigs.
3. GET TO THE POINT!
Keep those hook points exposed! Sounds like common sense but it's surprising how many anglers we have seen that end up masking the hook points with their bait as they've not taken the time to tie their bait on properly or even present it properly on their rig.
Always check the sharpness of your hook point, especially fishing over rocky marks. Hook points will quickly take a beaten and an overlooked blunt hook could cost you a good fish.
4. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
Learn your fishing marks, we recommend fishing a mark in all states of tide and conditions and work out when it fishes best - note all the information down in a diary. Doing this might sound tedious, but you will quickly build up a good knowledge of a mark.
Don’t get disheartened when you go through a period of blanks when fishing new marks either. It's part of the learning curve. Keep your marks down to a handful, 2 to 3 tops. This will allow you to gain a thorough knowledge of each individual mark but also keep you mentally fresh as you have the option to try another mark if you feel your confidence starting to dwindle.
5. LEARN AND DIGEST!
Watch good anglers, ask them questions if need be. Fishing is a learning game. The more knowledge you can glean the quicker you will learn and be more efficient on the bank.
6. PRIOR PREPARATION!
Always have at least 2 rigs ready and baited at all times, by hanging these rigs on your tripod, it will allow you to fish more efficiently and the rods will be fishing longer.
Visit your marks in daylight, start memorising all gullies and features, note them down or even map them out with pen and paper. Also, use Google maps, it will give you a birds-eye view of birds-eye you're contemplating fishing - it may show some depth changes that may be visible, or some points further down from your initial mark that may look more appealing.
Find casting points on rocky marks, count the steps to these certain areas too. Not only will it provide you with a safe casting platform but these marks also provide visual guides where you should be casting and what direction and distance you know you need to be out to catch fish.
7. IN TOO DEEP!
Don't neglect the margins or the shallows. Cod are renowned for running on shallow ground, especially on a small flooding tide. Sometimes you might be casting beyond where the fish are lying. So never be afraid to stick a bait in the margins - especially if your fishing a 2-rod setup. Sometimes the margin might be the best feature to fish from.
A fish is only looking for grub, so look at wind and swell direction (food traps) Certain spots fish better when the wind blows and swell runs from a certain direction, because food is pushed into them.
