Hi
Hope you all had a great Christmas and a safe New Years Eve celebration!
I am sure that like me, you are looking forward to a great 2011 and some great fishing trips this year. How about this for a starter then…
Shop customer and local angler Matt Purdie contacted me today and told me of this magnificent Cod.
Matt booked another trip out with Goeff “Basil Faulty” Semple on his boat “Lazy Daze” and fished for Cod 1.5 miles off of the Needles using large Squid and Cuttlefish baits on size 7/0 hooks. He landed this fish at around lunch time and took this magnificent picture.
The fish weighed 33lb on the dot and is the second 30lb plus fish from this spot that we have been lucky enough to get a picture of.
Matt said that he had a bite, and his line went tight, but the fish just would not fight (did that rhyme or what!?) The fish held fast for a couple of minutes, after a few shakes of its head the fish made its way to the surface. As soon as the fish saw light it turned tail and headed back down to the deep against a fully set reel drag. Matt kept up the pressure and soon the fish was his. Matt said "I was only using a 12-15lb rod and 15lb braided line!"
The fish was almost 4' long and was weighed 7 hours after its capture, the fish also had a soft underside as it had spent all its roe, this could indicate that this fish could have been nearer the magical 40lb mark had Matt caught it s couple of weeks ago.
Well done Matt.
