Big Cod for Mick

Mick Schooling with his catch

When most of us are tucked up in bed these cold winter nights, there's a band of determined anglers out there - still doing the business, with Mick Schooling showing them how it's done!

Mick, a carp angler who's learning sea fishing techniques from his mate, Geoff Wood, braved foul weather conditions to land this stunning cod during a bitterly cold January all-night fishing session.

Fishing from Deal Pier, Kent, using a borrowed rod, Mick hooked into the cod at around 9.45pm on a Friday evening - and in true carp angler tradition - had no landing net with him.

You can just imagine the scene... pitch black, wet, freezing cold, and a big fish on the end of the line - with no method of landing the fish - just like carp fishing really.

Frantic efforts by his fellow anglers to find a drop net big enough to land the cod were quelled by the appearance of the pier attendant clutching a huge net, and with one quick pass had the fish safely netted.

The cod, weighed at the pier office, scaled 8.150Kg or 17lb 9oz in old terms. According to pier records this is the biggest since 1976 when another cod of 30lbs was taken.

Mick landed the fish using a John Metcalfe beach caster on a Conoflex blank (borrowed from Linda Wood), coupled with a Ryobi fixed spool reel and 12lb Bayer Perlon line with a leader of Bayer Perlon 50lb.

The terminal rig was a Channel Angling standard pennel cod rig with Aberdeen wire hooks baited with two rag worm, and two lugworm wrapped in squid.

Many thanks to Geoff Wood for submitting the copy and Mr G. Bushel, the pier attendant, for the picture.

For further information on the fishing at Deal Pier, phone: 01304 363815

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