Charter Cod Fishing in the River Mersey
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Liverpool Charters & Mersey Lass

Who would of dreamt that the Mersey would be host to some of the best winter cod fishing in the UK? The last couple of years has seen a huge increase in both the number and the size of cod and Thornback Rays being caught. The River Mersey is packed with Charter boats all winter, offering a fantastic opportunity to anglers from all over the world to sample quality fishing in the North West .

Charter fishing in the Mersey is comfortable and relatively easy, but be prepared to take masses of bait, it's not uncommon for a single angler to go through 60 - 80 black worms plus a box of squid or two! Skippers recommend 1 pack of worm per one hours fishing, plus squid, based on the bait being in the water for 20 mins.The current in the Mersey is strong so 6 - 7oz gripped weights are a must......

It can be cold out there

Make sure you wrap up warm, up to 8 hours on a boat in cold weather will soon take your body temperature down, and being freezing cold whilst fishing is not fun .A good quality floatation suit is recommended, but  a couple of warm fleeces with thermal waterproofs will do, remember, you can always take clothing off if it gets warm, but if you don't take it and the temperature takes a dive you'll get cold! All the Charters supply hot drinks with some offering hot food in with the price.

Rigs
Most successful is a long flowing trace 6 - 7 oz fixed wire grip lead, 24''  25lb to 30lb mono trace with 2 x 4/0 strong hooks, baited with plenty of worms and squid or razor fish

Baits
Cod will eat anything! but Black worm, squid and Razor fish seem to be the most popular and have caught the bigger fish in the past, try to use some bait elastic to make a 'sausage' out of the baits, this will help keep the baits on when smaller fish attack it and also stem the flow of the scent so it last longer in the current, and remember, if your lucky enough to have some peeler crab frozen down from the summer, bring that, as it may just give you the edge on the days fishing!

Tackle
Although the currents in the River can be harsh, standard boat rods and reels can be used,if your lucky enough to have plenty of room then up tiding is a must, however 6 - 7 oz fixed grips are recommended to keep that bait down there.

Pick up points
Check with your Charter where you are to be picked up from, as most Liverpool Charters use one of two places Priory wharf or Mariners wharf

Mersey Charters Home Page

Mersey Lass Home Page

Shore Cod Fishing in the River Mersey

Cod can still be caught from the shores of the Mersey, though very few hit double figures, a good fish from shore will be in the 6-9lb mark, though most fish beached are around 3-4lb,

Tackle

A good solid rod is required to chuck up to a 7oz weight out, plus to cope with the strong tides, reels need to be able to handle the weight of the fish and the pull of the current too, a Penn 525, Slosh 20 are more than adequate, Abu 6500 and Daiwa 7HT's are also popular reels that can handle the Mersey.

Rigs

Pulley rigs from size 2/O - 4/O are popular because of the rough ground, plus the need to sometimes get the bait out just that little bit further, but don't be fooled into thinking all the cod are 80 - 120 yards out, the channels that hold the fish nearer to shore can be as close as 20 yards out.Other popular rigs are the standard two and three hook flapper type.

Venues

Most productive is Jaguar House and Mariners Wharf at Otterspool , the Alex Wall and Seaforth Rocks again, is excellent for cod fishing, but you will need to get in touch with the Liverpool Port Police first ( see here) , On the other side of the river is the Egremont Promenade which runs from Vale Park at New Brighton to the Seacombe Ferry , very popular with anglers that like to fish out of their cars, although the police normally turn a blind eye to cars parked on the promenade during winter, they will move you along if you are causing a disturbance by playing loud music or behaving in a way that causes a nuisance to the local residents. Further out there is Hall Road which produces great catches when big spring tides make fishing the river impossible.

Although a Cod fishing information page, Whiting, Dabs and Thornback rays are also in abundance in the River Mersey in the 'colder' months, and though not many 'Thornies' have been caught from the shore, should you decide to fish on the 'turn of the tide' from the Groynes at Dalmorten Road , Perch Rock or Vale Park at low tide with a squid, sandeel or mackeral bait, you would be casting into the Thornback Rays favourite feeding areas of the Mersey.

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This page is sponsored by Liverpool Charters & Mersey Lass