WHAT a day it was for five-year-old Keir Dodds when he went fishing to the Glass Centre with his dad Paul.
Fishing with mackerel strip for whiting or flounder, young Dodds shouted for his dad for help as he thought he was stuck.
However, this snag kept on moving and the youngster’s rod kept bending more and more.
Eventually, Keir got the fish to the side, where it was successfully landed and was a cod any angler would be proud of – weighing in at 7lb 4oz.
When cleaned, the cod was full of small flounder.
Steve Anderson also had a nice cod from the river, taking one of 7lb from Church Bank.
There have been another two big cod caught, the first by Scottish angler Mick Johnson at Newbiggin.
Fishing at Whale Rock, Johnson landed a cracking cod of 15lb 11oz, his friend Steve taking one of the few mullet taken around here at 3lb 2oz.
Mark Thompson, fishing at Horden Beach, took the other big cod weighing in at 13lb 4oz to win Horden Surfcasters AC match.
Roker pier has produced decent cod. Ken McCoy took cod of 6lb, 6lb, and 8lb, along with quality whiting.
No one thought the monster bags of whiting taken last week at Hartlepool would be bettered, but they have been.
Jay Kelly took a bag of 83lb, consisting of mainly quality whiting and a few dabs to win OMAC’s match, Chris Smith coming second with 71 fish for 65lb 6oz, most fish falling to store bought mackerel and squid.
The 432lb of fish caught, was cleaned and distributed among the local community. Seaton Sluice travelled to Arbroath at the weekend, Simon Todd taking seven cod for 20lb 6oz, Ivan Stott four for 14lb 14oz and Mick Bell taking the best at 8lb 3oz.
Todd only needed three for 6lb 15oz, taken from the Haven, to win their home match, Peter Stewart taking the heaviest at 4lb in a two-fish bag of 6lb 12oz from Dulce Carrs.
Gary Pye has been doing well taking the heaviest at 2.168kg and heaviest bag of 6.8kg in Easington Welfare’s match.
He then took second and third-heaviest fish – codling of 4.42lb and 4.39lb – behind winner Andy Wilkinson’s cod of 5.44lb and heaviest bag of 10.75lb and the pairs with Gary Blanchard with 12.38lb in Seaham’s Badger Open. Some 22 Whiting for 8.21kg taken from the Rat House Corner gave Gary Dunn his winning bag in Ryhope’s match.
Kenny Haley took 21 from the old North pier for 8.1kg, while a mixed bag of 12lb gave Paul Blair first place in Hartlepool WCSAC’s match.
Gary Wilson claimed a bag of 7lb 10.5oz from Whitley Beach to win South Beach Residents match.
Anyone caught climbing over the gates or fishing on Roker pier when the gates are locked will be prosecuted for trespassing.
