beach casting for cod.

hi. i am going beach casting tomorrow morning.i was told cod is been very successful on squid there. i got some today but they did not have the little ones only had the big ones about 5 inches head to tail.do i use a full one with the head on or do i cut the head off and only use the rest.sorry for the stupid questions but i am new to sea fishing.any tips very much appreciate it.

im no expert on cod fishing as we dont really catch cod in galway, but if i were to go,(depending on the location obiously) i would probably use,lug,peeler and bring some squid too. if you want a big cod use a whole squid, if you want any size big or small i would use a "smaller" bait. again i might be wrong but thats what i would do
chris

cheers mate.i think i will try a whole one as my friend got a 16 lb cod about 4 days ago and 9 other cods next day different sizes not as big as the first one.i hope i am as lucky as him.olso i got some fresh lug wormes.razor fish and sandy eels.

Hi

Cod have massive mouths, never be worried that the bait is too big. Never. A 16 lb cod would bite your arm off and take several squid.
Even a relatively small cod 2-3 lbs which is standard fare on coasts around Ireland in the winter will handle a whole squid and the benefit of big baits is that the dogfish and whiting will find it hard to impale themselves on such a big bait. You should add in something to give a scent trail as well such as lugworm, mackerel or peeler crabs as cod hunt in scent as much as eyesight, especially if the water is not clear...

HTH

A 16Lb Cod, :shock: that's a big fish was it caught from the shore? Any further details? cheers.

You can cut the squid into strips to tip of the lug/peeler/ Lug and peeler.

How to make squid strips:

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thank you for all the advice lads .the 16lb cod was caught of shore in sandylands lincolnshire just after the golf club.i whent there today 7 a clock in the morning to 12 a clock.no cod but 2 good size flat fish and a whiting.can u use sardine for of shore fishing same as u do with a mackerel.

thank you for all the advice lads .the 16lb cod was caught of shore in sandylands lincolnshire just after the golf club.i whent there today 7 a clock in the morning to 12 a clock.no cod but 2 good size flat fish and a whiting.can u use sardine for of shore fishing same as u do with a mackerel.

you would have to use cotton on sardines for shore fishing if you where casting them any distance as their flesh is very soft, can be very effective for animal fishing (dogs,huss,conger etc..)

Herring chunk / sandeels would be better than sardine - good for rays. Whole squid plus 2-4 lugworms is a good bait for english cod - huge mouths. I had a 4il cod last week that took 2 squid and 4 worms and swallowed the lot!!!! Even a 30cm cod will take a huge bait.

Hope this helps.