River mersey fishing tips

Fishing the river Mersey

As an angler, I have fished the Mersey for over fifteen yeas. The river is full of fish, and while it's not always easy to get at them, you have the potential to catch any of an array of exciting species. The variety of fish available in the river is incredible, but typical species caught include flounder, dad, place, whiting, skate, dogfish, sole, pouting, cod, rockling. There are hundreds of marks to fish high and low water.
One of the most popular ways to fish is called beach casting. It requires specialised gear, including an extra-long, heavy-duty rod and reel (3-5 metres is common) that can cast a hook quite a distance, a typical beach. Beach casters must learn to cast their line much further than inland anglers, and use a relatively light line with heavy weights at the tip to ensure they get the distance they need.
Many sea fishing rigs include multiple lines and hooks to increase the odds of getting a strike. Popular beach casting baits include large worms such as lugworms or ragworms, peeler crabs, macral, or squid. Some fishermen prefer a cocktail of baits to catch the big cod.
 It's best to find a knowledgeable local who can point you out the best marks for high and low water fishing.
Of course, yet another alternative is to charter a boat and take to the sea with an experienced skipper. Boat fishing can guide you to some of the largest specimens available. Inshore fishing, where you stay within sight of land, is very similar to beach casting and usually uses the same sort of kit.
Sea fishing may not be easy, but it can be worth it when you see the amazing results you get. Every fisherman should try it at least once in his or her life, for the experience if nothing else.
                             
When I set out with my sea fishing tackle to the Mersey it is one of the best   fishing venues, around for miles I can't help thinking how fortunate I am to live so close to the Mersey.

Will I catch fish?

 Don’t think you can turn up any time and catch fish it won’t happen. You have to get your timing right. The best time in my opinion is two hours ether side of high or low, you need to know the right tactics to target the cretin fish you want to catch. When you cast in don’t just leave it for half an hour or so. You will find when you bring it in the crabs would have had your bait off. So when you fish do it by timing, on your first cast leave it in for about twenty minuets, when you bring it in if the bait has all gone then on your next cast only leave it in for fifteen minutes. If there is a little bit of bait left on then that’s the timing, change you bait every fifteen minutes. If you find your bait is not getting touched then start to increase the time you leave it in the water. I have watch anglers leave the rod in the water for well over half hour I know for a fact they have had no bait on after ten minutes, so for the last twenty minuets they have had no chance of catching fish and they look at me wondering how I am catching all these fish. All so  you must go at the right time of the year the weather and tide must be right    I have set out on the other pages how to target and catch different types of fish and  even to cook them.

The tackle

  I often feel that I'm part of something special when I have stood on our shores, seeking to harvest piscine riches from the sea. But enough about that. I'm serious about fishing, and I like my gear to be serious as well. Since I don't have unlimited funds to spend, I'm always keen on finding a bargain from car booty’s to add to my tackle box.
    

Key Features of the Surf Reel

I've bought a nice surf reel, the Shakespeare Tidewater 60. this is what I think of it.

This reel is the  Shakespeare's range of saltwater-resistant . It has plenty of quality features and excellent specifications, including a reinforced graphite body that won't corrode, and a precision-machined  spool. I do like this reel because I prefer the location of the drag control knob. I've found front drag reels to be quite a bit stronger than rear drag models, mostly because there are fewer gears, meaning that less is likely to go wrong,  The reel comes with a spare spool, and has a capacity of 130 metres of 20lb test line. Shakespeare has always been one of my best products.

Tidewater 60

The Tidewater 60 also features one ball bearing, and has a comfortable counterbalanced handle. The reel  comes with 210 metres of Stren 17 lb test monofilament line included -- which is a  cost saving. The gear ratio is 4.5:1. As sea fishing tackle goes, this reel is  with positive features, including not only the smooth, multi-disc drag system, but also the machined and anodised aluminium spool. It weighs about 550 grams. The reel easily adapts to left- or right-handed wind,  Expect to pay about £30.00 for this good quality fishing reel.

The Mersey’s fishing marks

There are plenty of marks on both sides of the river, I will tell you the ones I use I always catch fish at these marks. On the Liverpool side you have got, seaforth rocks, alex wall, waterloo dock, mariners wharf, jaguar house, on the other side of the Mersey you have perch rock, town hall steps, there are still hundreds of marks but I used these marks and I always catch from them. If you look at (sea fishing reports Wirral )they have a map of all the other marks.

How to catch the cod

 
Yes the mighty cod the fish we all like to catch. Wait until the weather conditions and tide are right never fish the Mersey any moor than an eight metre tide. Always check the tide times and the reported weather and judge your cod fishing at the most suitable time.
Cod of course are very consistent in their behaviour and are a shoal species, they always move with the weather and tide feeding on the whiting that move into the Mersey first.
The best time to fish for cod has to be night time and especially a high tide will always bring the cod closer inshore. The cod start to arrive in late October and stay to about the middle of February. Often if the sea is very rough and a strong inshore wind is blowing, cod will not feed.
 When fishing for cod, use fishing tackle capable of casting 6 to 8oz. A heavy weight like this will be easier to cast further. A good quality line of breaking strain up to 35lb, depending on conditions, less if the conditions are not so bad. I use a penal rig, the bait lug and squid put three full worms on your hook. Slide one worm on first then a piece of squid then worm then squid and then the last worm then I tip the hook with squid head and tentacles.