"Hardbacks for Cod"

[skatenchips]

Im amazed at the volume of reports ive seen in here and the angling press that support the theory that were missing out
on using the "fishes" preferred staple winter food.
Instead, all I read is "must have Lug".....being a newy to
sea angling and its favourite seasonal baits, why is it that
lug squid combinations although a killing formula dont seem to be
what is filling the cods belly.
Endless reports talk of hard backed filled stomaches,yet I have
not read of any beach or boat angler using hardback as
first line of attack.
Now I dont begin to understand how a cods digestive system
works and how long a crab takes to be disolved but the evidence
is there for all to see that cod eat hardbacks....!!!
Do they stuff them selves in deeper water before coming to
our shorelines to feed on worms etc....I dont know..!!!!!
But im really interested to know of any members who might
be willing to divulge of any hardback caught coddies ......or.....
are open to giving em a try this winter so we can dispell
this myth or indeed add the hardback as an extra bait source.

What say you veteran salties...........

Gazza

[davey]

I've had limited success with hardbacks for Smoothounds, though peelers and hermit crab were catching 3 to every 1 on hardback.

Trouble with using them for Cod, I think, is that most of the Cod fishing is done at night, therefore the Cod are hunting by scent. Thus a cocktail of Squid for the visual attraction and the Lug for the scent is Perfect, also Lug and Peeler crab.
When you hook a nice Peeler and whip it on the juices are dripping, but hook a hardback and nothing.
I'm not saying they wouldn't work, but think that there's a lot more enticing baits, after all why sit on a beach and catch nothing when with the right bait you could go home with a bag full.

[greysfanboy]

Yeah, all big fish I've caught (especially bass) are full of hardbacks. The thing is these fish are opportunistic feeders. They won't swim past a crab without eating it. However in terms of them just happening to swim past a hardback on the end of your line, it's not that likely. A bait with strong scent just pushes the odds further in your favour.

[bassbotherer]

Another point to add is the fact that crustaceans take longer to digest in the cods stomach than softer bodied prey such as worms, Squid and fish. This would explain why 9 times out of ten you will find the crispy fellas in the Cods gut and not much else recognizable.

[solehunter]

Never had a fish on hard backs but i have had some stonking bites on them. If i reel one in, i`ll always bop its shell so it cracks (releases the smell and disables it from scuttling under a rock once cast back out) and bind it on. I had a large velvet hard back on once and had a good bite, picked up my rod and it bit again, this time i struck but didnt connect. I left it 30 seconds, and reeled in to change the bait. On retrieve the fish hit again. This fish really wanted the crab, but when i got the bait in, the hook was totally out of good position and had masked the point. Had other good bites on them. Nowt wrong with them.

[michael1923]

Tried them but only when the fishing was bad, needless to say i caught nothing. But as i said only tried them when nothing else worked.

[fisker]

many years ago,on honeymoon in fact ,i was given an early evening fishing pass,whilst at exmouth,could only get herring as bait and not the best either ,,slapped on a great chunk and whipped it with bait elastic ,hurled it out and a twelve and a half pound basslol.Up to the chalet and opened it up ,out marched five big hardbacks all very much alive ,pincers in the air ,the lot ,it has always been my belief that they were on that lump of manky herring and got hoovered up for their pains