This bumper-sized 12lb 12oz cod was the catch-of-the-day when Burnham boat owners held their annual competition during the height of the cod fishing season this week.
While the last few years have seen cod stocks declining in Bridgwater Bay and other parts of the Bristol Channel, this season appears to be a more fruitful one.
Burnham angler Mark Bowden, pictured right, landed several cod during this week’s event, and said: “The last three or four years have been very poor, but this year’s looking good. There are some decent sized catches to be made and plenty of young ones which should be around for a few years to come.”
Sunday’s competition, which was organised by Burnham Boat Owners Sea Angling Association, was supported by 38 entrants – four of them juniors – on a flotilla of 16 boats.
Simon Stroud’s 12lb 12oz cod (pictured at the top of this page) won him the Cod pool, while the Thornback Pool went to Chris Evans with a thornback of 14lb 15oz.
Second place went to Steve George with a thornback of 14lb 11oz; 3rd to Dave Harding with a conger of 21lb 13oz, 4th to Chris Lindsey with a thornback of 12lb 14oz, 5th Doug Petrie with a conger of 20lb 3oz, 6th to Simon Stroud with a thornback of 12lb 2oz, 7th to Pete Dade with a thornback of 11lb 15oz, 8th to Pete Wills with a thornback of 11lb 10oz, 9th to John Labbe with a thornback of 11lb 7oz, and 10th to Pete Nicholson with a thornback of 11lb 6oz.
