Otterspool Promenade is one of the River Mersey’s most popular marks easily accessible and superb fishing. Parking is free at the Festival Gardens or just off Jericho Lane L17 5AL. From the car parks it is only a short walk to the promenade.
Otterspool can be fished at high or low tide but is more popular at high tide. There is a shipping channel not too far out meaning the that a long cast isn’t always required to get into deep water. The only thing to bare in mind when fishing Otterspool is that its not only popular for fishing but walking and cycling too, extra care must be taken when casting to avoid injuring anyone.
Tide State- Low tide, fishing upto three hours either side or low. Things to remember, at low tide a longer cast is required to reach the channels, snags are visible. If you’re going to fish Otterspool at high tide it’s worth going at low to see where snags are situated so that you can avoid them. When fishing high tide most people fish three hours upto high and one hour after- if you can hold bottom there’s no reason why you can’t continue to fish however. When the tide is over 8.5m, 28ft, you will often find it hard to hold bottom even with 8oz grippers. More rubbish and weed will also get caught on your line. This is not always the case and should not put you off! Find out for yourself. When fishing larger tides remember the tide is usually at its strongest one hour either side of high, it may be worth taking your rods out of the water at this time and casting back out once the tide dies off. But like all things experience is key and you will only learn but fishing different tides and finding out for yourself. The stronger the tide the further ‘uptide’ you need to cast to avoid your line ending up right up against the wall- cast into the direction the tide is coming from.
Wind & Weather- it is advisable to fish Otterspool with a Eastily wind so that it’s coming from behind you. It is much harder fishing when the winds hitting you right in the face not only is it uncomfortable but also harder to cast. If the wind is under 10mph I wouldn’t worry. When there has been a lot of rain you will find that catch rate will be reduced dramatically when fishing up-river. This is because the salinity (amount of salt) in the River is reduced and the sea fishing species will often move out into the bay during this time. In the Winter months Otterspool is extremely popular for people targeting cod.
Set-up- standard beachcasting set-up will do at Otterspool, often on larger tides is worth taking a rod with can cast upto 8oz just in case you need to use a heavier lead. If you’re targeting cod I’d recommend using a Pulley Pennel rig with a minimum of a 2/0 hook- this rig is extremely suited to Otterspool with its anti-snag properties- see our blog on rigs for more details. If you’re wanting to just catch at Otterspool use a Two Hook Flapper rig with around a size 2 hook, you can catch any species on this rig. It’s worth remembering that the sea wall at Otterspool has a large drop off and if you catch a large fish you may lose it when reeling up the wall- if you’re targeting specimen fish then it’s well worth investing in a drop net to avoid the disappointment of losing one at the wall!
Otterspool is most popular in the Winter targeting cod- the best baits for cod are: Black Lug (fresh or frozen), squid and crab. Other baits can still be used and are still good: sandeel, bluey and razor clam are all proven cod baits. If you are only wishing to catch cod I’d use larger hooks and larger baits 3+ worms and whole squid baits are the most effective approach, you want as much scent in the water as possible. And by using a larger bait the scent will last long- if the crabs are about it will take them longer to get through the bait too. I would definitely recommend using bait elastic, you’re bait will not break up when casting and will last much longer once in the water. When you first get to a venue it’s worth checking your bait every 5-10 minutes to make sure your hook isn’t getting stripped by the crabs, it’s this is happening you’ll have to use larger baits and will have to reel in more frequently to change bait, as there is no point leaving your rig out there with no bait on. If you just wish to catch at Otterspool whiting are often hard to get away from when using lug worm, try using half worm baits (or sandeel) on size 2 hooks and I’ll be surprised if you don’t catch.
If you have any questions at all about Otterspool or Sea Fishing then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, we are always happy to help. Also keep an eye out for future blogs about other marks as well as other sea fishing content.
