Everyone bows to king cod Keith.

What an incredible week it has been for big fish ( good hauls, specimens, matches and unusual catches.

Keith Hunter, fishing on the private boat Sarah took the heaviest cod of the season, weighing in at 30lb, out of the Tyne.

Ten-year-old Charlie Nicholson took a cod of 20lb 2oz fishing aboard the Arella Dawn just off Seaham, while Seaham's old pier gave Lawrence Thompson a monster 3lb mackerel.

Flamer II, out of Hartlepool, is giving first-time anglers the experience of a lifetime, 15-year-old Aaron Richardson taking a cod of 20lb 2oz and Emma Nichols a ling well into double figures.

On top of this, catches have included cod of 16lb and a ling of 16-8-0 for Barry Hutchcroft, while, at Amble, 12-year-old Ashley Thompson took a cod of 9lb fishing aboard Warlord.

Sixteen-year-old Emma Adair took a nice pollock of 4-6-0 from South Shields pier, while Billy Jackson took one of 6-11-0 from Eyemouth.

On top of all this, another three big Porbeagle sharks have been taken over the last week at Whitby, along with a nice tope, with other sharks and tope lost.

Anyone wanting to try their hand and their patience should contact the skippers of Shy Toque and Sea Spray. And to prove the tope are along our coast, a visiting Dutch angler who was anchored in Teesmouth Bay waiting for the tide dropped a bait down and took one of 50lb.

And what a cracking match at Newbiggin.

I had expected a weight of around 10lb of cod or even flounders to have won this event, but Wayne Harriman came to the scales with five cod for 20-7-4 taken at Marden Rocks to win the match.

He was followed by John Nixon with two fish for 19-10-12, including the heaviest fish ( a conger of 16-1-4, the biggest I have recorded for the North-East ( taken at Howick. And, of course there was the Fladden Junior Open fished by 207 anglers from afar a field as Devon along Blyth and Seaton Sluice beaches.

The winner, Declan Turley ( all the way from Troon ( took five flounders for 0.64kg (1.4lb) to take the pounds 500 of Fladden tackle. Amble angler Michael Connor was runner-up with three plaice and a turbot for 0.41lb, with Seaham's Adam Spence taking the heaviest fish ( a flounder of 0.34kg.

Catherine Bowser, of Newcastle, took the ladies' prize with a pipefish of 0.002kg.

In general, wreck fishing has been steady with cod and ling to 16lb with boats fishing the ground taking cod to 9lb.

Rock marks have produced cod to 7lb and wrasse to 4lb for shore anglers with rivers producing flounders and eels.

ALAN CHARLTON [phone] [e-mail]