If there are such things as by-catch in surfcasting, the red cod is one of them. Its a nuisance fish. It has no redeeming qualities at all. The flesh, should you try to eat one, is tasteless and mushy. They fight like a piece of wet paper, in fact you often don’t know you have hooked a red cod until you reel in to change baits. Thats when you find the slimy red lump sulking on the end of your line. Catching a red cod in the presence of other surfcasters will often be the cause of much teasing and embarrassment. Best kick it back into the water before they see it. They are the garbage disposal crew of the coastline and will eat anything they can find. I throw them back so they can continue to clean up the garbage. Mostly caught in the colder months.