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By Vic, 7 November, 2010 18:33

I hit Seaford beach last night only to find that it was cram packed, Not sure if there was a competition on or not but I’ve not seen that many people out for a long time. After much self debating, I finally decided to fish some spare space up at Splash point and found a spot just West of the point itself and where I had no-one to my left which gave some leeway for me to move if I wanted.

I was not that hopeful of a good result considering that the sea was flat calm, I had missed low water and the early flood tide, plus it was a tad noisy with the firework display up behind me somewhere on the greens. There was no hint of a breeze and the sky was overcast but with large clear patches.

One rod was set up with a size 2 two hook flapper baited with lugworm and the other was rigged with a 4/0 pennel on a long link running ledger baited with whole squid. With both rods out, I relaxed with a coffee and watched some of the fireworks – which I have to say were pretty crap. Now, if people are going to bugger up my fishing, I wish they would at least make the effort to entertain me.

Fishing was very slow, with nothing for the first hour or so, not even any whiting jumping on the hooks every five seconds. I have to say though, it made a nice change just be able to relax and enjoy the time, rather than casting and reeling in ‘pins’ on a frantic never ending basis. The first knock of the night resulted in the first bloody rockling of the season; I prayed that it wasn’t going to a rockling only event. I wonder if it was as whiting free on the rest of the beach as it was where I was.

It all went dead until about 9.15, when there was small pull down bite on the worm rod and then nothing – pah!. I left it while I finished my coffee and then saw the rod tip go mental in a series of plucks and pulls. I lifted into what seemed like dead weight and felt like weed with a bit of flapping. It wasn’t until I got it into the shallows that things livened up a bit, with the fish going ballistic that I thought this might a decent fish. Once on the shingle, I could see a thumping sole flapping about and when I lifted it up, it felt like a nice weight. Had to cut the snood, as it had taken the size 2 deeply and once despatched it weighed in at 2lbs 4oz – woohoo a new personal best which beat my previous best by 12oz. The photo really doesn’t do it justice, it was a well conditioned firm thick fish of 40cm on the nose.

That was it as far as the worm rod went, with no other bites at all and still no whiting. It wasn’t until just before the 11pm high water that I had the next fish – an LSD (lesser spotted dogfish) that took the whole squid bait reasonably close in. Once released, I re-baited with another squid and chucked it back out. It wasn’t long before another ‘doggy’ was on the beach and then that was it for the rest of the night.

I stuck it out until about 1am before jacking it in. It was perhaps one of the quietest nights I’ve spent on the beach there but it was a most memorable one. It’s always great walking away with a new personal best.

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By Vic, 1 November, 2010 15:19

After being out of the game for a week or so and then one session in Hampshire, I returned to one of my usual haunts that is Seaford beach last night. Arrived at a section just east of the Beachcomber about 4 hours before before low water. Flat calm, slightly coloured sea with a slight swell, no wind and a clearing sky didn’t bode too well.

Used one rod with a size 2, two hook flapper, baited with lugworm tipped with squid which I chucked as far as possible. Before I could even turn to set up the gear, the rod started bouncing around in that tell-tale whiting fashion. I brought it in to find a whiting double shot. Unhooked and returned, I re-baited and bunged it out again. This time, I had more time and set up the other rod with a 4/0 pennel on a long link running ledger and baited with whole squid. This was cast out just beyond what breaking water there was.

For the next hour or so, it was non-stop whiting on the worm baits – all small though. There was a dead period about an hour before low before it picked up again. I swapped the flapper for a single 2/0 rig with a DVice – again baited with lug and squid.

Just after low, I had a gentle pull down and nodding on the whole squid. I lifted into the fish, there was a brief lethargic struggle and an LSD (lesser spotted dogfish) was soon on the beach. The doggie was released, the hooks filled again and cast back out. In the meantime, yet another whiting was brought in on the other rod.

There was another tug on the squid and a schoolie bass of about 12″ was soon beached. After releasing the critter, I re-baited and stuck it out just a bit further out (still only about 15 -20 yards though). Another pull down and yet another LSD was soon on the shingle.

I had a few more whiting on the worm bait before calling it a night at about 2am. I could have hung on for another couple of hours but to be honest, I saw little point and would prefer to save my back for the bigger tides next week with the prospect of saw decent wind and a change in the conditions.

Comments (6)

By Vic, 25 October, 2010 15:45

For a change of scenery, I had a session down at Eastoke, Hayling Island on Saturday with some lads from Hampshire and Sussex who inhabit another web site. It was a first for me, having never even been to Hayling before, let alone fished it. It was great to be out somewhere different from my usual and predictable marks and I was full of optimism. The object of the meet was a friendly get together and cod competition.

I arrived at the appointed meeting place to find it empty and with that “Oh shit – am I in the right place” feeling. It wasn’t until another guy, ‘Browners’ introduced himself that I realised I was an hour early. Anyway, we waited and about half an hour later, a few more turned up, including Lee ‘Cuckoo’, the organiser. Introductions made, a chat and three quid each chucked in the ‘winner take all’ kitty, the ten or so of us set off up on to the beach.

The weather was supposed to be strong breezes dropping later on with rain also stopping later on. In fact,what we got were no wind, calm sea, clear skies and a bright full moon – comfortable but not ideal for codding.

I set up to the left on a section of beach between the groynes, with ‘Browners’ setting up to the right of me. The rest of the group were spread out along the beach to my left.

I started off with one rod, using a single 3/0 hook fished paternoster style with a cocktail of black lugworm and cuttle fished at distance. The other rod was set up with a long link running ledger, 4/0 pennel which I would later use with whole squid  close in.

First fish for me was an LSD ‘doggy’ (lesser spotted dogfish), while ‘Browners’ had one, followed by a huge pout at 2lb 4oz. While he seemed to doing well with a steady stream of fish, I was struggling to get much action.

Some time later, ‘Browners’ let out a triumphal shout of ‘cod!’ It wasn’t large but it was a codling of just over 2lb and it turned out to be the eventual winner with no others being caught during the night.

Even with both rods out, I had a very quiet night with nothing really showing much interest apart from LSD’s. I had a few missed bites which again I suspect were LSD’s

We stuck it out until 4am before packing up and re-grouping at the car park. My tally for the night was five LSD’s – not brilliant but at least I didn’t go all the way for a blank. After a chin wag and the handing over of the cash prize to Browners (well done by the way), we went on our separate ways.

A big thanks go to Lee, a top bloke for organising the event. Pity more didn’t turn up but perhaps more for the next time. His report can be found here. 2010 Cod Meet Eastoke.

I have vowed to make more of an effort to resist the temptation of fishing locally and travel a bit further afield and enjoy something a bit different.

Comments (4)

By Vic, 14 October, 2010 10:30

Someone once said “There’s a fine line between fishing and just standing on a beach looking like an idiot”. Well after last night, I think I could fall into that latter category.

I went for a late session last night after work and fished at Seaford from about 9.30 pm through until around 2 am. Fished from low water up until before high. Conditions were calm and overcast with no wind, the water was flat and gin clear. It looked like I had the beach to myself as there didn’t seem  to be another soul there, none of the usual lights along the shore. After setting up, I cast out the first set which was a size 4, two hook flapper baited with lugworm to try and get a couple of live-baits and in the meantime, the other set was cast out – a long link running ledger with a 5/0 pennel and whole squid.

It was long before the obligatory whiting hit the worm bait and I had the first of many, many double-shots on the beach but too big for bait and too small for the table. Worms sent seaward again and before I could put the rod in the rest, it was off with another double-shot – wrong size. This was to be the theme for the night, along with the big squid bait constantly being shredded by the needle teeth of whiting. Long, short, middle distance casting – it mattered not, the whiting were again everywhere. Bait up, cast, retrieve, take whiting off hooks, bait up, cast, retrieve, etc etc, I think you get the picture. I must have looked like the village idiot, scuttling around, waving a large stick at the sea and swearing at fish.

Giving up on the idea of getting a bait sized fish and in an attempt at trying to get something a bit bigger, I swapped the flapper for a size 2/0 single hook paternoster with a big worm and squid bait tucked into a DVice. This however just gave the whiting more of a challenge and it wasn’t long before the rod was rattling away as another one hit the bait.

By around 2 am, I’d had enough and although I didn’t stay for high water, I’m pretty sure that all I would have had would been more whiting. No wonder there hadn’t been anyone else out there; they obviously knew something I didn’t!

Comments (1)

By Vic, 13 October, 2010 16:40

I know it’s nowt to do with fishing but this clip is a classic of Freud’s and one of my favourites, so just wanted to share.