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By Vic, 13 May, 2008 12:31

Following the weekend’s squid action, I felt I needed a break and wanted to try for something else to add to the species list for this year. I fancied having a crack at some float fishing with live prawn for Bass and Pollack.

Monday morning saw my wife and I off down to Rottingdean at low water. I scrambled around the reef for bait while my wife went gathering winkles. We were having lunch with her parents and squid from Sunday was on the menu; the winkles were to be included in this seafood feast.

After about an hour or so, I had collected enough prawns for an evening session which was to be fished at Brighton Marina. There were a few large specimens but it has to be said, most were quite small compared to what can normally be collected. My wife however had collected enough winkles to feed a small army!

Later, I headed for the marina and headed out onto the East arm hoping to get a spot near the rocks at the far end. On arrival, I saw that there numerous people fishing at the beginning and over the rocks. I had to settle for bay 54.

Live prawn was sent out under a float and allowed to be carried by the current around the base of the caissons. Within seconds, the float disappeared and a small plump Pollack of about a pound was swung in. I thought that this was going to be a great session but in the end was quite slow. In the three hours I was fishing, I had only six Pollack all bout the size of the first. It may have been slow, but at least I was fishing and didn’t blank.

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By Vic, 13 October, 2006 15:56

I decided on Brighton Marina East arm as the venue for last night.

Arrived at about 9pm. and made my way to bay 58, to find I was the only one fishing in this area – lovely peace and quiet!

Weather was fine, clear sky, no wind at all, smooth sea with just the hint of a swell. The only sound was the incoming tide against the rocks below.

One rod was set up with standard paternoster with size4 hooks and baited with lugworm in the search for Sole. The other rod had single paternoster with size 2/0 hook pennel rig baited with whole calamari and lobbed a few yards from the base.

A couple of hours passed with just a handful of Pout to show for it. This could be bait wasting exercise I thought to myself.

At around midnight or so, the Lug rod arched over savagely, I lifted into what seemed like a reasonable fish. Got it to net and a few seconds later, a lovely conditioned Bass of around 2 1/2lbs.was lying on the deck. Normally this would have gone back, but it had taken the small hook down so deeply, it had caused serious injury. There was no way that it would have survived, and so was quickly dispatched.

At this point, the second rod lurched over and the ratchet screamed as line was pulled from the spool – another Bass? No, a Pollack of around 2lbs. had struck the pennel rig. This was brought to the net and landed. I couldn’t believe it when I saw that this too had taken the hooks right down and had to meet it’s maker. I hoped that this wasn’t going to be the theme for the night.

After re-baiting casting, I sat down for a coffee and fag. I sat and studied the glowing rod tips when I saw the worm rod nodding a couple of times. I left it for a few seconds before lifting into the fish. A palm sized Sole was duly landed – not quite the size I was hoping for but a Sole none the less. This was lip hooked and was returned unharmed. A short while later another small Sole was landed nda returned.

A few casts later, I was retrieving the worm rig and had got to the base just before lifting it out of the water, when the rod was wrenched downward so quickly, I nearly lost my grip. Another Pollack slightly larger than the first had followed the worm and struck almost at the surface. It was duly landed and returned.

That was about it for the rest of the session apart from the usual suspects. So with a Bass in the bag for lunch and Pollack for the cat (although I do like it fresh like this, so the cat might have to fight me for it), I headed for home with plans for a near future return.