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By Vic, 1 June, 2010 14:24

Normally I would avoid Brighton Marina on a bank holiday like the plague but a few guys I know were fishing down there yesterday, so I thought I’d pop down for a few hours. I stopped in at The Tackle Box and picked up some quality lugworm and squid before heading off to the East arm. Just as I was walking onto the arm, my phone went and it was Steve from the shop saying I’d left my squid behind – damn. It was arranged that if possible, one the wardens could bring it out when they next did a ticket round and left it at that.

Got out on the arm about 1.30pm and met up with Danny, Steve and Ant and set up in bay 31 with them. High tide was predicted for about 2.30pm but the current was already pulling hard to the right, the sea was dead calm but looked like soup with all the rot in it.

I set up one rod with a size 4 two hook sole rig and lobbed that out baited with lugworm, the other rod, I rigged with some mackerel feathers as I wanted fresh mackerel for bass bait but this was more in hope than probability looking at the state of the water – but you never know.

My first fish of the day was a bass, or basslet to be more precise, as it was barely bigger than the bait I was using but at least it saved me from a potential blank. As the tide dropped away, things were very slow with no fishy action at all. Not long after this, one of the wardens Frank stopped by for a ticket check; I mentioned the squid I’d left at the shop and just asked if he could pick it up if passing. a short while later, Frank returned with the abandoned squid. Top marks Frank and also well done on getting that bloke to return the undersized bass he was about to pop in his bag.

When the other guys left, they kindly left me the contents of their crab bucket which had a couple of peeler shore crabs and two nice peeler velvet swimmer crabs. I peeled one of the shore crabs but jeez, it stank like a tramp’s shoe, it was very, very off  (cheers Danny). I peeled another shore crab, which this time wasn’t quite so aromatic and stuck half of it on the size 3/0 hook of a running ledger rig which had replaced the mackerel feathers. I slung this out around fifty yards and waited only a short while before the rod tip was bouncing away to indicate fishy action. I struck into a fish and brought in a smooth Hound pup of about 2lbs which was quickly unhooked and returned. There were a few more pups but the really, really small ones.

The next fish was a reasonable eel of about 1½lbs. Things quietened down then with only  a couple of small eels, until just after low water at about 8.30pm when it seemed to go bass mad, when they hurled themselves at the baits as soon as they were in the water and a couple of times, I had double shots on the sole rig. OK they weren’t big, all averaging around 1 – 1½lbs but it was enough to keep me busy and was good fun. At one point, I had a double shot of  a bass and a flounder, which made a change. Although good fun, it didn’t do much for my attempts at more sole! This kept going until 3 hours into the flood tide when someone somewhere suddenly flipped a switch and it it died off, with the odd Pout and of course the obligatory rockling.

I stuck it out until 1am, with bait running out and fishy action sadly lacking, I called it a night and headed off home. The final tally was over a dozen bass, a few smooth Hound pups, one flounder, a few eels, numerous Pout and rockling.

The latter hours of the session were a joy to be out, a quiet, still night with no wind, flat sea and although not good for productive fishing, a bright moon behind scattered clouds – this combined with a few fish reminded me of why I enjoy this so much. I tried to get a decent shot but the camera is a bit limited as to what it can do. Click on the picture for a larger image.

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By Vic, 9 August, 2009 10:18

Bit late this one and not much to write about but here goes:

Fished the east arm at Brighton Marina on Friday evening from 8pm through until about 2am. Baits were ragworm, Peeler Crab, mackerel (heads and fillets). Although nothing spectacular landed, it was ok for for the species count. The final tally was:

6 x smooth Hound pups (biggest abt. 2lb)
3 x sole slips
2 x schoolie bass
2 x mackerel
2 x scad
1 x Smelt
Numerous Pout

It was unusual in that the mackerel were conspicuous by their absence at last light. Whereas you would normally expect to bag up on a few, I only managed the two stragglers along with the scad and a lone Smelt.

I have to say, I was expecting a run of a few larger smooth Hounds over the high tide period but they failed to materialise which was a disappointment.

So all in all, not a momentous evenings fishing but it was pleasant being out on a lovely night.

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By Vic, 4 August, 2009 20:36

Apart from a couple of disappointing mini sessions, I haven’t been out fishing since July having being struck down by some mysterious buggy/virus thingy.

Anyway, feeling much better, I thought I’d have a dabble at Brighton Marina yesterday evening to see what was about. After grabbing some bait from the Tackle Box, I headed over to the east arm and got myself comfortable in bay 25. Things looked promising with just a waft of a breeze and a nice warm evening.

Started off with a 3 hook flapper baited with ragworm which  sent out about 30-40 yards. While that was doing its stuff, I set about trying to get some fresh mackerel to boost the bait supply. Although it was about low tide, I managed one on the first cast but that was to be it for the rest of the session with no more showing.

First fish to come in was a small smooth Hound which had taken one of the worm baits. This was sent back and the rig was re-baited and cast back out. This was when I noticed more weed building up. This was confirmed when on retrieving the next few casts, the weight and hook were festooned with a mixture of what looked like overcooked spaghetti and wet cat hair balls.

As darkness fell, I tackled down the mackerel setup and re-rigged it with a running ledger, baited up with some frozen Hermit Crab and launched it out to where I hoped there would be less weed. The flapper rig was taken off and a running ledger baited with mackerel head was chucked out.

A few more small smooth Hounds were landed but nothing of any great significance.  I eventually gave up when the weed close in made it a nighmare with the big bait and there seemed little point in carrying on.

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By Vic, 8 July, 2009 16:59

I have been rather lax over the last week or so and haven’t added any new posts on my fishy adventures, could be because the results haven’t been too good. Anyway, to summarise, here’s how it went:

14.6.09: Fished the East arm of Brighton Marina yesterday from about 5pm through until midnight. Couldn’t catch any fresh mackerel (well one actually but that was a stray). Had to make do with that and some frozen stuff that I got from The tackle Box. No bass runs at all but did get a large spider crab that absolutely destroyed my rig and didn’t even have the good grace to be peeling.

18.6.09: East arm of Brighton Marina. Fished in bay 1 as there was a strong SW wind that made fishing further round a tad wet with water being pushed up the wall.

22.6.09: East arm at the marina again but further round the wall at bay 57. Very little caught apart from Pout. No sign of any bass.

23.6.09: A planned session on the chalk reef just West of Saltdean but had to go to the marina first to catch some mackerel first. There was a n evil Easterly wind that made things quite uncomfortable (I get sort of cranky and cross with these winds). Anyway, managed a few mackerel just as the light faded with the sun setting at about 9.45pm. Drove straight over to Saltdean and was on the reefs by 10.15 and onto the areas I’d previously researched. I surprised that there was no interest at all from the bass and try as I may, just couldn’t tempt a fish out.

25.6.09: Went for a session down on the East arm last night from 8pm through until 3am. Only had a few peeler crabs, so needed to stock up with fresh mackerel which was hard work, the first not coming until about 9.45pm. Only managed three in total which at least gave me nine bass baits.

First fish to came about 10.30 which was a very small smooth Hound pup that took a crab. Then at about 11pm, I was talking to a couple who had arrived, when suddenly I had a tremendous take on a mackerel head that had line stripping off the reel at a rate of knots but stopped just as I got to it, I hoped it would return to finish what it started but it was not to be and the head was untouched after that.

Straight after this, the other rod pulled round and within short time, a small smooth Hound of about 4lbs was safely on the deck. That was the last fish of the night apart from the continual bait robbing Pout that destroyed everything that was put in the water.

There was a switch from the original Easterly breeze to a lull with no wind and then a bit of a South Westerly. The only other thing of note was a fantastic light show as thunderstorms rumbled on the horizon.

Not that productive but a pleasant evening all in all.

28.6.09: Another early start at the marina to gather bait. Got there at about 4am after an awful drive there in some really dense fog. On arrival, I could see that fog was beginning to burn off as the sun rose. The mackerel duly arrived and in short time, I had enough for bait, for lunch and a few to give to my in-laws. It was then home and return to the marina later that afternoon for an evening session.

On returning I eventually managed to get some room at bay 32. It was a case of bream and more bream. They took the baits as soon as they hit the sea bed and nothing else could get a look in. Most were quite small, some were reasonable but none were table sized.

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By Vic, 22 July, 2008 15:11

Decided to have another bash down at Brighton Marina on Sunday night as it seemed a pity to waste the good weather.

So armed with some peeler crab, I arrived at the East arm around 9.30pm. I first set up in bay 16 but after a few casts, decided to move further out to bay 26. Tackle consisted of a DVice on a running ledger and single 3/0 hook.

The weather was settled, although the predicted North Westerly breeze had shifted to a Westerly and so was blowing straight along the arm instead of behind.

I had my first run some time later, which happened just as I was engaged in paying for my ticket, so missed it. However, As I retrieved, there was tons of slack line which after taking up, I found a fish still attached – a nice little smooth Hound of around 2½lbs.

I rebaited, cast out and had a run instantly which was another smooth Hound, this time around the 5lbs mark. This turned out to be the largest of the night, although I totalled 8 by the end of the session. A couple were really small pups which I couldn’t believe could get a 3/0 hook in their mouths.

A second rod had been used during the session which I had baited with lug worm in the hope of getting some sole. All it managed to attract though, was a small ‘micro’ bass, as small thornback and the usual Pout.