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By Vic, 13 January, 2012 10:41

I decided on another session at Seaford beach on Wednesday evening after work and managed to be on the shingle by 9pm. Another still night, with hardly any movement to the water and a bright moon in the clear sky, indications were not leaning towards a great night. As usual, I was going to fish the flood tide up and maybe over the 12.50am high water.

Using just one rod again, I set it up with a simple size 4, two hook flapper baited with ragworm tipped off with thin squid strips and cast at varying distances through the session.

From the off, it was whiting hitting the baits almost as soon as they were in the water and nearly always a double shot when brought in. These were punctuated with the odd pout in between. One good thing though, was that I only hooked one slug (rockling) the whole time I was there.

I eventually wrapped it all up at 1.30am having caught a shed load of whiting; some were reasonable in size but in the main, it was pins. I don’t normally like wishing may time away but in fishing terms, I can’t wait for Spring and the prospect of catching other things apart from whiting.

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By Vic, 10 January, 2012 16:56

Sunday was my second session at Seaford beach this year and not expecting much, it was more about testing some rigs I’d made up using adjustable crimps by Breakaway  in place of my usual silicon stops or normal crimps (more on this at the end). It was also an opportunity to kickstart the season with maybe ticking some of the more common species off the list. Of course, I should have done this on my first session of the year but didn’t take any pictures as I knew that I’d already got them ticked off; but being a complete tosser, it wasn’t until later that I realised of course, that we are now in a new year and starting from scratch.

I got onto the beach at around 4pm to find it almost deserted apart from a few fishing just to the West of me. There was a South Westerly breeze blowing which chopped up the water nicely but wasn’t enough to churn it up properly. It did increase later on but to be honest, it didn’t have much of an effect on the rising tide. The plan of action was to fish the tide up and over the 11pm high water and maybe a couple of hours down. I was going to specifically target the dabs during the last of the daylight into darkness and then go general scratching with the chance of some lunch sized whiting.

I set up the one rod I was going to be using with a slightly adapted Wessex rig baited with lugworm tipped with thin squid strips on one hook and ragworm tipped with squid on the other. I did have some party squid too, which I also used to tip off the other baits or use on their own.

After half an hour, the first knock produced a small pout on the higher hook – so that was one of the list! It always amuses me to be taking photos of these ‘lesser’ species that you wouldn’t normally take notice of – but when it comes to species hunt type competitions (like the one being done on another site I frequent), if it ain’t on camera, it doesn’t count.

I had a few more knocks that ended with more pout but then after about forty minutes or so, I had another repeated knocking which produced a small dab. Now this was what I was hoping for, after hearing reports of some half decent dabs coming out from here, they were worth targeting, as Anna and I are quite partial to dab dinners.

It wasn’t too long before darkness crept in and the oh so predictable whiting fest started with a double shot. These were not the plump dinner sized ones I’d been having before but the more common pins which aren’t worth keeping. In the manner of a self conscious pervert, I made sure that no-one was watching, quickly got the camera out and as fast as you like took a quick snap before setting them free. At least now, I was almost done with this chore of having to get these embarrassing photos done – all I needed to complete the set was a slug (rockling) and that would be it.

I didn’t have to wait long, as the next retrieval brought in a double shot of a slug and a whiting, so a quick photo and the task was complete. Now, I could have done this on my last session

Anyhoo… by about 9.30, I’d really had enough of dragging undersized whiting and slugs out, so decided to pack it up. At least that was four species to tick off the list.

Breakaway adjustable crimps. Excellent things that give the best of both worlds; a secure and simple way of trapping swivels on rig bodies like a normal crimp but with the advantage of being totally adjustable like a stop knot and of being allowing precise tensioning. They are identical to a normal crimp but before being used, you push a small rubber insert into it and pull it through before cutting off the excess. You then thread onto the rig body as normal and use crimping tool to squeeze down until the desired tension is reached. These little things prevent any damage being caused by pinching on the line like a normal crimp can do. Now I’ve used them, I won’t be going back to the old normal crimps or the laborious task of using the silicon tube stops.

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By Vic, 18 December, 2011 15:26

Decided on a few hours at Seaford beach last night to get some decent whiting for dinner. I arrived there about an hour before the 10pm low water and walked across the shingle to find that the beach had been virtually flattened by the recent gales. The concrete ‘prom’ was covered in shingle, almost making it part of the actual beach. Instead of the usual steep ridges, the shingle descended in a shallow slope towards the sea.

There was a bit of a North Westerly blowing but it was nothing compared to recent winds. The sea had a nice bit of movement to it, stirring things up nicely and making things look promising.

Initially, I set up one rod with a size 1/0 two hook flapper baited with frozen lug and party squid tipping. This was chucked out a way past the breakers in the hope of bigger whiting. The second was set up with a long link running ledger, 4/0 pennel and whole squid, more in the hope of a late bass than specifically targeting them.

It wasn’t long before rod two with the big bait began jumping around and shortly after, a plump whiting of 37cm was on the beach, dispatched and put in the ‘dinner bucket’. By the time, I’d re-baited and cast out, rod 1 was rattling away. A double shot of smaller whiting were soon beached before unhooking and returning them.

Rod 1 was bouncing away with some quite dramatic pull downs which indicated it may be something a bit better but on bringing it in I had in fact a double shot of whiting, a smaller one on the top hook of the pennel and a dinner sized one on the lower one. The smaller one went back and the other… well into the bucket it went.

A double shot of small ones on the flapper were beached a short while later. This was followed up with a double shot of ‘dinners’ coming in at 36cm apiece. The big baits were being ravaged by whiting and frequent bait changes were needed. I was beginning to wish I’d brought more bait with me, as I had to resort to using the tattered leftovers bound up with bait elastic. One of these ‘scrap’ baits was responsible the next ‘keeper’ fish, nice really plump whiting of 36cm.

Lots of small whiting were brought in but were not sizeable enough to keep, the sea was literally alive with them. With bait being used up at a rapid pace, it wasn’t too long before I was using the last bits of bait on the flapper and rod 2 packed away. I had a final hit which brought in yet another 36cm specimen.

I packed up at about 1am and with some nice fish in the bucket, it had been a good session, with the target of dinner achieved.

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By Vic, 28 September, 2011 13:28

After some recent appalling sessions at Seaford beach that have not been worthy of a report, I decided to give it another go on Monday night. Bait was in short supply and could get no fresh worm locally but managed to get a few ragworm from ‘Tools and tackle’ in Newhaven, along with some squid.

So after finishing work that evening, I shot home, packed the car and was down on the beach by about 8.30pm. I opted to fish by the boats, just along from the Martello and was surprised to see that it was empty down there. In fact the only other lights I saw were further down to the West.

There was a slight (very) South westerly breeze but wasn’t really enough to put a lot of movement in the water, just the odd wave but generally calm. Sky was overcast and it was quite warm out. Sea looked relatively clear and free from the dreaded ‘sea salad and noodles’. I intended to fish what was left of the flood tide, up and over the 11pm’ish high water.

I set up one rod with a simple paternoster, with a single 5/0 hook but hair rigged with a size 4 baited with worm. The intention being to hook a small pout or whiting and leave it out as a live bait. The other ‘bass’ rod was set up with a long link running ledger and 5/0 pennel baited with whole squid.

It wasn’t long before the live bait rod was rattling away, signifying that it had done its job and the bait was now sat out there at distance awaiting the interest of any passing predatory fish.

After a long wait until about two hours before high water, the fist ‘proper’ fish of the night turned up, a small school bass of about 1½lbs which took the squid at around 20 yards out. It was quickly returned and another squid sent out to approximately the same distance but I had to wait another hour and a couple of bait changes before the next one obliged and that was a similar sized bass which conveniently spat the hook just as I landed it, so it was simple process of just nudging it back into the waves.

About an hour before high water and just after the change in the current direction, big floating rafts of tangled, slimy ‘sea’ noodles’ started passing by at about the distance I wanted my big baits. The stuff must have been backed up against the wall at Splash Point and then washed back Westwards with the ebb current. I couldn’t believe it, going from completely free to almost unfishable in just a few short minutes! Anyway, I carried on but it became a real nuisance and there wasn’t much point in continuing – I could see that there was still tons of the stuff to come by, so packed up the bass rod.

None of the live baits were touched at all and never really showed any signs of being worried about being snaffled. To be honest, the thought of trying to bring any sizeable, fighting fish in through the floating masses gave me a bit of a shudder.

… and so, I packed up all my gear and thought about getting back there in a day or so, when hopefully it would have cleared.

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By Vic, 3 September, 2011 14:34

It was back to Seaford beach on the bass hunt again last night, although this time I moved a little further East and fished a spot between the Martello tower and ‘The boats’. At 7.30pm – an hour and half before low water, I met up with fishing pal, Phil – well I think it was him, I couldn’t really see much of him through the thick fog that had blanketed the area. After confirming his identity and having a quick chat, we decided that we’d stick it out until the 3.20am high water, which would maximise our time with bait in the water and to fish the spread of a whole tide.

The sea was flat calm with barely a ripple apart from the small wavelets at the waters edge, which was hardly surprising, seeing as there was bugger all breeze to ruffle it. Did I mention the fog? It was foggy. In fact it was more like a drizzle and it wasn’t too long before our clothing was getting a bit damp through. What was surprising, was how warm it was, so warm that it was down to just a ‘T’ shirt under my floatie trousers.

On to the fishing! The plan was to fish live baits throughout the tide if possible, with the backup of big squid baits if no suitable pout of whiting were forthcoming. So the first thing was to set up the scratching rod with the usual size 4, two hook flapper baited with small sections of lugworm and flung it out while I set up the bass rod – long link running ledger with a bead above the running swivel. Doing it this way meant I could either clip on a trace with the pennel for using a squid, or leave it off and then use a slider for a live bait – two rigs in one.

The first couple of pout that came in really were a little too small and although, I could have used them, I would have preferred something a bit larger, so out went the worms again and the squid stayed on the bass rod. As Darkness proper set in, the bites stepped up and soon we were getting the whiting, although not as many as we would have got further West along the beach. I could have used these as livies but I really wanted pout.

Next fish was a snotty eel which swallowed the hook, luckily though, I managed to cut it free before it caused too much damage to the rig, so I got away with only having to tie on a new hook. A few more whiting came in to me, while Phil was getting whiting and pouts.

The fog seemed to get thicker even though a very light Southerly started to come up and was enough for me to have to add another layer over the ‘T’ shirt just top try and keep the damp out.

At 11.30, Phil and I were having a chat, when I saw my rod tip rattle a few times, then fall still before a lovely little pull down a short time later. I lifted into what was obviously a fish and soon, I had a double shot on the pebbles – a whiting on the top hook and a gorgeous sole on the bottom one – so that was lunch sorted, Anna would be pleased – she do like her soles. This was actually my first sole of the year and I was beginning to wonder whether I would manage to bag one or not. I have to admit, that I really haven’t targeted them as much as I have before but you can normally bank on one turning up by ‘accident’ while fishing with worm. In the photo, it looks a bit like it’s raining or that there is crap all over the lens but that was ‘the fog’ (reminds me, damn that was a good film).

It wasn’t that long before Phil was in with a possible sole, until that it is, it turned out to be a white plastic bag – an easy mistake. Mind you, it was a particularly striking looking bag (Sorry Phil, couldn’t resist it mate).

Next up for me was a bass but alas, it were only a tiddler of a schoolie which had picked up the worm. Phil meanwhile, had brought in a small ray. He also caught a small pout that looked like it had gone through the wars, fins all ragged and deep lacerations down both flanks, so something had taken a fancy to it but I guess we’ll never know what it was.

The hours went on and nothing else of any note came to the shingle apart from more whiting (one of which was a keeper for me) and we got more and more damp from the fog. Phil called it a day shortly before 3am and as is usual, I just had to stay, even if it was just see over the high water period.

Just after Phil left, I had another double shot but this time it was a whiting and a small bream. Woohoo – I then had two double shots of suitably sized pout which were added to the bucket for use as live baits. So that I was prepared, I dismantled the scratching rod that had now done its job and packed it all away. I then put a pout on the slider rig, sent it out, sat back, poured a coffee and watched through the gloom for signs of predatory activity. After about 20 minutes, the rod tip started rattling away like crazy, so I stood by the rod, with hands resting on it gently and patiently waiting….bang! Just one hit… but no follow up, no dramatic pull down….nothing. I left the bait out there for another ten minutes before deciding to bring it in – it was dead and looking the worse for wear.

Next pout was slid out into the gloom and I sat and drank the last of my coffee. Half an hour went by and … bang!.. again one hit and nothing else. Another dead pout brought in and the substitute sent out in its place. That was to be the last bit of action as nothing else happened until I eventually admitted defeat and headed off home at about 5am.

So, no decent bass but an enjoyable session anyway, along with six species and the added bonus of a tasty lunch.