Posts tagged: pouting

Sea Mistress

By , 21 July, 2013 08:21

Picture of pollackSunday morning a couple of weeks ago, saw me down on the slipway at Newhaven, waiting for boat owner and fellow angler, Terry Hill, as we were going out on the hunt. The plan was to hit some wrecks and hopefully find some cod before heading West in search of bream.

Once supplies for the day were loaded, ‘Sea Mistress’ slipped out the port and we headed to the first mark. We stopped en route to stock up on fresh mackerel, which were duly plonked into the live bait tank.

After a not too long steaming time, Terry found one of his favourite marks and set up the drift. The rods were rigged with running ledger with a six foot hook length. Live joey mackerel were hooked and sent down to the bottom to work their magic.

Picture of pollackAlmost immediately, something hit the bait and although there was a fish on, it could only have been small, as there was no fight. It was brought to the surfaced and I was gob smacked to see a pout fairly hooked in the mouth and no sign of the joey. The bloody pout wasn’t much bigger than the bait and had no business being there!

Anyway, a fresh joey was sent down on the next drift and both our rods arched over as the baits were hit. Two fine pollack were boated, mine going 8lbs, terry’s 13lb – a nice start.

My next catch wasn’t so good as I got got snagged in the wreck. I wrapped the braid around a stern cleat and hoped for a pull out or a break. Unfortunately, the braid slipped on the cleat, pulling the rod tip onto it and snapping it clean off… Bollax!!

Terry loaned me a rod for the rest of the trip but the words.. “you can christen this one, it’s hasn’t been used before” made me shudder… no pressure then.

Picture of black breamWe boated a further two pollack on this wreck, both just under the double figure mark. On the way out, Terry had told me of some fish that had been lost previously on this mark, strong, fast fish that smashed tackle up. Could be big coalfish (coalie), maybe even tope or similar sharky things. I was to experience this myself when something below grabbed my live joey and took off like a bat out of hell. With the drag set as hard as I dare, the fish just stormed off and snapped the 30lb mono leader like cotton. I guess we still don’t know what the mystery fish is.

Picture of black breamWith not much else happening, we moved off West to fish Kingmere rocks, a reef just off Littlehampton known for its black bream fishing. Once there, Terry dropped anchor and started to fish. I used a two hook flapper baited with strips of cuttle and was almost immediately in to a bream, albeit a small one. Although most were small, I did manage a few keepers, while Terry had the best individual fish of the day at 2½lbs. He also bagged the one and only bass of the day.

Later in the afternoon, with the wind starting to freshen, it was decided to call it a day and head back to port. I had a fantastic day in good company and with a few fish fillets for the freezer. The only downside, was the smashed rod with a good 12-18″ lost, I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do with it – a stubby boat rod maybe. I guess it means having to go shopping for another – shame 😉

Tea time was nice, lovely fresh bream fillet gently fried and served up with a crisp salad… yumm.

Well done Terry for putting us in the right place and many thanks for the loan of the rod.

Sole Searching

By , 25 May, 2012 15:56

Picture of calm seaI was out again last, night over at Seaford beach in search of a decent fish. So after work, I shot off home, prepped my gear (should have done it earlier in the day), loaded up the car and got over to the beach at about 9.30 – an hour (ish) after low water. After some thought, I decided to fish up by the boats where the lack of major street lighting makes it somewhat darker than the busier stretch further West along the beach. It also tends to be quieter, with not that many people fishing it, compared to the other areas.

I’d heard that a few sole had been caught recently and I was itching to get my first of the year, so the plan (if you can call it a plan) was to use two rods, one as a sole hunter but with its secondary purpose being a bait gatherer, because if I could get any pout, they would be going out as a live bait. So bait wise, it was cheap enough – a couple of wraps of black lugworm and that was it.

Anyhow, I had the worm rod rigged, baited and cast out within a few minutes of arriving and then turned my attention to the getting the bass rod sorted out and ready.

It really was a lovely night to be out – really warm, with no hint of a breeze and quite humid. It was the first night I’ve fished this year without having loads of layers on and was an absolute pleasure being able to be out in just a polo shirt (I now also wear jeans after being warned by the magistrates… lol). The sea was perfectly calm but did have quite a heavy swell running.

With the bass rod ready and waiting, I turned to the other rod and saw some trembling at the tip; I’m not sure how long it had been doing that, so thought it better to bring it in anyway. On hitting the beach, I saw that the rig had done its work well and there was a double shot of a pout, which was plopped into the waiting bucket of sea water and a nice table sized dab (not as in the size of a table but of a size big enough for the table…. just in case you were wondering).

I cast the bass rod out about ten yards or so, let the lead settle and grip before putting on the slider, hooking the pout and letting it slide out into the water. I then worked the rod a couple of times to work the bait out a bit further before putting the rod in the rest and started the waiting game.

Now I know what some of you are thinking and yes I agree, I should have had a bucket of pouts already with me, so it would have just been a matter of sliding them out and then going into silent mode while waiting for the hit. BUT… I had no time to get pouts before I went, so had to resort to the way I did. In my own defence, I would say that this wasn’t a proper stalking live bait session, more of a “If it works, great if not, never mind”.

Ten minutes later, a double shot of pout was brought in and took up residence in the bucket that the previous occupant had just left. For the amount of time I was going to be there, that should have done but I do like the security of having a bit more bait than I need – just in case.

It then died for about an hour, with nothing moving apart from the usual beach fox that was again hanging around in vain hope of a quick and easy meal.

An hour later, almost to the minute, the rod tip stared quivering and another pout was in the bucket. The first one had not done anything worthwhile, so was replaced by one of the twins which also did bugger all before being substituted by the other one. So I had one out and one in the bucket – sorted.

30 minutes later saw a double shot brought in that were surely less popular than the Krays – a bloody whiting and rockling – has no-one mentioned to them that we’re almost into June FFS! Whiting was not a bad size but only a fraction under the MLS at about 24cm and certainly bigger than a pin.

Next in was another whiting of similar size to the first. Next was another double shot of whiting that were pins.

I was beginning to wonder about packing up and saving what worm I had left for another session over the weekend. In the end though, I decided on another chuck and if it was pins or pout, I’d jack it in. So I launched the worm sections out and sat back on the shingle by the bass rod and drank the last of my ‘mud’ coffee.

We were now four hours into the flood and it was in that sort of dead period that happens until things pick up again around high water. I was still thinking about packing in when I saw the rod tremble and nod twice before going motionless for a few seconds, when it suddenly went ballistic, jumping and rattling around. I retrieved the rig and at first thought it was a good dab when it was in the waters edge but then saw that it was a sole – my first of the year woohoo! Admittedly it was small but at lease it was another one to tick off the list. Needless to say, the thought of packing up had now gone and more worms were sent out.

Apart from a few more whiting, that was it for the evening. I might of had more luck during the hour after high water but to be honest, by now, I’d had enough and all thoughts were of sleep. So that was it, only a few small fish but at least I had a keeper dab and had got my target of the sole, so not too bad a night, all things considered.

Dabbling at Seaford

By , 21 May, 2012 11:42

Picture of calm seaAlthough conditions haven’t been too good of late, with flat sea and may rot. Anyway, I decided to have a play at Seaford last night to see what was around. No point in trying for bass looking at the forecast and having seen the flat sea, so I opted for a one rod and worm bait policy.

Shot down to Brighton Marina during the day and got some really good quality black lugworm from ‘The Tackle Box’ which would do the job and produce two baits from one worm.

I wanted to fish from low up to high water, so arrived at Seaford beach around 6pm to find a millpond like sea which was pretty clear apart from some huge patches of rot that stained the water and made it look like ‘orrible weak tea that you would get from a staff canteen. You can just about make it out in the photo (click on it for a bigger picture).

Not to be deterred, I set up the one rod with a size 2, two hook flapper baited with the fine blacks I’d got and shot it out at distance and settled down to wait.

It was quite a pleasant evening to be out with just a bit of a chilly breeze coming in from the back of the beach. Now I normally where floaty trousers whenever I’m out – not for any safety reason but purely because it keeps my jeans clean and has loads of pockets to keep stuff. I have to say though, that last night they nearly came off because it was so warm – the old man vegetables were certainly roasting in their cosy nest.

First fish arrived at one hour after low water and was a small micro dab that had wolfed down the worm. Release, re-cast and fifteen minutes later the rod tip went and another small dab hit the beach. This went on pretty much for the next couple of hours or so; a dab every fifteen minutes with a couplf double shots in there too – just a pity they weren’t keepers!

Once darkness fell, the dab went off the feed and were replaced with a sprinkling of pin whiting and pout. I started kicking myself for not bringing the bass rod and not being able to put out a live bait as well.

By about 11pm, I’d really had enough, my back was screaming for horizontal rest and all I was getting was damn pin whiting; there was just no point in wasting time and quality bait on them. at least I’ve got a few left over and so I may well have a dabble tonight as well to use them up.

Nothing Too Exciting

By , 24 March, 2012 15:52

Picture of dogfishHaving spent the last few sessions chasing plaice and herrings at the marina, I thought I’d have a change, so headed out to Seaford beach after work last night. Few would believe it but one of the reasons was to get a dogfish for my species list. The main reason though was to prospect for any bass that might be in, so the only bait I used was frozen launce. I had contemplated taking some worm baits but thought better of it, as it would probably have meant picking pin whiting and slugs off the hooks every five minutes – not my idea of fun!

I arrived on the beach at about 8.30pm – about three and a half hours before high water. Weather-wise, it was a very still, clear night with no wind to rough up the calm sea. After the warmth of the day, it was actually a bit chilly and I was glad of the jacket I had nearly left at home.

I used two rods with similar rigs, both using a running ledger but one was fished ‘up n over’ style for extra distance. Both rigs ended in 4/0 hooks that matched the size of the launce perfectly. So with two baits out – one at distance and one in reasonably close, I had a coffee and waited. Looking up and down the beach, I saw a few lights a bit further West by the Beachcomber, some even further West somewhere near Edinburgh Road, I guess and some East, up past the Martello end of the beach.

At about 9pm, there was a nod on the distance rod and the first fish of the night was on the shingle and one of my targets for the night, a plump doggy (lesser spotted dogfish or LSD for short) of 1lb 14oz as measured on my scales. Not long after it was released, it showed up on the shingle again; I wonder why, they nearly always seem to swim back up the beach. It was released again – this time a bit further out and as I didn’t see it again, I presume it managed to re-engage it’s satnav and find the right way to go.

While all this had been going on, I hadn’t noticed the close-in rod bouncing away merrily which, on retrieve, produced another doggy. This one was smaller and actually managed to find it’s way back into deeper water.

The next two casts on the distance rod produced two pin whiting which had somehow got themselves hooked on the big baits. It then went quiet for some time until about an hour before high water, when the close-in rod bagged another doggy, which was somewhere in between the other two size-wise.

There then followed a succession of small whiting an few pout just on high water before it went dead again. By the time 1am came around, I couldn’t stop yawning and the thought of a warm bed overpowered the thought of maybe ‘a few more casts’. I packed all the gear away and suddenly thought; I’ve only got one more week of work and then it’s a month off for the Easter break (ya just got to love working for a school) and loads of fishing to be done – woohoo!

Another Whiting Fest

By , 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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