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| Guernsey The discussion area for all Guernsey residents and the annual Guernsey Trip |
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#1
May 14th, 2005
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Thought I'd start a thread on fishing in Guernsey.
Just to keep track of conditions and catches as a reference for next year and to hopefully encourage more people to take up the sport and get out of the armchairs and into the brine ! Last week over the Liberation Day holiday I went a fair few times with Dave and Charlie. Quite a few bass around and the Sunday session was good with Charlie catching a 7.5 pound bass and me getting an 8pounder. Charlie renamed it 'Big Sunday' in commeroration of us both catching bass in the same session and both bass being beauties... Hopefully there will be more big days to come. I heard that Adrian caught a 5 pounder the weekend before but guess he is busy at the moment ? Been dropping in a few times this week after work and seeing between 5 and 10 bass each session and not always coming home empty handed. There are a pair of new bass guns on the table and soon Pete will join the fold sporting his own hand crafted teak 80cm bass stick. Just as soon as those Italians send the triggers.... Cheers Ed 
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#2
May 14th, 2005
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Sat 14/05/05
Strong easterly wind, dead neap tide. Vis - moderate to poor. Dived shallows on west (sheltered) coast.Very, very, very few fish seen. Todays result: Ed 1 (bass) - Dave 0. Boo Hoo! Dave the roving reporter.
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#3
May 14th, 2005
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Quite a dull day in terms of the weather - all a bit overcast and so on...
Went out along a reef but nothing to see other than the occasional large wrasse and smaller little red wrasses. Decided to head back in - all over kelp and then came across a small patch of sand just behind a small vertical reef - tried a 2m aspetto but a bit too bouyant. Managed to stone a 2 pound bass as it came past - quite a long shot and looked like it wouldn't come back so I took it - shot in the tail right on the lateral line. The shaft stopped at the flopper and it didn't even open but the fish was dead. Went in after that as it felt surprisingly cold - checked the Mosquito and it read 11C... much colder than the recent temperatures in the same bay of 12C and 13C - and even 14C in the sun at midday in the shallows. You can really feel the difference at 14C - seems to be the comfort level for me in my 5mm suit.... need to eat more lard sandwiches I think. Well looks like my mate from Alderney may be taking up the sport for 2 weeks before his ear op.....Could get lucky with a nice bass....but at 6'7" and size 14 feet it might be hard to get the right kit for him. Cheers Ed
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#5
May 15th, 2005
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Saw first spider crab inshore today. A small male. Sure sign of summer but unfortunately also a sign that any flatfish that were inshore will move offshore 'til June/July. Ho Hum back to the bass then - providing Ed doesn't get them first. That boy should be
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#7
May 15th, 2005
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Tried East coast high tide spot. Had a family "do" later so low tide was out. My high tide spot is very small, only room for one, therefore "Jonah" wasn't invited. Got my just deserts. Blanked. Stop laughing Ed. Saw in total 2 wrasse plus that spider. Vis was fishable, maybe 8-12 foot. This spot is usually guarenteed a small bass or seven, like 90%+ success rate. Never seen it so dead. Neap tides are usually ok here but there are a few shoals of sandeel appearing (good news) can only be those Easterlies (wind in the east, fish bite the least). Oh well back to work tomorrow for first Monday in 3 weeks. Was getting used to those 4 day weeks. Now getting used to catching nout! Tides a bust all this week after work but maybe I'll get desperate and try something. Might even take Ed,then at least I can look at the fish he catches.
Good spearing to all Dave 
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#8
May 15th, 2005
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Bass season is closed for anglers for a month from today 15th May in Ireland.
Maybe the Bass have gone away from Guernsey to spawn?
__________________
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
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#9
May 15th, 2005
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Hey Huan - I think that I am right in saying that they spawn here from about mid January to late March. Certainly all the fishing boats target them then (crazy to target spawning fish but that is another long story...).
I think that you may be right with the bigger spawning bass - they could move offshore or elsewhere but the fish that I have been seeing fall in the 1 pound to 8 pound category with most being in the 3 to 5 pound category. So more juveniles and less of the prime breeding stock ? I'll have another look for them over the following weeks  Seems to be a possible connection between bass inshore feeding habits and a big spring tide. In other words I noticed alot of activity before the lowest low and highest high (full moon ?) and a day after it tailed right off and is now more or less finished. Probably a combination of stuff too - in the shallows when I saw the most bass it was a day before the spring and the water was 14C in the shallows. The other day it was back down to 11C... also overcast - so might be necessary to have a spring tide with good sunshine and warm shallows ? Observationally yours, Ed
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#10
May 15th, 2005
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Easterlies here and worldwide are a waste of time.
I have never had good fishing in any sort of east (NE, E, SE) winds. I find that high tide is the best for Bass round here,Better Vis also. I think the bass come in to feed at HW and hang round the stringweed beds along with mullet. I was out on the kayak the last day and nothing to be seen, apart from a decent Pollock which I was too rusty(slow) to hit. Ed get a kayak you won't look back.
__________________
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
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#11
May 15th, 2005
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Ahhhh kayaks....
Now there is a good story. Still trying to get hold of one - tried to get a Fenn Mako surfski. Seemed to be the best kayak type craft that would meet my needs and be fun to mess around with but I could either pay over the odds for it and have it shipped to me here direct from SA or I could pay slightly less than over the odds for one and drive over to France to pick it up (just got my licence and still no wheels...). So I looked into getting a Cobra Expedition and got a price from the dealer inthe UK but he is refusing to answer my mails and I haven't got round to phoning him - think that it will work out but seems like alot of hassle to get contact from him... But yes - keen to try kayak fishing - also fun to get out on the water and cruise around... Ed
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#12
May 16th, 2005
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In again today. No wind and flat calm. Dead of the neap today and last low tide available this week after work (7pm low). Only 2.5 metre range, thats only 4 foot rise/fall either side of half tide. Pretty unusual small tide as we have a range of up to 10 metres here in Guernsey. Vis was good at 15 to 20 foot. Swam nearly 2 miles all around a large offshore reef. Absolutly dead. All my usual bass corners were empty. Only saw 4 mullet and 5 wrasse in 2 1/2 hours. Shot 3 of the large wrasse (4-5lbs) to make a change from mullet, bass and pollock. Ed whimped off so no bass to report (what's her name Ed?). It's really not worth going at the moment but tides are now making and the East wind has gone (for good I hope). Besides if you don't go you definitely can't catch. Few days off and try again. Anyway can't go tomorrow - it's my birthday (lost count how many) and I'm under orders from "she who must be obeyed" to be sociable (not in my nature).
Stay tuned for future updates from the fishy isle. One year older man Dave. 
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Re: Guernsey summer fishing
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#13
May 17th, 2005
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Quote:
Cheers
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#15
May 21st, 2005
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It’s the weekend, neap tides have changed to small springs and that deadly east wind has gone south. Trouble is that the wind is force 5. Rough on the east and west coasts, forget the south. South wind has brought swell, offshore reefs are white.
Went over the low tide in the small sheltered bay down west where I shot 4 bass and 3 mullet last week. Walked half a mile down to the sea edge and slipped into the little bay. Small tide so a bit high but good enough. Vis was good at 15-20 foot. Crept around the reefs in super stealth mode. A few minutes in spotted the first bass, a small one about 2lb. It didn’t see me in the thick bootlace weed, depth 2-3 foot. Stoned it with a headshot from 2 foot range. Strung it and back to creeping in a zigzag to cover all the ground in this little bay. Bass number 2, a 3 pounder, fell to another 1-2 foot headshot. Next fish saw me and scooted. Had time for a long shot but missed. The last bit of the bay produced another 3 pounder. Saw this one just disappear behind the bootlace in about 4 foot depth. Tracked the gun 2 foot sideways to the next gap in the weed and nailed the fish dead centre as it appeared. Didn’t risk a headshot as I think the bass was aware and the weed hampered me (good excuse for a bad shot at a range of 2 foot). Applied the coup de gras with the knife from my arm sheath. Reached the mouth of the bay with 3 of the 4 bass I reckon were in it now on my belt. It had taken about 40 minutes at slow to stop stealth mode but good result. The mouth of the bay was 4-10 foot deep but here the dreaded swell reduced vis to 6-10 foot. Crept around in the lee of some small reef heads. Slightly better vis. Saw a mullet suddenly appear (how do they do that?) from super shallows between two reefs. Wasn’t after mullet but this one had a death wish. It offered me its broadside at 3-4 foot range as it slowly circled. Took time to sight the gun for a dead centre shot, essential for those soft-bodied mullet. Good shot, followed by more finishing off with the knife and adding to the stringer. Moved towards the edge of some sand still trying to hide in the bootlace weed. Vis now about 8 foot and depth 5 foot. Saw a decent fish, well saw the back (tail) half, as it was in mid depth behind some bootlace. Took an instant shot, without sighting, at the mid body from a range of 6 inches. The 6mm spear passed straight through the 5 lb bass. Finished it off easily as it was stunned and made little effort to swim off. Spent another half hour, making it a 2-hour dive. Saw 2 larger bass and 2 small ones together. No more shots though as all were spooked. Back at the car I discovered I’d forgotten my towel. Literally, had a rub down with an oily rag (found in my car boot). Ed was busy buying a car so I was solo but I did take some pic’s . Should be one showing “Secret Bay” in the background. This is the old rambler signing off – happy huntin’. Dave  Last edited by Old Man Dave; December 30th, 2006 at 19:34.
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Re: Guernsey summer fishing
