Sea Angling for Spearos

[ADM]

As far as rods go, I take it we're talking bait now and not spinning with the ones you mentioned?

A rod branded as a bass rod will do the trick for that, something rated to cast 2-4oz and 11-12ft long normally.

I have heard the S/Spear Salt range is OK for the price, as in you get what you pay for but they seem prefectly useable.

I use a pair of Fox Estuary Bass rods, but them I am the CI dealer for Fox so I get them cheaper

Other than that, my old fav's were the Abu premium range, great bass rods IMO and not the price of a Zzipy or Daiwa.

The Ron Thompson bass rods I have tried are pretty poor, own a few which I used before Fox for my guide service, very floppy though they are perfectly capable of casting and catching as any gear will. Landed a 3lb bass on one and it had the rod locked over to give you an idea of floppiness.

[atomichaggis]

Mr.X,

Shakespeare Odessa Bass Rod (1370/346)

Few shops stil have them.

[Jonny250]

I have heard the S/Spear Salt range is OK for the price

That's what i use on the beach/rocks, very satisfactory for a numpty dangler like me! way much for spinning tho

I also use shakespear spinning rods, 9 & 10 ft - very pleased with them.

[ADM]

Had a bass trip for 3 today, shore fishing as usual and a whole day to find a shiny or two. Had 3 dozen live greens which I had extracted from Micks tank the day before, taking all the greens he had out of the hundreds of reds.
Started off fishing into some tide in shallow water using the bubble float and live eel method, not a lot of action until there was a hit on one of the eels after about a half hour, missed him. Very quiet so moved after another haf hour to another similar mark, this time there was more action but no fish. Seeing the eel jumoing like a salmon half way through a drift had the heart going but no big splash followed.

Went quiet again so I decided on a long drive and a short walk down a rather vertical path to fish into some deep water about 11:30 or so. It turned out to be a tad rough once we could see the mark but I told them that was good and it looked great for a fish.

Found ourselves some comfy spots and we started with 2 on the spinning gear and one on the bubble floated live eel. Was rather slow... The spinners produced nothing at all and we soon had 2 rods on bubble floats and one freelining.

Suddenly the freelined eel comes to life and there's a massive hit on the rod which resulted in him hitting it back which resulted in nothing. Quick lesson on freelining and how to deal with a take and we're off again.

One of the bubble float rod holders then says something about having a fish but she's kind of ignored (sorry!!!) as something else is going on elsewhere, her line is stuck in the rocks in front and once that's freed all seems to be normal again til I spot a bass cruising round her float in a rather casual manner and I get the "told you there was a fish on"... OK, Ok, so she gets it closer and expertly netted by your's truly. lovely bass of 2-2-0 and one happy camper. Absolutely engulfed the 7/0 hook, could just see the top end of the shank and eye, the whole bend was right down there.

Water was starting to get a tad rough by now with some major swell coming in breaking over the rocks to the sides of us with the occasional small splash coming up but nothing to worry about I tell them. (Famous last words they were to be...).

The eels were being fished on the edge of the really rough churned water just into the pure white water trying to get into the "confused zone" as I have decided to call it, informing them that the bass will be hunting the edge of the rough stuff coming in and out looking for the bait fish confused by the white water.

A few minutes goes by and the freelined eel comes to life again, one big whack and instructions followed the bale arm is of and suddenly the line starts to whizz off the reel, re-engage, strike and fish on!! A superb fight this time, holding deep in the white water and using the ever growing swell to try and break free.

Eventually he's in closer and a nice fish so down I go to try and get close enough to net him, missed him on the first try as some white water engulfed him and he's off through the waves like they aren't there, he's back round again and I have another go, just to find myself engulfed in a wave which came right over the top of the rock I was standing next to below the ledge (cheers for the heads up guys...), shake my head off, check i'm not swimming and back to the bass, he comes in closer and I get him this time, get the net in quick and pass it up to the guys on the ledge so I can climb back up looking rather like a drowned rat.

Nice looking fish, get the camera out of my pocket to find it dripping with water (not good) and discovered that digi camera don't like being full of water and unsurprisingly it wouldn't turn on!! The memory card doesn't work either so no good qulity on the mark pictures until I get emailed ones from their cameras which didn't come swimming wth me!!

Anyway, pics done we get him on the scales at a healthy 3-14-0.

Nice one!!

After fishing a while longer looking for a fish for person no 3 there's nothing doing so time to slog back up and get some grub. so they jogged back up the cliff while I wheezed along behind them.

Final mark wa back on the live eels on the bubble floats but only 4 eels left by now having lost quite a few while getting used to casting them.

Afetr a little while there's a bite on the bubble float where it vanished for about 5 seconds and re-appeared about 10 yards away. Very strange, pulled in and the eel is undamaged and very much alive. Cast again and again, the float goes for a moment almost immediately. there's no way that eel was taking the float on his own so there must have been something down there.

Now for the pics. I got a couple later on before we parted company and shown them a few places to try, so here's the phone cam quality pics... Not taken anywhere near the mark captured I should add!!

Julie's 2-2-0

2-2.jpg

David's 3-14-0 held by Julie

3-14.jpg

the 2 fish for comparison

2bass.jpg

[Jonny250]

nice report ADM, good to hear that the guys caught fish - result!
interesting that you say about flipping the bale arm on a strike... rather than using a loose ratchet/brake - i suppose it's quicker to engage.

[ADM]

Thing is that even a baitrunner requires pressure to take line which gives too much resistance IMO so flipping the bale arm is just as easy!! The idea is to be as natural as possible until it's hooked.

[Mr. X]

Good report ADM. Are greens & reds types of sandeel?

Thanks for the link Atomic (BTW have you checked out this thread yet: http://forums.deeperblue.net/regulat...ojectiles.html ) - looks like a good option. I haven't had time to sort through the options properly yet. I'm thinking the Salt is probably the current equivalent and jims.org.uk offers very good prices on Shakespeare gear (Podge might too?). Although the 2-section Salt Bass is the obvious choice Shakespeare also offer a similar spec. rod called the Salt MPV (multi-purpose) which has 3-sections for a similar length (11ft vs. 11.5ft). The 5 foot sections of my current rod just fit my rod bag and various key positions in my cars, so I'm little concerned about moving to 5.75ft sections. On the other hand, set-up and breakdown of a 2-piece rod is relatively hassle-free. Perhaps the joints weaken or spoil the curve?

A colleague got his new carbon fly rod yesterday. It's actually a cheapy so he can take a friends son fishing but it looks really good - I think he might end up try it himself. 9ft #7/8 Leeda carbon fibre rod, reel with line, tippets & a box of flies, £49.99! A very keen fly fisher was gob smacked when he heard the price after handling the rod for a while. I'm tempted to get one and I don't even fly fish! He got it on-line (troutfishing.com? something like that).

New book on Bass fishing: Mike Ladle's Fishing Diary

[atomichaggis]

Mr. X,
I'm not sure if the salt bass is the same blank as the odessa... might want to ask on the UK fishing forums.
About the sections, I always think the fewer sections the better as it usually equates to a more fluid curve and a thinner blank which is obviously lighter and cuts through the air more swiftly... usually, not always plus joints can get worn and/or slip which affects casting as line rubs against the guides, so more care has to be taken to align them and in worst cases tape them.
Sometimes tho the convenience of a short multi sectioned rod far outweighs the nice little touches tho, I own more than one travel rod for a reason.

I dunno that flyrod personally but thats a good size for bashing seatrout, bass and mackarel on the coast as well as reservoir fishing.

I seen the new proposed EU headache... just let me know when you are totally screwed so I can start my spearfishing trips to Norway company $$$$ ££££

[Jonny250]

i've been out in my kayak each day this weekend, harry roughers out there yesterday, into wind and tide made it hard work. trawling a plug, i managed a single good pollack over a coule of hours :-( good to be out in the waves though.
today was calmer and altogether more pleasant; i have added a second rod holder to my solo kayak, so 2 rods = 8x the hassle... took a bit of work to keep the lines apart when reeling one of them in. After a good hour and a half my 'main' rod was hit hard - i thought i had a snag as it bent right over! once i had the rod in my hands i could feel the fish and it was ready for a fight!
i was well chuffed with my best bass so far (rod or spear), dinner for the family tonight and being on the water makes it even more special.

[ADM]

Nice work Jonny. What did he weigh?

Iblanked today, reckon the monster live eels I was using scared the fish off. tied them on and sent them out with instructions to grab something but they came back empty finned despite one of them having a brief fight with something.

[Mr. X]

Nice fish jonny. What lures did you catch the mullet & bass on it (if its not secret!)?

I was going spearing today but dodgy forecast, aches & pains, tiredness & no positive reports on the Dorset thread, so opted not to. However, it gave me the opportunity to order some gear.

After checking out a few more rods, including the Shakespeare mackeral feather rod -- 2-4oz price stiffer than spinning rods price 10 pounds! -- what a great product for holiday fishing. I think it might have suited my needs quite well, as feathering is likely what the in-laws will do. However I opted to go with the rod that first caught my attention a Shakespeare Tidewater carbon rod. Although concerned that the slightly longer 11.5ft 2-piece bass rod might be hard to pack in a car, I opted for that over the 11ft 3-piece MPV rod after playing with my old 13ft 3-piece coarse rod. It reminded me, as Davy pointed out, that 2 piece rods are better: easier to carry, set up & break down, less hassle, less weak points, etc.. So Shakespeare Tidewater Bass rod it is, 11.5ft, 2-4oz, 2-piece, carbon. Price 21 pounds + p&p from Jims.

I took the opportunity to order some odds and ends. Eddystone eels, mainly larger sizes this time. Various types of "feather" rigs. And mono. Could never understand why some anglers had spools and spools of mono, well, now I is one! I got some Amnesia for making rigs & eel traces (for power balling, etc.) that don't tangle. Some red 40lb shock leader for the new rod. Another holo. blue Shakepeare slim jim (my fav. toby/bar).

Also, I visited the local charity store yesterday and found a filleting knife & a neat little Kitchen Devil sharpener, like 2-mini sharpening irons crossed in a plastic handle - works great. Total cost, 1 pound and helps local charities too.

Now very keen to get to the sea -- unfortunately a week of work first & the tides next week won't be as good as this week. Poo!

[Mr. X]

BTW my brother mentioned today that some of his colleagues caught 100 cod on a recent rod fishing trip off the Isle of Wight. Apparently some others caught 200 (boat angling with rods). I pointed out that cod are a species under threat but he thought they probably took them home. To be fair, he has told me on many earlier occasions that the same guys have gone and caught nothing at all. I think that puts the negligible impact of spear fishing into perspective. I'm happy with one fish, two fish is a good day, any thing else is beyond expectations. None is not uncommon.

[Jonny250]

No Secret Mr X, Lucky Craft Live Flash Minnow 120MR £15.49 - Lucky Craft Diving Lures - MonsterTackle.co.uk
i use the blue one on my first rod and it has caught something every trip. i tried various different lures on the second rod, from silver minnows to blue/silver spinners... the MR is the best! my theory is that the slow kayak speed waggles the lure just right where other lures are either too slow to spin, or not moving right thru the water..

[felipe felop]

KIDS IN A TOYSHOP/LUREFISHERMAN.
www.harrisangling.co.ukdrool over this gear/ its a great site,they also own there own fishing hotel in belize that you can book,for some of the best unspoilt gamefishing on the planet,THEY ARE HAPPY FOR YOU TO GO SPEARFISHING AS WELL 'COS ITS SUSTAINABLE

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by felipe felop

KIDS IN A TOYSHOP/LUREFISHERMAN.
HarrisSportsmail.com - Fishing Tackle and UK Largest Lures Supplier. Buy Online. Same Day Shipping. UK, Ireland, Europe Mail Order drool over this gear/ its a great site,they also own there own fishing hotel in belize that you can book,for some of the best unspoilt gamefishing on the planet,THEY ARE HAPPY FOR YOU TO GO SPEARFISHING AS WELL 'COS ITS SUSTAINABLE

Hardy gear sure is pretty but I can't help feeling that more than half the cost is to ensure exclusivity. Somebody kindly offered to buy me a Hardy trout bag for Christmas but it would be wasted on me. Shakespeare make similar products to those shown of a lower but reasonable quality and at a much lower cost (looking at the waders & wading boots, fly fishing bags, rods and reels). As mentioned above, you can get kitted out with carbon fly rod, reel, line, fly, flybox, tippets for £50. Fly fish in the sea for free, or get the May edition of Field Magazine (a good mag) for tips on finding affordable (even free) fly fishing in the UK. Yes, it's nice to have all the frills, but often you can get the experience for much less.

Now, where is my Stella reel and Antilles rod?! I'm orf to Belize