Sea Angling for Spearos

[ADM]

I'd have starved a long time ago if it came to only eating stuff I caught on the rod!!!

Looking at the sea this afternoon I need to get the suit out and see if my guts fit in it, new rubber bands on the gun and get in there. Bet it's not as warm as it looks!!!

 

[Fro-in-shorts]

Am living in swansea and trying to get my first bass of the season on a spinner (all my spishing gear is back in guernsey Tried all my usual spots and nothing, admittedly the last two dangles were on neaps and not dusk or dawn, but thats never stopped me from pulling out the odd schoolie before. Is it too early in the year? Also when does the kelp get its act together and do some serious growing? its pretty bare around my usual spots. I've also got the opportunity to fish at the mouth of a couple of small rivers/streams (they are about 4 times the size of my douit) would this attract bass?

Im going on a mission down the beach at the end of the week to fish the rising tide in the evening and any pointers or tactics i havent heard of would be very welcome (bearing in mind by this time last year when i was in guernsey on home turf I'd allready caught a half dozen bass or so)

 

[Mr. X]

...
I spent many a dawn and dusk last year plugging for bass along the purbecks but had no luck. Therefore i'm considering buying a speargun because I'm under the impression I would have more luck actually catching some dinner once in a while!!

Is there anybody who plugs as well as spearfishes? can you tell me which method brings you more fish? I get the impression that spear-fishermen are more successful, but I may be wrong!?

I'm not interested in catching a lot of fish. Just one every other week through the summer would be nice.
...

I catch more fish spearing but that is largely because that's where I spend most of my time/research/effort/money/good conditions. If the water is flat and clear (i.e. good plugging weather) then I usually dive rather than plug. I started spearing before semi-seriously starting sea angling. In hindsight, I think sea fishing with bait is probably a better compliment to spearing than plugging - because good plugging weather is usually good diving weather too . I do enjoy plugging though and bait should work when the seas are rough and/or "coloured" (/murky).

Dr. Mike Ladle seems to catch most but not all trips and I believe he usually only fishes for about an hour or so at dawn. He certainly knows his usual haunts well (Purbeck!) but it is more than that, he knows how to catch fish with plugs. Read his diary story on catching a bass in Malta to see what I mean.

I mentioned going spearing in November to a friend with Cornish roots and he said "don't the fish stop feeding in winter". I replied "they might do but I don't require them to eat the spear!". With spearing, the fish need to be present. With angling the fish need to be present and feeding or willing to feed/chase. I think the "feeding" consideration is why Mike Ladle mainly fishes dawn or dusk ("as the light is changing"). So another way to look at this is that spearing might be the preferred approach in the middle of the day, when fish may be present but not feeding (although I have seen bass & mackeral hunting in the middle of the day).

 

[Mr. X]

Am living in swansea and trying to get my first bass of the season on a spinner (all my spishing gear is back in guernsey Tried all my usual spots and nothing, admittedly the last two dangles were on neaps and not dusk or dawn, but thats never stopped me from pulling out the odd schoolie before. Is it too early in the year? Also when does the kelp get its act together and do some serious growing? its pretty bare around my usual spots. I've also got the opportunity to fish at the mouth of a couple of small rivers/streams (they are about 4 times the size of my douit) would this attract bass?

Im going on a mission down the beach at the end of the week to fish the rising tide in the evening and any pointers or tactics i havent heard of would be very welcome (bearing in mind by this time last year when i was in guernsey on home turf I'd allready caught a half dozen bass or so)

Fro-in-shorts - the Channel Islands are south of S. coast of England - and even more so from the south coast of Wales, consequently it tends to get warmer there quicker. Bass generally seem to like the water to be above our winter temperatures. I dived a few weeks ago in Dorset and the water felt very cold to me and there were no fish to be seen. I would expect them to be starting to come-in in increasing numbers from now on as things warm up -- although somebody whose work depends on the weather told me that frost is forecast for us (in land) this week .


By the way, bass fishing is banned in and around some river estuarties as they are considered important "nurseries", vital to maintaining the bass population.

 

[ADM]

(bearing in mind by this time last year when i was in guernsey on home turf I'd allready caught a half dozen bass or so)

By this time last year I had had 11 bass and 2 giltheads, inc 6 weighers for the club, which included a 6 and an 8. This year I have fished more hours and not even had a schoolie. Worried I am. Very.

 

[Fro-in-shorts]

What is the water temp in guernsey at the moment and how does it compare to this time last year?

 

[ADM]

It is very different. Still sub 10c where last winter it didn't go below 10 at all, this winter hit 7c. Unfortunately there is no historic record of water temp in Guernsey (that I can find) which is a shame. Would be very useful, have to rely on my memory which isn't always good.

 

[Jonny250]

It is very different. Still sub 10c where last winter it didn't go below 10 at all, this winter hit 7c. Unfortunately there is no historic record of water temp in Guernsey (that I can find) which is a shame. Would be very useful, have to rely on my memory which isn't always good.

Andy, i'm pretty sure it went way cooler than 10 degrees last winter, i can remember diving in 7 degrees and on one occasion it flicked down to 6 degrees on the D3.
I think my D3 may read slightly low, maybe a degree.

The water is way clearer than the last couple of years, so hopefully that will have a positive effect...

 

[ADM]

I didn't think it got as cold last year as it did this winter? The air temp was cetainly way up last year. Over the magic 10 now though and I have started to see bass following, again last evening but no takers yet.

The velvets haven't had a major peel yet, just the odd few until the last couple of weeks.

 

[Fro-in-shorts]

Spent the weekend spinning trying desperately for a bass, and nothing, completely blanked on the bass front, big tides, good conditions, tried and tested marks and nada.
However not all was lost, took a torch and my crabbing hook and managed 5 lobbies over 2 afternoons. Feeling pretty smug

 

[robdigital]

Did a little bit of inshore trolling from my inflatable last week in south devon and caught some mackerel and pollack - it was a nice introduction to fishing for my missus, calm seas and quite warm. Only trouble is im struggling to get a go on the rod now!!!

 

[devondave]

Did a little bit of inshore trolling from my inflatable last week in south devon and caught some mackerel and pollack - it was a nice introduction to fishing for my missus, calm seas and quite warm. Only trouble is im struggling to get a go on the rod now!!!

Let the missus have a nice hot mug of milk with half a pack of full-fat butter swimming on the top, then take her out in a force five.
Never have to share a rod again :yack:yack.

Or just buy her a rod of her own :inlove.
Your choice.

Regards,
Dave.

 

[foxfish]

I went out with OMD on his boat yesterday for a bit of mackerel fishing, we took 40 macs a few big green sandeels & a nice whiting, we returned a load of herring (to bony for us).
I have got my smoker working just at the moment with half the macs in & the others will be cooked up in a frying pan tonight for a family outdoor party.

 

[Fro-in-shorts]

Finally caught my first bass of the season on a lure last night. Went down the rockiest roughest place I know just before dark and low tide. I was using 6 inch storm shads, and after 20 or so casts and 1 lost lure I finally hooked into something. Thought Id actually snagged the bottom and was about to stat trying to free my line when I noticed a swirl on the surface and put 2 and 2 together realising it was attatched to the end of my line which was starting to make my reel scream and groan. After a couple of minutes on tender hooks the fish was kicking at my feet. Dead chuffed.

Anyone know the best thing to use to clean your hands with after fishing as it took a lot of scrubbing to get them to stop smelling last night.

 

[ADM]

Well done!! What size was it?

Lemon rubbed on the hands is good at getting rid of the smell.

 

[Mr. X]

Excellent Fro. I've seen some 'soap' bars made out of stainless steel that are supposed to remove fish smells. It seems a little hard to believe but they've been around for some time. Not sure how they work (if they work), perhaps by catalytic action?

 

[Fro-in-shorts]

Any advice fishing (spinning)over high tide? All my marks are low water, and as it's going towards spring tides and high just before dark, I fancy my chances at taking another fish later in the week. What do you look for in a spot that makes it favourable for bass at high tide?

 

[ADM]

The marks I fish at high have features like rocks and weed near the high water mark or a reef running out to sea. Surf helps.

 

[len]

hey here are some thoughts on sea fishing.
first let me say i live in the Caribbean this means perfect clear sight in the water.
it is pointless here to use a fishing rod. for the simple reason u dont know where the fish are. u can use lures and flashers but the fish wont ever bite it. i learned how to use a hand line and a snorkel here and this is a great way to fish for several reasons one you are in the water two it is exciting to see a fish beeing interested in your bait. tree it is selective is there a fish going for your bait that u dont want to catch u can wheel your bait in.

the thing i learned this way is fish are extremely clever when it comes to eating bait.
we fish with small sardines here and if would trow a handful in the water they are gone in 20 seconds and 1 will remain the one with the line and hook. if i catch one its usually a small pregnant female fish the big fish from the same species look at the bait but will never eat it. the females are more eager to eat something. this is of course a negative catch and spoils later changes of fishing.
the only way to catch something bigger is when it gets dark that is the only time a big fish will mistakenly bite my bait.
the local fisherman here only use bait fish they let the fish skim on the water surface wheeling it in quikly so that it looks like a fleeing fish in panic. then something a big fish might make an attempt. They only catch anything when it gets dark ore is completely dark. There are also little fisherboats that troll baitfish and sometimes they catch a shark sadley i must say it is also 100% pregnant female lemmon sharks they catch.
so i would say its better to use your spear friend. handlines are fun but go late in the day even if u don"t catch anything its great to feed the fish and spend time in the water

one more local tip if u own a boot see if u can find something floating on the surface of the water because a lot of small fish usually use it as shelter and there are always big predators around it also look for birds there a fish give away.

kind greatings
len
maybe for food spearfish and when using a line catch and release because u will mainly catch pregnant female fish.

 

[Mr. X]

Thanks for sharing those insights len. I like using a hand-line (or 2) from a sit-on-top kayak. I hadn't thought of using one while diving but I've seen film of guys with beachcaster rods in wetsuits swimming out to a sandbar to fish. Coincidentally I posted a thread on an underwater fishing rod (I kid you not!) yesterday: http://forums.deeperblue.com/hunting-equipment/86677-underwater-fishing-rod-scuba-stik.html

I've heard of people catching quite large fish with hand-lines from the beach before, possibly on Dr. Mike Ladles website/diary(on one of his Caribbean forays) or maybe Robson Green's fishing TV series (in Africa). Come to think of it, I've caught mackerel from the beach at Chesil with a hand-line & feathers. A guy who lives next to the beach lent me his hand-line & showed me how to "cast it" (overhead, like a bolas) - after he'd quickly filled a bucket with mackerel for his BBQ - impressive! It only works on those rare days when the mackerel shoals are clearly hitting the beach though.