Sea bass hunting : advice (UK)

[ickledevil]

Yeah id agree a 90 is a good sized gun, but i find myself using a 75 in most conditions, a little more manoverable and a 90 can occasionally be too long for the shallows or certain vis conditions, my picasso carbon with 22mm rubbers is a 75 but due to the big rubbers packs quite a punch will shoot straight and true with 3 and a bit wraps of line, shot a 6 lb bass at the weekend with it , line pulled tight as it passed through, so was a long shot but had plenty of power still. Cheers
Joe

 

[portinfer]

Ickledevil - nice bass - do you have a pic of it ? Got any details on time of day and depth and tide state (I need all the help I can get !)
I was out yesterday in a new spot and only saw wrasse, chose a deeper water venue but still didn't see the bass. Going to try today a bit later - might try for an afternoon session - two hours after low water at about 5pm or 6pm - anyone got a favourite time to go tide-wise ?

Ed

 

[Plymouth]

Where you are, I think its' best to go in on the rising tide.
You need to have find places where you have plenty of that bootlace weed reaching up and all over the surface to start with, and aim to be in the water as it starts to get so there is water over the large granite boulders (surrounded with weed) around the rocks creating a nice screen between you and the open sandy areas. You can then watch swim between the boulders and the weed, looking out at the nice sandy bits through the bootlace. This means you are hunting on the surface quite a lot, and can be in very shallow water sometimes, often no deeper than chest deep or less. But also watch out for surpising the bass/mullet in the weed as well.

John

 

[Alison]

Any time around low water is a waste of time for Bass as far as Im concerned They just aren't there. Where I fish, an hour and a half before high water is the time to go, especially early in the morning or late evening.
Ive heard that Bass and Mullet like that bootlace weed stuff but Ive never seen them in it but yes around boulders near sand is definately a good place for bigger Bass. My own fav place is a gap in the reef with a gravel bottom, the tide rips through it at a rate but just at the side there are beds of bladderwrack that are current free where I hide pointing out onto the gravel, its a common hunting ground for shoals of bass, usually small schoolies but the occasional big one

 

[Plymouth]

That sounds much more like th kind of thing you get near Plymouth really. Had some luck last year with this kind of situation. Bootlace fronds or kelp around 5m gulleys with stones and gravel at the bottom.

The sandy description I described earlier I think is more common in the channel islands and Brittany, perhaps because of the larger tidal range and large bouldery reef outcrops.

By the way does anyone know if you can change your log in name. Plymouth seems a bit anonymous now. Just couldn't think of anything at the time!! Perhaps I have to start again??

John

 

[Alison]

PM Stephen (Papa Smurf) he can do it

 

[ickledevil]

Yeah i have piccys somewhere, new pc so will transfer them, probally put them in the picture forum when i get round to it, i have to agree with all that was said above, it was a rising tide (i always have best luck on a rising tide) and was fishing in stringweed and kelp gullies anything from 1m (on the surface) to 15m if i remember rightly the bass came quite shallow. Where are you based?

 

[Alison]

Me?
Im in Anglesey, North Wales

 

[Oldsarge]

Really? My mother's family is Welsh. The name is Williams which, I have been given to understand is almost as common as Jones over there. In any event, it's been a loooooonnnnnnnnngggggg time. They fled in about 1690! One of my Ojibway friends says that qualifies me as Native American.

 

[ickledevil]

Hey, was actually wondering about plymouth.... but as you were kind enough to answer whats the diving in angelsey like, we were discussing a possible trip in that direction as me an my buddy have never dived in wales really!
Cheers
Joe

 

[Alison]

Scuba or freediving? For scuba you really need a boat the shore diving isnt the best but there is the Menai straights, undern the suspension bridge to the swellies rock is unbelivebly good Then theres from Treardur Bay to South stack thats good scuba too, both these places make good freediving places, the later is a good haunt for big Pollock but at depth, Porth trecastell or Cable Bay as its sometimes known is a cool spot for Plaice if your after Bass spots PM me

 

[Alison]

Should I say Bass marks? Bass spots sound like something you'll need to see the doctor about

 

[Plymouth]

Hi Ickledevil,

I live in plymouth
But often sprearfish in Guernsey, and the smaller islands near there, as my parents live over there.

Anyone know any good spots in Brittany between Roscoff and St Malo. I reckon it should be good around trebeurden and also isle de Brehat, as there is loads of tidal range and hundreds of reefs around. Off there next week. Just bought a gun off Spearo so looking forward to trying it out.

 

[Plymouth]

Discovered that my old Cressi Sub was a 90cm from Spearo. As I was measuring the wrong place - technicallities!!
Saw a 110cm Rob Allen he had and it's definately a long gun for the UK!!! Bought a Seatec Skua 90cm gun, which looks OK. At least I now have a spare spear! Hopefully it will provide us with food next week

 

[Pekka]

3 dives one bass=bad hunting... ?

I did some diving in Cornwall two dives here in Devon, and only managed to spear one bass.. I saw few in Cornwall.. Most times I see bass around it is a sure dinner, but for some reason these ones I saw in Cornwall kept a good distance and were VERY easily spooked.. and it was not a lonely bass but a shoal of those things.. I wonder why?
Is there a time of day one should go for bass.. I usually have no control over that as I get to the beach when ever I can, which is heavily influenced by the bus schedule..

The one I speared was great and we smoked it later on for dinner, VERY good.. later on this week I'll be spearing some more for smoking.

Good luck to everyone hunting here in UK

Pekka

 

[portinfer]

N e e d h e l p ......

*******S !

Aggghhhh !

I can't quite believe it .... Went out for a spear with a mates' brand new Picasso Century 100 and shot a nice sized bass - maybe 3 pounds or more.

Poor shot - went in the middle nearer the tail (coming up from a 7metre aspetto) - anyway, thought that I was lucky to have got the largest bass so far of this summer but no.... it sped around on the bottom until I pulled it up to the surface - still alot of fight in it and I grabbed it by the gills...

However it had other ideas and flipped - not sure what happened but the last I saw of it was it heading for the bottom without a spear through it.

Anyway - what do most people do to avoid these schoolboy errors ?!

I was thinking that next time I would make sure that I had a good grip over the spear end so it could only swim on the string. Then it would be in a loop and I could go for the knife knowing that it would not swim off the end.

Think I was surprised to see one, surprised that it was so large (for me), surprised that I had actually shot it and also reluctant to drop my mates Picasso (normally drop the gun and grapple with the fish two handed).

Shame as I was hoping to start catching Shane up with the fish photos (but in minor league naturally !)

Also - what happens to shot fish ? Do they float ? Do they sink ?

I think that they would sink - I had a good look for it as the depth was between 5m and 8m in the area I was in. But there was a fierce current so not sure where it would have drifted to. Lucky, lucky crabs....

Well - I hang my head in shame - not too bad as my friend would not be happy that I had christened his brand new Picasso before he had had the chance.

Going to try tomorrow - all day if I have to... - Ed

Saw a garfish just in front of the bass so had to decide - how hard are garfish to shoot - looked like it was a decent size gar too. Anyone shoot gar often ? Any advice ?

 

[shaneshac]

Hey Ed,

A wounded sea bass wil seek cover as soon as its off the spear. Search the surrounding rocks as you are bound to find it. If you shoot a sea bass in teh depths and are lucky not to puncture the swim bladder it will float. If you do puncture it (bubbles will come out of fish on your way to the surface) it will sink.

If you have a badly shot fish the worst thing you can do is pull it to the surface as it will try and escape. . Drop the gun and spear and swim up to the fish. The drag from the gun and spear will immoblisie it enough for you to grab it.

Re the Gar Fish. They are very thin fish and i would practice a bit more with the bass before taking a pot shot at a Gar as it is bound to end up the same way as this last Bass.

Gars are awesome on the bbq. Dont be put off by the green bones

Please please please remember spearfishing is not a competition. Although you say it as a joke, it is very dangerous and if the fish aint there, no matter if your aspetto is 2 hours long you won't catch one. Please take care!!!!!!

Ciao

Shane

 

[tuomo]

Yep, when you have hit a fish poorly drop the gun and dont drag the fish up with the spear, ( unless you have been fishing in midle water where the bottom is very deep). this way the spear will not tear out from the fish so easily. My brother Pekka drops the gun and swims up to the surface to take a breath, then swims back down to get the fish. He says that the floating gun will point out where the fish is. This can be done providing that the fish is not large enough to swim away with your gun..

I always feel that the spear does not provide too good hold to the fish and try to grap it as soon as possible with my hands.

Dont try to compete with Shane, its not possible..

btw, Shane tried to give you some more karma, but I can't yet. I'll lob some at your way when I can.

Tuomo

 

[shaneshac]

Thanks for the Karma Tuomo

One last point, stick your thumb in the bass mouth and grab the lower lip. This tends to immobilise it quickly and you don't run the risk if cutting yourself with the sharp gill covers.

Shane

 

[dave]

I normally grab larger bass by the eyes, particularly when pulling them out of a hole, that seems to immobilise them pretty well.
When trying to get hold of a bass it is important not to worry about the spines too much. A spike in the hand is a small price to pay for a decent bass, and infected puncture wounds all over your hands are a sign that at least you are getting fish

cheers