South Devon Report 2008

[Janner]

Foxfish i dive low water sometimes over here, but as a general rule of thumb i tend to find i have more success when the tide is at least an hour or two into the flood. Thats with the bass anyway, although i would normally hope to find a few mullet feeding in the shallows at low water.

Another major factor for me is the time of day, dawn and dusk tend to be fishy.

 

[foxfish]

Interesting; we find that the weed bass are generally found in over the low, simply lies flat when the tide starts moving up the beach.
Flatfish (plaice & sole) are easier to catch over the low because the water is obviously shallower, maybe you guys dive deeper than we do?

 

[scottwilson]

My depths are around 5 - 10 meters but I seem to find more fish on the 5 meter mark on high tide. but I guess it depends where you go, like janner said mullet are good on the low tide

 

[Spiderman]

The main problem that I have found in Torbay with low tide seems to be the visibility which always seems to be best on a rising tide and can sometimes go from 4m to 1m as the tide turns.

 

[Lazuli]

Yeah Torbay seems to have a very changeable vis thing going on. Last weekend my buddy Surcouf and I finned out to Thatcher's Rock to practice our freediving and the vis was superb on the rising tide despite the choppy sea. At high tide the following day we dove from Brixham and the water was like chicken soup with barley! Still, managed to get a few scallops at 7-10m.

Cheers, Laz

 

[Janner]

I don't think we dive any deeper than you blokes do to be honest. 99% of the divers that i have spoken to from around the south west do most of there diving in 10m and less of water.

I think the big difference between our diving and yours is the amount of tide that you guys have over there. I dive a couple of places that are good at low water, but as soon as the tide gets into the flood the string weed lies flat and its game over with the stalking then. I just drift with the tide and shoot from the hip or dive down and hang onto the weed.

Most of my stalking diving is best a couple hours into the flood, that way the string weed is up straight and you can just float over the top of it. Gives you chance to peer into the weed nicely.

Flattie bashing is definitely easier at low water, as like you say it saves all the repetative dives if the vis is reasonable.

 

[scottwilson]

Dived brixham at high tide today viz half a meter max couldnt see a thing, cloudy as hell and mushy at the bottom. stayed in for 40 minutes just to test my asso as ive had to change the piston.

When I got out the water , the car park was full of divers getting ready to go in. One asked me how it was and after I told him he just sniggered and gave me an untrusting look. hope they had a good dive

 

[sunfish]

Got in today at Anstey's. Went at a bad time (2 hours before until 1 hour after low tide) ]

Why is that a bad time?
Where I live this would be perfect; in fact virtually all spearos in Guernsey dive over the low!

Hi Mart, the low tide here is good to find bass hiding in weed. A rising tide often brings bass right into the shallows, where they hunt the shorecrabs, which emerge as the new water comes in. Half tide upwards is best for these fish and they sometimes have 12 or more crabs in their stomachs. They'll come right up into one foot of water sometimes.

 

[sarge]

Anyone been in in the last couple of days. Been looking at the web cam at babbacombe and the sea has been looking quite flat even with all this bad weather. Not sure if all the extra water flowing down the rivers may have stirred it up.

 

[Tong]

I popped out for a quick swim at jenny cliff/bovisand had about 1/2 meter visibility so I only spent about 30mnins in the water practicing my breath hold

 

[scottwilson]

sarge I was in Yesterday around Torbay. VIz about 2 meters and messy, there are fish about and I even saw a John Dory which is a first for me, but I spent most of my dive with the local seal nipping at my fins and swimming under me, made me a little uneasy to start with but I soon got used to him and had some fun swimming around . As the wind picked up to the end of my dive the viz dropped to around a meter

 

[sarge]

Thanks Tong and Scott. Thinking about going in the morning. Probably Babbacombe. May just take my scuba gear and look for crabs and lobsters. There are a few divers going in this evening, i can see them on the web cam. I think having a seal nipping my fins or wanting to play might make me a little uneasy. Never seen one while i have been in the water. Saw the one around Babbacombe twice as i have been getting ready to go in. Spent the whole dive looking around for it. A 250lb animal with sharp teeth appearing out of the gloom would make my heart skip a beat or two! Fed it once at hopes nose. My mates were fishing there, i thought it would be a good idea to hold the fish by the tail and feed the seal by hand. It was going well till it came right out of the water and grabbed the fish out of my hand. It was only then when i saw its teeth it realised it was not such a good idea. Quickly counted all my fingers!

 

[sarge]

Just got back from Babbacombe. Went in with scuba gear. Just reporting back about the viz. It was very variable anything from 3 to 4 metres close in to about a metre further out. Not too much moving about just the usual small pollack. Found an edible crab but was too small for the pot and one scallop which i left. In general alot better than i was expecting after all this rain.

 

[tribs]

Back from a trip out in the bay with Scott Wilson (Thank you Scott). very,very slow action, in fact none for me, but Scott had a nice grey mullet. I saw everything but nothing worth shooting -squid, pipefish, pollack, pout, wrasse, spiders and a seal that scared all the fish away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still, first time in for a fortnight and eventually got the ears and sinuses clear after an hour so knocked some rust off for future weeks.

Tribs

Out

 

[scottwilson]

Weighed in just under 3lb (gutted) Tribs and dont forget the scallops the viz looked really promiseing from the beach but turned out to be kak.

Going to try a new spot 2moro which looks really shelted in the morning so hopfully get the morning bass on the feed .

 

[scottwilson]

Planned trip went slightly tits up with the wind making start point a bit on the rough side so dived further down the road in slightly calmer waters . bagged a nice pollack but no bass around so ditched the gun and took some pics instead.

stopped for lunch and a bit of line fishing from the yak at 1pm and promptly lost my snorkel, searched everywhere looking for it but having no snorkel and diving is a bit of a pain in the @rse. Gave up and was getting ready to jump back into the yak when low and behold....... it was directly under the kayak

Early dive tomorrow as we off to the driving range and back in for an evening dive for some flattys tomorrow, Viz in the bay looks pretty damn good at the moment if anyones thinking about it. will post tomorrow after my dive.

 

[scottwilson]

Heres a few pics from todays dive.

I bet the fishermans well pissed about his pot. I was going to untie the knot so his float will come to the surface but its was in a right mess

 

[Agar4Life]

Some damn fine pics there scott.
Keep it up.

If anyone wants to gimme £800 for a seaandsea case for my nikon SLR i'd take some too!

 

[scottwilson]

cheers mate.

Dived this morning in 2 meter viz which was a real let down.

saw a few wrasse and a couple mackeral but no bass or mullet GUTTED. Went to spot which is almost always got bass in to find the stringweeds gone apart from the odd strand here and there. to top it all off my camera died completely and Its out of warranty

 

[tribs]

Heres a few pics from todays dive.

I bet the fishermans well pissed about his pot. I was going to untie the knot so his float will come to the surface but its was in a right mess

Hey Scott,

I was keeping quiet on the scallop front in case it was a secret. Where did you find incredible viz like that? That kelp forest was great!!!

Keep posting bud.

chris