South & West Wales

[mogsychief]

St Bides yesterday with the kayaks and spear gear. Vis was excellent - up to 8-10 mtrs in places. Loads of fish about. Saw my first bass in St Brides bay. Most were relatively small but missed a double figure fish in among the thick tall weed. Pollock are getting big now. Thanks Radman for the top tips! Hope to get some video footage from the Gower and St Brides trip soon, once I get chance to edit!

 

[DafyddRees]

Hi guys,

Good to hear you are finding fish Mogy! I have have only seen 1 (one) bass so far this week that was takeable!! I have so much footage of schoolies but struggling to find anything substantial.

I stretched some of my dive times to 1.40-1.50 to see if the bass were just very weary of me but even this only yielded seeing a bass circa 3lb.

Being a complete go pro noob, I am really happy with the copious amounts of schoolie footage I have. I am sure it is pretty boring for some but I like watching how they move and how their eyes are able to focus on you as they circle in their packs. I also have some fantastic shots of nailing long range mackerel aswell which have come out pretty well which I will up load when home.

 

[ashbish]

Nice too see everyone getting some decent fish! I've been away in Egypt for two weeks so seem to have missed the best of the viz! Hope its not to much of a shock going from 30m+ viz to Gower soup! Hopefully the weather will settle in time for bank holiday weekend!

 

[DafyddRees]

Short clip of some bass and mackerel.

 

[ashbish]

Anyone know how the viz is looking around south/west wales today?

 

[Phil Beckett]

Has anyone tried fishing around dale / sandy haven or Angle? Just woundering whether its worth trying to fish around the haven?

I live in Sandy Haven and regularly fish from the kayak between here and Dale, the last two seasons have been quite poor. I purchased my first speargun this week as I think getting under the surface might be more successful. There are a couple of really useful looking bays where I want to try out this new form of fishing. So will keep you posted. It might be a bit late this season, but hoping for an indian summer!!

 

[mogsychief]

I live in Sandy Haven and regularly fish from the kayak between here and Dale, the last two seasons have been quite poor. I purchased my first speargun this week as I think getting under the surface might be more successful. There are a couple of really useful looking bays where I want to try out this new form of fishing. So will keep you posted. It might be a bit late this season, but hoping for an indian summer!!

Welcome to the group Phil. Let us know how you get on and what the visibility like.

 

[Phil Beckett]

Haven't myself, hoping to head that way much more this year! Do you live around that area?

Welcome to the group Phil. Let us know how you get on and what the visibility like.

Thanks mate. Really looking forward to getting in and giving it a try. Will def post reports.

 

[ashbish]

Welcome Phil!

Had a successful weekend myself, bagged myself a mullet and a nice 6lb bass, my personal best so far!

Got in Friday afternoon as the tide was dropping off. Anchored the kayak and jumped into about 6ft of water right over kelp beds. Viz was about 3-4 metres. Within 30 seconds saw a monster bass, went to shoot and the safety was on!!! Doh! Within 5 mintues spotted another face on and got him! Saw a further 5 but I was in the water for a good 3 hours! The mullet was hard to miss, a shole of 50+ swam infront of me, they weren't even bothered about me spearing one of their buddies!

Got in again today, viz better again 6-7 metres but at a different location around port Eynon point towards worms head. No bass seen, plenty of smallish pollack and wrasse and plenty of sand ell and dog fish about. No shots taken but just nice to see so much life about it the water!

No one on hand to take photos so a selfie had to be taken!

 

[Phil Beckett]

Welcome Phil!

Had a successful weekend myself, bagged myself a mullet and a nice 6lb bass, my personal best so far!

Got in Friday afternoon as the tide was dropping off. Anchored the kayak and jumped into about 6ft of water right over kelp beds. Viz was about 3-4 metres. Within 30 seconds saw a monster bass, went to shoot and the safety was on!!! Doh! Within 5 mintues spotted another face on and got him! Saw a further 5 but I was in the water for a good 3 hours! The mullet was hard to miss, a shole of 50+ swam infront of me, they weren't even bothered about me spearing one of their buddies!

Got in again today, viz better again 6-7 metres but at a different location around port Eynon point towards worms head. No bass seen, plenty of smallish pollack and wrasse and plenty of sand ell and dog fish about. No shots taken but just nice to see so much life about it the water!

No one on hand to take photos so a selfie had to be taken!

Hi Ash

Lovin the selfies, did make me chuckle!!!

Sounds like you've had a perfect couple of days. Just have to sort out a dive belt and I will be ready for the off. Fingers crossed I will be able to get in next weekend, as I want to give myself plenty of time the first few goes. I will probably score some unsuspecting kelp or barnacles until I get my eye in tho!!

 

[DuncanD]

Hi All

Normally post in the North Wales thread as that's where I used to live. Just in mid wales for a bit (Aberystwyth) amd heading down to Swansea tomorrow for the day so may find somewhere to get in.

Got in yesterday in Aber, vis was about 5-6, a bit milky at the surface with a thermocline at 2m. saw a few bass and lots of pollock and some mackerel. Caught a huge lobster, but on further inspection it had a notched tail so I put it back. Didn't shoot at any fish as I was always waiting for a bigger one to show up. (With this new size limit I don't want to catch anything undersize.)

Looking like we should get some further improvement in the visibility given the forecast.

Anyone getting in soon?

 

[ashbish]

Hi All

Normally post in the North Wales thread as that's where I used to live. Just in mid wales for a bit (Aberystwyth) amd heading down to Swansea tomorrow for the day so may find somewhere to get in.

Got in yesterday in Aber, vis was about 5-6, a bit milky at the surface with a thermocline at 2m. saw a few bass and lots of pollock and some mackerel. Caught a huge lobster, but on further inspection it had a notched tail so I put it back. Didn't shoot at any fish as I was always waiting for a bigger one to show up. (With this new size limit I don't want to catch anything undersize.)

Looking like we should get some further improvement in the visibility given the forecast.

Anyone getting in soon?

I was hoping to get in this weekend but the tides are wrong for me and I rarely see anything on a high tide! Viz down the gower is supposedly still very good for gower standards anyway! Low tides are all late this week so doubt I'll get a chance to get in after work and don't think I'm brave enough to do a night dive yet! Hope the weather stays as it is for next week!

With regards lobsters with notches in their tales, I've never seen one but does it mean that they've been caught before and released for breeding?

 

[DuncanD]

The notch is cut into the tails of undersized females when they are caught by pots and takes about 5 years to grow out, by which time the females should have had the chance to breed a few times. That's the theory. I'm a marine biologist by education.

 

[Radman]

St brides bay looked good from coast path last night. Bit choppy, looked like crystal clear vis.

 

[mogsychief]

 

[Radman]

View attachment 41366

Is that angle?

 

[mogsychief]

In at West Angle today. Vis about 5mtrs. Eventually broke my bass duck at Angle with this nice fish. I've seen some monsters there on and off over the years but they've always caught me unawares and I've missed them. Saw two bass today - first one caught me unawares and got away but bagged this second one! Got some video of it and will post on Youtube once I edit it

 

[mogsychief]

Is that angle?

Yes

 

[Radman]

Yes

Lovely fish. I've got a few impromptu weeks at home so just negotiating with my better half a few passes to get out for the day. I've not dived angle before. Weather looks good next few days. Hopefully a few more bass about.

 

[Radman]

Dived in st brides bay this afternoon. Quite a few bass about mainly schoolies. Missed a few nice sized ones. Big pollock upto 9-10lb close inshore but left them be today. Vis 5m patchy.