Goateeblank
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2020
- Messages
- 1,579
- Reaction score
- 5,377
- Points
- 115
- Location
- South Coast
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
Picked up 2 Shakespeare Salt XT 10ft flattie rods from Poindesteres and paired then with 2 Shimano FX 4000 reels. I have seen them used to great effect, including by Haddock and others. They look real nice, have a long standing reputation and only retail for around £65. I am no tackle tart and usually do ok with what l have.
First time using them was at West Bay and quite fittingly the first fish on them was yes, a flounder. Cue picture!
Since then l have not been out much as l have been doing lots of work on the house. Last nights venue was Boscombe Pier, hoping for a dab for my hunt as well as other stuff and as its only 35 mins from home and I could not be arsed driving to Weymouth or Swanage. Set up both rods on the hammerhead of the pier and knew pretty quickly that I would not last long there, due to the influx of the ever hopeful mackie bashers. They were there with their odd casting techniques and rods with no top eyes or even the one underneath it in one case, and most of the rest with no inserts left to the ring eyes. The noise of the line going through the eyes was enough to set your teeth on edge and the final destination of the lead was a complete unknown! Some were polite asking others, where is your line mate, and saying, I will be just to the right of you, before casting over 3 or 4 rods to the left and then they would all spent quality bonding time together, undoing the lovely fishing line knitting that followed. Well at least no one lost an eye (this time), and no fish (especially mackerel) were harmed during this completely fruitless process.
Haddock was fishing in his normal spot, so l left the air thrashers to it and joined the cheery soul. Fishing was slow, but with a couple of small plaice and then something much better. The fish stayed deep and would do some lovely dives putting a nice bend in the light rod as it did so. Got it to the pier and surface and can see its a tub gurnard. Lifted it onto the pier and it was a nice ittle fat one and a new species for the year giving me 33 so far.
I enjoyed playing the hands up if you have caught a fish/plaice/gurnard game with Haddock as he would have done to me (something I taught him!). One of the best bits of fishing that game is!
Back to the rods. The bite detection is excellent and gives you good contact and feel of the smaller fish as lighter gear does. A small sole came in followed by more plaice. The sole are very spirited on the way in, and are a sod to hold, to get the hooks out. Nearly all the plaice and sole caught were unhooked by going in through the gills. Once you get it, it makes unhooking so much easier and is kinder on the fish. Again its a faff to start with, but becomes easier the more you do it, even with sole! I did have a sole and plaice double shot.
Its getting to the top of the tide and it seems to be getting quieter so we decide to pack up. I was putting stuff away and my electric battle wagon keeps moving. Tried again then I notice that one rod is banging away on the rail. The rods go into tubes on the sides of my converted electric golf cart hence the movement. This one is not happy and feels really good on the rod. Again it stays deep and does a few back and forth runs meaning it is likely a bream, and so it was. The lifting of fish up the side of a pier and over the rail, always makes me paranoid I am going to lose it. Fish lifted and safely on the deck. Definitely eating size and weighed 1 1/4lb so enough for lunch. It had a nice blue shimmer to it, and the lines on the side were less pronounced than I am used to for black bream.
Quick decision, lets stay on! Both of us are members, so when security chuck everyone off we had the pier nearly to ourselves and our own keys. I had a few more sole and plaice and again decided it was time to pack up. Which rod to pack up first? Decided on the left one, packed it down and put it back in its nice new bag and then picked up the other. There is something on here! Bringing it in, it does not feel the same as the other fish. Its close now and l can see its another flat fish, but its moving and feeling different somehow. Up over the rail and feeling convinced its a dab! Had a good check and confirmation from Haddock and YEESSSS. Species 34 my dab.
I thought it was a fairly quiet session, but the scores on the doors say a bit different.
9 Plaice.
5 Sole.
1 Tub gurnard.
1 Black bream.
1 Dab.
Nothing huge, but nice and busy and 2 new species for my hunt, giving me 34, and the weather was perfect.
The rods are really nice to use and a welcome addition to my cheap fishing armoury!
Good luck to you all next time you are out.
First time using them was at West Bay and quite fittingly the first fish on them was yes, a flounder. Cue picture!
Since then l have not been out much as l have been doing lots of work on the house. Last nights venue was Boscombe Pier, hoping for a dab for my hunt as well as other stuff and as its only 35 mins from home and I could not be arsed driving to Weymouth or Swanage. Set up both rods on the hammerhead of the pier and knew pretty quickly that I would not last long there, due to the influx of the ever hopeful mackie bashers. They were there with their odd casting techniques and rods with no top eyes or even the one underneath it in one case, and most of the rest with no inserts left to the ring eyes. The noise of the line going through the eyes was enough to set your teeth on edge and the final destination of the lead was a complete unknown! Some were polite asking others, where is your line mate, and saying, I will be just to the right of you, before casting over 3 or 4 rods to the left and then they would all spent quality bonding time together, undoing the lovely fishing line knitting that followed. Well at least no one lost an eye (this time), and no fish (especially mackerel) were harmed during this completely fruitless process.
Haddock was fishing in his normal spot, so l left the air thrashers to it and joined the cheery soul. Fishing was slow, but with a couple of small plaice and then something much better. The fish stayed deep and would do some lovely dives putting a nice bend in the light rod as it did so. Got it to the pier and surface and can see its a tub gurnard. Lifted it onto the pier and it was a nice ittle fat one and a new species for the year giving me 33 so far.
I enjoyed playing the hands up if you have caught a fish/plaice/gurnard game with Haddock as he would have done to me (something I taught him!). One of the best bits of fishing that game is!
Back to the rods. The bite detection is excellent and gives you good contact and feel of the smaller fish as lighter gear does. A small sole came in followed by more plaice. The sole are very spirited on the way in, and are a sod to hold, to get the hooks out. Nearly all the plaice and sole caught were unhooked by going in through the gills. Once you get it, it makes unhooking so much easier and is kinder on the fish. Again its a faff to start with, but becomes easier the more you do it, even with sole! I did have a sole and plaice double shot.
Its getting to the top of the tide and it seems to be getting quieter so we decide to pack up. I was putting stuff away and my electric battle wagon keeps moving. Tried again then I notice that one rod is banging away on the rail. The rods go into tubes on the sides of my converted electric golf cart hence the movement. This one is not happy and feels really good on the rod. Again it stays deep and does a few back and forth runs meaning it is likely a bream, and so it was. The lifting of fish up the side of a pier and over the rail, always makes me paranoid I am going to lose it. Fish lifted and safely on the deck. Definitely eating size and weighed 1 1/4lb so enough for lunch. It had a nice blue shimmer to it, and the lines on the side were less pronounced than I am used to for black bream.
Quick decision, lets stay on! Both of us are members, so when security chuck everyone off we had the pier nearly to ourselves and our own keys. I had a few more sole and plaice and again decided it was time to pack up. Which rod to pack up first? Decided on the left one, packed it down and put it back in its nice new bag and then picked up the other. There is something on here! Bringing it in, it does not feel the same as the other fish. Its close now and l can see its another flat fish, but its moving and feeling different somehow. Up over the rail and feeling convinced its a dab! Had a good check and confirmation from Haddock and YEESSSS. Species 34 my dab.
I thought it was a fairly quiet session, but the scores on the doors say a bit different.
9 Plaice.
5 Sole.
1 Tub gurnard.
1 Black bream.
1 Dab.
Nothing huge, but nice and busy and 2 new species for my hunt, giving me 34, and the weather was perfect.
The rods are really nice to use and a welcome addition to my cheap fishing armoury!
Good luck to you all next time you are out.
