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South West First trip since December

bananas said:
Well done on braving it Mr Fish, Rockmarks mentioned to me that it was rather pants session, but got a give it a go, dont catch sat on the sofa, but think you would have sooner been on the sofa instead out that night.


Your right there, he forgot to catch some fish when we went out the other night too! :oops:
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That’s not fair I was using big baits and big fish not size 4 hooks ??
 
bananas said:
Haha, he coming your way tonight then, bet thats got the Bass worried down there.
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We're in the same area, so no 'coming' involved! Yep, I bet the Bass are very worried! ??
 
Good report, shame there were no fish involved. There's always next time and hopefully you have some slightly warmer weather to help with the motivation too, plus a few fish would be a bonus.
 
Craig said:
Good report, shame there were no fish involved. There's always next time and hopefully you have some slightly warmer weather to help with the motivation too, plus a few fish would be a bonus.
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Cheers mate. Yes if it was warmer I could have lived with the blank, lol
 
bananas said:
small hooks means more fish, big hooks means sat on yer hands for the session :unsure: :unsure: ???
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Lol! I must admit these days I’m quite specific with fishing.
When bassing, I only use big baits now. Could put worm on and catch schoolies but I’m actually quite happy to sit and wait for one or two bites that will usually be a better fish.

This was a ray trip and usually you’d see a dog or schoolie or two on sandeel, but completely dead the other night.
Maybe the sudden cold has pushed the fish from the shallows temporarily.
I find it’s not necessarily that they can’t take the temperature, but they don’t like a sudden change.
 
Mr Fish said:
Oh alright, I better do a bit more but there’s little to report.
Joined @Christurner plus Rock Marks (who I believe isn’t on here?) and another friend for a crack at an earlyish surf beach ray at Putsborough in North Devon.

Clearly we parked in the right place!

View attachment 8170

Oh yea, fishing..,

April isn’t too early for a small eyed on this beach but March/early April can be a bit hit n miss.

When I threw my gear together that evening I was thinking in ‘surf beach mode’ which unfortunately also extended to my ‘summer’ gear of a hoodie and light goretex waterproof jacket and waders.
How dumb?!
As soon I stepped out the car I knew it was going to be a miserable night as far as the temperature went.
Sea conditions weren’t actually too bad at all. Surf was a little bigger than I’d choose but not by much - certainly suitable for ray.

Met up with the guys on the beach and for the next 3-4 hours we had eight rods baited with sandeel in the water at various ranges.
Not a single bite.
My bait was the £4 a pack eels I’d bought earlier and they were coming back the same way they went out.
Alex, the fourth friend, found a couple of small eels in the sand so they were about, which usually means the ray are.

View attachment 8171
About the only pic I took on the beach, there was nothing to photograph!

The surf was damn cold and by low water at 10.30 I was ready to give up!
We all stuck it out to just before midnight and an hour plus of the flood, but absolutely zilch.

The second pack of eels never defrosted really and they went back in the freezer pretty much solid!

I have to say I had zero motivation once I was there. Cold, crap fishing. Spent most of the time chatting to the others and not too fussed about my rods - not like a ray is going to do much with the drag set anyway.

I dragged myself out more to do that than caring much about going fishing and tbh that didn’t improve.
The only bit that was worthwhile was catching up with the other guys.

I need to try and find some mojo, but definitely on a warmer evening!
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Hiya again Mr F,
Your 2nd report is much better mate???????.
If you're anything like me you'll find your mojo's not gone it's just been hibernating for the Winter & one decent fish is all it'll take to wake it up.
Tight lines.
Rick?
 
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