Stormtrooper
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2020
- Messages
- 292
- Reaction score
- 2,715
- Points
- 93
- Location
- Herne Bay
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
Hi all!
After a weekend of competition in the boat with my dad, I missed my regular Saturday night session on the beach and was itching to get out. Monday nights forecast didn’t look bad for wind but if I went, I was gonna get a soaking!!
I decided to take it on and set out about 7:30 in the evening. I had a few lug left over from the weekend which I thought I’d try for a bass with and I took bluey for a ray on the ebb. I then had peelers at the ready to fish the flood up.
I got set up and it was still light, thankfully I’d made it this far before the supposed impending downpour!
The last of the ebb down to low was fairly uneventful, I had a couple of dogs out which provided some entertainment but wasn’t really what I’d been targeting.
Low water coincided nicely with darkness falling and although it was spitting at times, the rain really hadn’t kicked in as the forecast predicted.
With the last of my worm looking a little sparing, I wrapped a small peeler up with it and fired it out. Almost as soon as it hit the water, I noticed a rattle. I watched on and before long, there was definitely a fish hooked. I was annoyed as I’d literally just thrown it out and was sure to get my 3rd dogfish of the night. To my surprise though, it was a hound pup, I shouldn’t be surprised as they usually show up about now but the recent hunts for them have been relatively fruitless and reports locally are scarce.
Pleased to have got one at least, I re-baited and sent it out again. The other rod was still out with a big bluey fillet on.
I sat back, enjoying the quiet with a coffee when that beautiful sound filled the air, ttzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Zzz. Zzzzzzzzzzz!!! My rod buckling, I leapt up, this was no pup!! The fish put up a fantastic fight and I instantly remembered just why I target these magnificent creatures. It lead me on a merry dance along the shoreline as it neared but I played it gracefully into the shallows before wrestling myself a good grip to lift it up.
My first proper shore hound of 2023 and it was a beaut! 9lbs 12oz!!
Now I really was happy but this wasn’t the half of it, I was not expecting the night to go as it did from here….
I recast with the intention of bringing in the bluey rod and baiting with crab but I didn’t manage it before the other rod was going again!! This was not as dramatic but my 3rd hound of the night came in at 6lbs 10oz. Following this, I got the bluey rod sorted and sent out. But yet again, before I could bait up the second one, the ratchet was screaming. And this time, it DID scream as well! The fish took a load of line from the off and fought hard the whole way in, I knew this was a good’n.
I was right! 10lbs 14oz! My 1st double hound of the year already!! Get in!!
Well as the night progressed and the tide kept forcing me back, this was pretty much how it went until I had to pack up. I had an 8lbs 4oz and another at 7lbs exactly. Two more came, both under 5lbs and took my tally for the evening to 8 by the time I made my retreat.
It’s sessions like this that keep me at it so much. What a great night!!
After a weekend of competition in the boat with my dad, I missed my regular Saturday night session on the beach and was itching to get out. Monday nights forecast didn’t look bad for wind but if I went, I was gonna get a soaking!!
I decided to take it on and set out about 7:30 in the evening. I had a few lug left over from the weekend which I thought I’d try for a bass with and I took bluey for a ray on the ebb. I then had peelers at the ready to fish the flood up.
I got set up and it was still light, thankfully I’d made it this far before the supposed impending downpour!
The last of the ebb down to low was fairly uneventful, I had a couple of dogs out which provided some entertainment but wasn’t really what I’d been targeting.
Low water coincided nicely with darkness falling and although it was spitting at times, the rain really hadn’t kicked in as the forecast predicted.
With the last of my worm looking a little sparing, I wrapped a small peeler up with it and fired it out. Almost as soon as it hit the water, I noticed a rattle. I watched on and before long, there was definitely a fish hooked. I was annoyed as I’d literally just thrown it out and was sure to get my 3rd dogfish of the night. To my surprise though, it was a hound pup, I shouldn’t be surprised as they usually show up about now but the recent hunts for them have been relatively fruitless and reports locally are scarce.
Pleased to have got one at least, I re-baited and sent it out again. The other rod was still out with a big bluey fillet on.
I sat back, enjoying the quiet with a coffee when that beautiful sound filled the air, ttzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Zzz. Zzzzzzzzzzz!!! My rod buckling, I leapt up, this was no pup!! The fish put up a fantastic fight and I instantly remembered just why I target these magnificent creatures. It lead me on a merry dance along the shoreline as it neared but I played it gracefully into the shallows before wrestling myself a good grip to lift it up.
My first proper shore hound of 2023 and it was a beaut! 9lbs 12oz!!
Now I really was happy but this wasn’t the half of it, I was not expecting the night to go as it did from here….
I recast with the intention of bringing in the bluey rod and baiting with crab but I didn’t manage it before the other rod was going again!! This was not as dramatic but my 3rd hound of the night came in at 6lbs 10oz. Following this, I got the bluey rod sorted and sent out. But yet again, before I could bait up the second one, the ratchet was screaming. And this time, it DID scream as well! The fish took a load of line from the off and fought hard the whole way in, I knew this was a good’n.
I was right! 10lbs 14oz! My 1st double hound of the year already!! Get in!!
Well as the night progressed and the tide kept forcing me back, this was pretty much how it went until I had to pack up. I had an 8lbs 4oz and another at 7lbs exactly. Two more came, both under 5lbs and took my tally for the evening to 8 by the time I made my retreat.
It’s sessions like this that keep me at it so much. What a great night!!
