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North West Confidence Restored!

Huss Hustler said:
Hiya Steve,
A decent sesh there mate & another new species for you (that's 2 more Thornies than me this year, though hoping to get among em on the pier tomorrow night as i have'nt had chance to wet a line for weeks).
For the Smoothies crab (fresh or frozen) is king, though we pick quite a few up on baits meant for other fish- lug tipped with squid, whole squid & ragworm in particular.
As already been said by @Tatunka joe & @JLD a Gemini T-bar disgorger will unhook most fish that are'nt hooked too deeply, if that fails i've a pair of long nosed fishing pliers, prefer these to forceps as it's easier (for me anyway) to get a good grip on the hook.
For a while i've been playing around with different patterns of hook (instead of my usual J hook pattern) to try & avoid deep hooking.
So far going off my hooked up, deep hooked, mouth hooked to missed bites ratio Sakuma 470 Top Guns seem to be on top- at the moment.
Have'nt forgotten about planning a low tide sesh mate just mad busy at work at the mo.
Tight lines.
Rick?
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Cheers Rick, good luck on the pier. Have been talking to Joe @ Bispham Angling and might get myself added to the waiting list.

Am still playing around with hook patterns, sizes and pennels (and therefore bait size). This last session is a bit of a turning point for me as until today I have persevered with lug on one rod at least and the other rod was almost a hopeful punt for a bigger fish. Today I felt confident enough to ditch the worm and think I might even go without any worm next time. I have always been prepared to sit it out for a better fish when coarse fishing, so am comfortable with doing the same in the sea, within reason (I don't want to blank continually!).

Just let me know when you are free, no rush as i am going to have a few more tries around Cleveleys (have fallen out of love with the Wall!!) hoping to get some more rays and a smoothound.
 
Worm is king on the Fylde if you want bass and codling, Fish baits will bring nuisance fish!
 
Topwater said:
Worm is king on the Fylde if you want bass and codling, Fish baits will bring nuisance fish!
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Well if I catch nuisance fish like rays I don't mind mate :ROFLMAO: .
You had much success with rag rather than lug? Have heard a few raving that its the best bait up here.
 
Most anglers generally start off wanting to catch a fish, then a few fish, then bigger fish, then their own angling targets etc. Once you've had truck loads of rays, dogs, pin whiting and flatties over decades they do become a bit of a nuisance Steve - or at least to me they have, though I understand we are all different and want different things from our fishing. I can only comment on how I see it. As you know I don't get the 'more rods/hooks the better, scratching for a bite, anything to save a blank' mentality. Nor do I understand those that only ever fish HW out of the back of their car on the Gynn - they are missing out on the cream of the sport (and 'great outdoors experience') in my book. But each to their own. I do what I can to catch my target species and take blanks as just part of the game - a lot like the weather! I know that fish baits will inevitably attract what are to me 'nuisance' species on the marks I fish so I avoid them. I try to stack the odds in my favour with good sized locally collected baits on big hooks because invariably I'm fishing for bass or codling. Of course I still get dogs, stripped by pins or crab etc etc but I'm certainly not fishing for them!

Regarding rag I will use it off the boat and it can pay dividends at times. It's certainly handy for the tackle trade as it's farmed and readily available irrespective of weather and season. That in some ways breeds it's success perhaps - it's fresh, live and people use it and catch on it so it gains popularity? It's certainly not commonly found in the wild here on the Fylde as we just don't have the environment for it - 99.5% sand = lug worm city with cockles, clams, razors etc. That also may be key to its effect - the very fact it is different - think hi vis/flavour single hookbaits from your carping experience - carp pick them out despite/because of them being very different from the other freebies. Maybe?
I encourage everyone to think and experiment for themselves and most importantly get to understand the cycles of tides/weather/season that ultimately dictate the chances of success as well as best methods, baits, marks etc. It's all intertwined in my mind. Go fishing more when conditions are good and inevitably you will do better than the 'see you here next Saturday' brigade. Most of all enjoy your fishing and being outdoors. The very best thing about Blackpool is putting it behind you and standing by/in the sea staring at the sea/sky/stars looking out for a twitch on a rod tip!
 
Topwater said:
Most anglers generally start off wanting to catch a fish, then a few fish, then bigger fish, then their own angling targets etc. Once you've had truck loads of rays, dogs, pin whiting and flatties over decades they do become a bit of a nuisance Steve - or at least to me they have, though I understand we are all different and want different things from our fishing. I can only comment on how I see it. As you know I don't get the 'more rods/hooks the better, scratching for a bite, anything to save a blank' mentality. Nor do I understand those that only ever fish HW out of the back of their car on the Gynn - they are missing out on the cream of the sport (and 'great outdoors experience') in my book. But each to their own. I do what I can to catch my target species and take blanks as just part of the game - a lot like the weather! I know that fish baits will inevitably attract what are to me 'nuisance' species on the marks I fish so I avoid them. I try to stack the odds in my favour with good sized locally collected baits on big hooks because invariably I'm fishing for bass or codling. Of course I still get dogs, stripped by pins or crab etc etc but I'm certainly not fishing for them!

Regarding rag I will use it off the boat and it can pay dividends at times. It's certainly handy for the tackle trade as it's farmed and readily available irrespective of weather and season. That in some ways breeds it's success perhaps - it's fresh, live and people use it and catch on it so it gains popularity? It's certainly not commonly found in the wild here on the Fylde as we just don't have the environment for it - 99.5% sand = lug worm city with cockles, clams, razors etc. That also may be key to its effect - the very fact it is different - think hi vis/flavour single hookbaits from your carping experience - carp pick them out despite/because of them being very different from the other freebies. Maybe?
I encourage everyone to think and experiment for themselves and most importantly get to understand the cycles of tides/weather/season that ultimately dictate the chances of success as well as best methods, baits, marks etc. It's all intertwined in my mind. Go fishing more when conditions are good and inevitably you will do better than the 'see you here next Saturday' brigade. Most of all enjoy your fishing and being outdoors. The very best thing about Blackpool is putting it behind you and standing by/in the sea staring at the sea/sky/stars looking out for a twitch on a rod tip!
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Thanks mate, really helpful and yes, I agree entirely with your sentiments about progressing from wanting to catch a fish to being selective.

Even after only a month or so i am already keen to target some better fish, consistent with my coarse angling "genes". I have friends who happily sit all day catching 1oz roach and whilst the odd day doing that can be enjoyable (and good in a match), soon get bored and want to try for something better. Yes, blanks or slow days follow sometimes but fishing isn't just about catching as you say.

I enjoyed my day at Cleveleys on the beach far more than those on the Gynn and don't like how busy it is there (although everyone is friendly). Admit I do fish just hw at the moment but thats just because I don't know the beach well enough to be confident at lw, given the speed of the flood.

I might try rag but was surprised when it was recommended as, like you mention, its definitely not a natural bait on our beaches!
 
Walk out and explore the beach at LW and note (or even better map) the bits of rough, gullies, sand banks etc etc. It's these areas you'll be fishing over on the flood. Check the ground you can reach with a cast and specifically target chosen areas over your HW sessions. The topography is almost constantly changing, even if only slightly, with each big tide set and especially after storms.
Take particular note of the areas like Cleveleys where you can get cut off from behind by a flooding channel/gully and have an escape plan in your mind before you don the chest waders and take a rod out there. Best to go with someone experienced the 1st time or two until you get comfortable with it, but actually if you are caught out there late you can walk off safely at 45° heading south most years depending on how the ground has changed. It's those that try and wade directly back to shore and through the flooding channel that get in trouble!
 
Great report, well done on the rays?
 
Great session there pal, makes me want to get out there! I’ve had hounds on rag, usually smaller ones, as most have said, peeler is the one. I generally use frozen peeler, but fresh does seem to have the edge.
 
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