Mr Fish
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2020
- Messages
- 19,079
- Reaction score
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- 116
- Location
- North Devon
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
I was planning to fish with @Christurner on Sunday night at a North Devon bass beach, but when we saw the 40mph winds forecast it was hastily rescheduled for tonight.
Much lighter winds and even a dry spell forecast for most of the evening.
Unfortunately the poor lad messaged me an hour later to say he was firing from both ends, the result of a weeks family holiday with kids passing on bugs.
I don’t think my suggestion of taking two spare buckets went down too well (?) and for obvious reasons he didn’t want to be trapped in a pair of waders when Versuvious went off ???
By that point I’d talked myself into going so headed down on my todd.
Low tide was 8.23pm and on such a small neap, it was likely the fishing window would be about 7-11.
I didn’t rush and was down there by about 7.30. I had been aiming at 6.30!
Anyway, lovely big surf, pushing up the beach so I had to set up a fair way back from it.
Out went a double squid to the left and half a bluey to the right, and I’d barely poured my first coffee when I noticed the squid rod was slack and nodding around.
Shit! Whack! Nothing
Maybe weird surf movement like last night but it sure looked like a bite.
Not long after it did it again and this time there was a bit of weight there. I walked down/wound down to the waters edge (this is the trouble when set far back, you need to get to the water to land the fish but you’ve also got to walk down winding in as you go and trying to stay in touch with the fish).
After all that it was a dog. And it plopped off as I drew it towards me.
Good stuff, saved me a job.
I was sorting out a spare trace when I looked up and the bluey rod was bent double and nodding away.
Shit! Whack!
Well, there was something with a fair bit of weight on there, not much kick though.
I duck walked down towards the surf again and felt the damn thing come off about 10 yards out.
Double shit!
Then as I was baiting up again, I realised my bait elastic had disappeared from the tripod. Looked everywhere but it had either blown away or dropped out my pocket while I was fannying around.
I had SOME spare but it’s very fine and there wasn’t much left.
That’s okay, I have some more in my rig wallet…
Triple shit!!! I forgot to put the rig wallet back when I sorted my box out earlier.
Now squid, MAYBE I could just about get away with no elastic, but bluey absolutely needs it.
So counting every inch of elastic, I prayed the dwindling spool would last.
I could see it was going to be one of THOSE nights… ???
Starry starry night…
In amongst all this I landed my first dogfish. Wahoo.
Things settled a bit and soon I had my first bass - a pound if that, scoffed half a bluey and two 6/0.
It all looked pretty deep but I managed to cut the second hook free from the bait, then saw the first had come out below its gills.
At first it looked hopeless but there was no blood and I saw I could gently draw the hook out.
He went back looking a bit traumatised but he swam away.
Between rebaiting and casting out I made periodic sweeps for the lost bait elastic.
Had another dog. We’ve all seen dogs before…
Returning from a final hopeful elastic sweep. Could it be? Could it possibly be?? Yes! Yes! Yes!!!
It was about 50 yards away and looking none the worse for its adventure.
Thank the feckin lord!
The demons had been exorcised and all was right with the world!
The angels fluttered down and my reward was a good yank on the bluey rod.
Whack! NOW we’re getting somewhere!
As with the previous lost fish, it didn’t kick much, but when I got to the surf line, there was a bar of silver coming towards me.
I’m guessing in that churning surf it’s harder to feel the fight.
Anyway… whack! Whack!! Whack!!!
I decided I’d only keep the one and put any further fish back. Oh, 2lb 14 when I weighed it later.
The fishing gods heard me make my conservation pledge and promptly rewarded me with no more bites for an hour.
Oh, probably had a dog… or two ?
The gully at the back of the beach has become a bit deeper and usually once the sea gets there, it’s game over as it fills damn quick.
More so tonight (I thought) as some big surges were coming up 100 yards easily.
So took stock and put my last two halves of bluey on both rods - I figured that would be about it.
It was a little quiet for awhile then the right hand rod nodded a bit and went RIGHT over.
Whack!!!
(Btw, when I strike I lock the reel spool with one hand and run backwards at the same time, to set the hook.
Sounds daft but you usually only get one chance with bass and there’s a lot of line and slack out on a flat surf beach, even though the line might appear to be very tight.)
Anyway, did the usual duck walk/wind, keep in touch with the fish routine as I inched towards the water and this one had a bit of weight to it. Still not really kicking though.
Not until it got into the shallows anyway!
It was a bass and a much better one.
It was even trying to use a wave to swim away from me in six inches of water, but we weren’t having any of THAT nonsense and I drew it up on to the sand.
I was thinking 6lb but got a quick photo and then put it on the scales, sling and all.
That went 6lb 8 and the sling weighs a pound, or just under, so 5lb 8 it was.
It was all a bit rough and ready in the wind but that was certainly somewhere near.
I wouldn’t have minded a selfie but although I’d set up a tripod, I didn’t really want to keep it out too long, so put it straight back.
Glad I bought that Rapala unhooking mat/sling, good bit of kit.
Keeps the sand off the fish plus once weighed you carry it back in the sling so minimal handling.
And for a bit of scale…
That’s me knees…
I decided I’d pack up that rod as the bluey was gone anyway.
As I did so, the other rod went over. Not quite such a big bite but still decent.
It was scrappy too, but turned out to be about 2lb. I put it back too.
I had a little squid left but felt that would do, as usually on this beach you’re swimming pretty quickly once the water hits a certain line.
So gathered everything up and headed for drier ground to scale and gut the bass.
As it turned out, the small tide absolutely inched up the gully and I could have fished through there quite easily during what is usually the best time.
Something to try another day on another neap, at least with one rod.
Sorry for the essay, I was feeling whimsical after banishing those demons and getting the angels on side!
Much lighter winds and even a dry spell forecast for most of the evening.
Unfortunately the poor lad messaged me an hour later to say he was firing from both ends, the result of a weeks family holiday with kids passing on bugs.
I don’t think my suggestion of taking two spare buckets went down too well (?) and for obvious reasons he didn’t want to be trapped in a pair of waders when Versuvious went off ???
By that point I’d talked myself into going so headed down on my todd.
Low tide was 8.23pm and on such a small neap, it was likely the fishing window would be about 7-11.
I didn’t rush and was down there by about 7.30. I had been aiming at 6.30!
Anyway, lovely big surf, pushing up the beach so I had to set up a fair way back from it.
Out went a double squid to the left and half a bluey to the right, and I’d barely poured my first coffee when I noticed the squid rod was slack and nodding around.
Shit! Whack! Nothing
Maybe weird surf movement like last night but it sure looked like a bite.
Not long after it did it again and this time there was a bit of weight there. I walked down/wound down to the waters edge (this is the trouble when set far back, you need to get to the water to land the fish but you’ve also got to walk down winding in as you go and trying to stay in touch with the fish).
After all that it was a dog. And it plopped off as I drew it towards me.
Good stuff, saved me a job.
I was sorting out a spare trace when I looked up and the bluey rod was bent double and nodding away.
Shit! Whack!
Well, there was something with a fair bit of weight on there, not much kick though.
I duck walked down towards the surf again and felt the damn thing come off about 10 yards out.
Double shit!
Then as I was baiting up again, I realised my bait elastic had disappeared from the tripod. Looked everywhere but it had either blown away or dropped out my pocket while I was fannying around.
I had SOME spare but it’s very fine and there wasn’t much left.
That’s okay, I have some more in my rig wallet…
Triple shit!!! I forgot to put the rig wallet back when I sorted my box out earlier.
Now squid, MAYBE I could just about get away with no elastic, but bluey absolutely needs it.
So counting every inch of elastic, I prayed the dwindling spool would last.
I could see it was going to be one of THOSE nights… ???
Starry starry night…
In amongst all this I landed my first dogfish. Wahoo.
Things settled a bit and soon I had my first bass - a pound if that, scoffed half a bluey and two 6/0.
It all looked pretty deep but I managed to cut the second hook free from the bait, then saw the first had come out below its gills.
At first it looked hopeless but there was no blood and I saw I could gently draw the hook out.
He went back looking a bit traumatised but he swam away.
Between rebaiting and casting out I made periodic sweeps for the lost bait elastic.
Had another dog. We’ve all seen dogs before…
Returning from a final hopeful elastic sweep. Could it be? Could it possibly be?? Yes! Yes! Yes!!!
It was about 50 yards away and looking none the worse for its adventure.
Thank the feckin lord!
The demons had been exorcised and all was right with the world!
The angels fluttered down and my reward was a good yank on the bluey rod.
Whack! NOW we’re getting somewhere!
As with the previous lost fish, it didn’t kick much, but when I got to the surf line, there was a bar of silver coming towards me.
I’m guessing in that churning surf it’s harder to feel the fight.
Anyway… whack! Whack!! Whack!!!
I decided I’d only keep the one and put any further fish back. Oh, 2lb 14 when I weighed it later.
The fishing gods heard me make my conservation pledge and promptly rewarded me with no more bites for an hour.
Oh, probably had a dog… or two ?
The gully at the back of the beach has become a bit deeper and usually once the sea gets there, it’s game over as it fills damn quick.
More so tonight (I thought) as some big surges were coming up 100 yards easily.
So took stock and put my last two halves of bluey on both rods - I figured that would be about it.
It was a little quiet for awhile then the right hand rod nodded a bit and went RIGHT over.
Whack!!!
(Btw, when I strike I lock the reel spool with one hand and run backwards at the same time, to set the hook.
Sounds daft but you usually only get one chance with bass and there’s a lot of line and slack out on a flat surf beach, even though the line might appear to be very tight.)
Anyway, did the usual duck walk/wind, keep in touch with the fish routine as I inched towards the water and this one had a bit of weight to it. Still not really kicking though.
Not until it got into the shallows anyway!
It was a bass and a much better one.
It was even trying to use a wave to swim away from me in six inches of water, but we weren’t having any of THAT nonsense and I drew it up on to the sand.
I was thinking 6lb but got a quick photo and then put it on the scales, sling and all.
That went 6lb 8 and the sling weighs a pound, or just under, so 5lb 8 it was.
It was all a bit rough and ready in the wind but that was certainly somewhere near.
I wouldn’t have minded a selfie but although I’d set up a tripod, I didn’t really want to keep it out too long, so put it straight back.
Glad I bought that Rapala unhooking mat/sling, good bit of kit.
Keeps the sand off the fish plus once weighed you carry it back in the sling so minimal handling.
And for a bit of scale…
That’s me knees…
I decided I’d pack up that rod as the bluey was gone anyway.
As I did so, the other rod went over. Not quite such a big bite but still decent.
It was scrappy too, but turned out to be about 2lb. I put it back too.
I had a little squid left but felt that would do, as usually on this beach you’re swimming pretty quickly once the water hits a certain line.
So gathered everything up and headed for drier ground to scale and gut the bass.
As it turned out, the small tide absolutely inched up the gully and I could have fished through there quite easily during what is usually the best time.
Something to try another day on another neap, at least with one rod.
Sorry for the essay, I was feeling whimsical after banishing those demons and getting the angels on side!
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