ouchthathurt
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 15, 2021
- Messages
- 2,910
- Reaction score
- 12,462
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Hastings East Sussex
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
With a few days off work, the urge to get the rods out again was starting to bite, so when wifey woke me up at lunch time following a night shift, suggesting we head to the sea front for a walk and an ice cream, who was I to say no?
Whist wandering along the front at Hastings old town, enjoying a banoffee gelato cone in the sunshine with wifey and baby in tow, I somehow (subliminally) ended up right outside the tackle shop! Lord knows how, but he does move in mysterious ways, so who am I to argue with the almighty?? He obviously wants me to fish the next dawns tide! So I wandered in and got a wrap of fresh lug.
Well the following dawn did indeed arrive with a fresh offshore blow and I surfaced ready to do battle with the denizens of the deep - until wifey opened one sleepy eye and reminded me that I was already engaged that morning so fishing was off! I may not argue with the almighty, but wifey will - and win!
Fast forward another 24hrs to this morning, and I once again arose with the pre-dawn light illuminating my way towards my local low water mark. I arrived to find the tide halfway through the ebb and looking flatter than an anorexic dab, my usual bass spot was smooth as glass, so I headed 200yrds up to a gully fronted by a sand bank which would hopefully produce some breakers about 30yrds out when the tide dropped lower.
Both rods were rigged with clipped down rigs and 2/0 hooks, to 4oz grippers set so they would only just grip and trip out easily. Both rods were baited with lug and whacked out into the first gully that ran up to the rocks.
With both rods out, I sat back on my newest purchase, a Sundridge seat box I picked up for a 5er at a boot sale yesterday, why I haven’t got one before, I don’t know, it was so much easier! I settled in and watched the sunrise on an overcast but warm morning. 
Within 15mins, the left hand rod gave a knock before the lead tripped out and dropped back, I tightened into a weight that kited around the rocks acting very bass like, had I broken the blank already? Turned out it wasn’t a bass, but an eel wrapped into a ball in my trace! Meaning I had to cut the trace to bits to free him. Quickly unhooked, the eel was released to swim off. 
By now, the tide had dropped and a sorry looking set of breakers were now surfing over the sandbank. So one rod was repositioned at range and the other was flicked 30yrds into the gully just behind the breakers. 
Both rods by now were baited with freshly pumped lugworm as the beds were now accessible, and the range rod was next to register a bite, dropping back. I walked back until I could feel the weight of the fish and gently lead it to the shore, the fish then decided to run around the first gully about 5yrds out, then came ashore on the tiny wave. This was a nice bass of 52cm, wifeys dinner sorted and target achieved. 
I rebaited the rod and chucked it back out, and watched the seagulls working the surf line when the recast rod gave a few little rattles, so I tightened up and felt a weight that did nothing all the way in. This resulted in a small flounder which was quickly returned. 
There was still an hour or so of the ebb, so decided to reposition both rods just behind the breakers 30yrds out into the gully as it was looking promising. The left rod soon gently eased forward before springing back, so I walked back as i reeled in until I felt the weight of the fish. Another sprightly scrap in the margins, with a silver bar flashing back and forth in front of me, i beached bass no 2 of the session. This one measured 51cm and was unfortunately deep hooked so joined his mate in the fish bag, destined for my fathers fridge. 
Having reached my bag limit, I felt that I had caught enough, so I wrapped up, carried out the ritual of releasing my unused lug and wandered off home.
Whist wandering along the front at Hastings old town, enjoying a banoffee gelato cone in the sunshine with wifey and baby in tow, I somehow (subliminally) ended up right outside the tackle shop! Lord knows how, but he does move in mysterious ways, so who am I to argue with the almighty?? He obviously wants me to fish the next dawns tide! So I wandered in and got a wrap of fresh lug.
Well the following dawn did indeed arrive with a fresh offshore blow and I surfaced ready to do battle with the denizens of the deep - until wifey opened one sleepy eye and reminded me that I was already engaged that morning so fishing was off! I may not argue with the almighty, but wifey will - and win!
Fast forward another 24hrs to this morning, and I once again arose with the pre-dawn light illuminating my way towards my local low water mark. I arrived to find the tide halfway through the ebb and looking flatter than an anorexic dab, my usual bass spot was smooth as glass, so I headed 200yrds up to a gully fronted by a sand bank which would hopefully produce some breakers about 30yrds out when the tide dropped lower.
Both rods were rigged with clipped down rigs and 2/0 hooks, to 4oz grippers set so they would only just grip and trip out easily. Both rods were baited with lug and whacked out into the first gully that ran up to the rocks.
With both rods out, I sat back on my newest purchase, a Sundridge seat box I picked up for a 5er at a boot sale yesterday, why I haven’t got one before, I don’t know, it was so much easier! I settled in and watched the sunrise on an overcast but warm morning. Within 15mins, the left hand rod gave a knock before the lead tripped out and dropped back, I tightened into a weight that kited around the rocks acting very bass like, had I broken the blank already? Turned out it wasn’t a bass, but an eel wrapped into a ball in my trace! Meaning I had to cut the trace to bits to free him. Quickly unhooked, the eel was released to swim off. By now, the tide had dropped and a sorry looking set of breakers were now surfing over the sandbank. So one rod was repositioned at range and the other was flicked 30yrds into the gully just behind the breakers. Both rods by now were baited with freshly pumped lugworm as the beds were now accessible, and the range rod was next to register a bite, dropping back. I walked back until I could feel the weight of the fish and gently lead it to the shore, the fish then decided to run around the first gully about 5yrds out, then came ashore on the tiny wave. This was a nice bass of 52cm, wifeys dinner sorted and target achieved. I rebaited the rod and chucked it back out, and watched the seagulls working the surf line when the recast rod gave a few little rattles, so I tightened up and felt a weight that did nothing all the way in. This resulted in a small flounder which was quickly returned. There was still an hour or so of the ebb, so decided to reposition both rods just behind the breakers 30yrds out into the gully as it was looking promising. The left rod soon gently eased forward before springing back, so I walked back as i reeled in until I felt the weight of the fish. Another sprightly scrap in the margins, with a silver bar flashing back and forth in front of me, i beached bass no 2 of the session. This one measured 51cm and was unfortunately deep hooked so joined his mate in the fish bag, destined for my fathers fridge. Having reached my bag limit, I felt that I had caught enough, so I wrapped up, carried out the ritual of releasing my unused lug and wandered off home.
