ouchthathurt
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 15, 2021
- Messages
- 2,910
- Reaction score
- 12,462
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Hastings East Sussex
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
Morning all, having had the opportunity to nip to the tackle shop yesterday, i thought it rude not to pick up some bait, so 30 fresh lug found themselves coming home with me. Last night I couldn’t decide whether I could be bothered to get up early or fish the later tide, but I thought I’d set the alarm for 5am and see how I felt. Now in the end, I woke up at 0445 needing a wee, so I thought I may as well chuck the fishing clothes on and head down the beach. I got on the mark at about 0515 and stood on the sea wall, where the hell was the sea?? My father in law had told me that it was an extremely long spring tide, but this was much further out than expected. I clambered down the shingle and over the rocky reef onto the sand, and in the torchlight I could see a second reef made up of blue clay and boulders that aren’t usually exposed! I set up both rods with 2 hook clipped down rigs baited with lug. Wading out up to my knees I chucked both rods long in the search for a bit of depth. I realised that where my tripod stood is right in front of a gulley that I get most of my bites from - when there’s water covering it that is! As I was sorting out some seating arrangements, I noted the hoards of bait diggers descending onto the beach. I glanced back at the rods to see the right one ease over and fall slack. A quick retrieve and a tussle in the edge produced bass no 1 in only 10mins! 
This raised my confidence no end, so as he was lightly hooked, I took a quick pic and let him go. As the last hour of the ebb dropped away, the bites dried up, so rather than waste baits on shallow, empty water, I retrieved both rods and spent half hour or so tying up new traces and baiting them for when the flood began in earnest. The sea was soon heading towards me, so I chucked the right one long and the left one short. The bites didn’t materialise for another 30-4mins, time punctuated by me rebaiting and recasting, but the short rod eventually registered bass no 2 - all 8” of him… he was quickly released to grow bigger and wiser, and the rods rebaited and chucked long again. Now the tide was flooding nicely and the sun was truly up, so too it seems was the wife, as she appeared on the beach with dog in tow. As I was fussing over the dog, wifey pointed out that the right hand rod was rattling, I looked up in time to see the tip fall slack. Another few minutes of pumping a heavy weight into the shore resulted in bass no 3. 
This one was also lip hooked, so was given its freedom. Father in law wasn’t too pleased, he does like fresh bass! Wifey then left me to it, so I went to rebait when someone called my name, here was father in law walking his dogs. After a few mins chat, he left me to it, where I retrieved both rods to find another bass on the left hand rod. Bass no 4!
angry lil thing he was too, he was soon slipped back. By now, the tide had pushed me back onto the reef, and the weed had increased to the point it was becoming irritating. The deeper water meant the little surf there had been was now gone and it was rather flat. So I decided it was time to head home. Now doing DIY! ?
This raised my confidence no end, so as he was lightly hooked, I took a quick pic and let him go. As the last hour of the ebb dropped away, the bites dried up, so rather than waste baits on shallow, empty water, I retrieved both rods and spent half hour or so tying up new traces and baiting them for when the flood began in earnest. The sea was soon heading towards me, so I chucked the right one long and the left one short. The bites didn’t materialise for another 30-4mins, time punctuated by me rebaiting and recasting, but the short rod eventually registered bass no 2 - all 8” of him… he was quickly released to grow bigger and wiser, and the rods rebaited and chucked long again. Now the tide was flooding nicely and the sun was truly up, so too it seems was the wife, as she appeared on the beach with dog in tow. As I was fussing over the dog, wifey pointed out that the right hand rod was rattling, I looked up in time to see the tip fall slack. Another few minutes of pumping a heavy weight into the shore resulted in bass no 3. This one was also lip hooked, so was given its freedom. Father in law wasn’t too pleased, he does like fresh bass! Wifey then left me to it, so I went to rebait when someone called my name, here was father in law walking his dogs. After a few mins chat, he left me to it, where I retrieved both rods to find another bass on the left hand rod. Bass no 4!angry lil thing he was too, he was soon slipped back. By now, the tide had pushed me back onto the reef, and the weed had increased to the point it was becoming irritating. The deeper water meant the little surf there had been was now gone and it was rather flat. So I decided it was time to head home. Now doing DIY! ?
