Andy 1965
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2020
- Messages
- 370
- Reaction score
- 3,401
- Points
- 93
- Location
- North Wales
- Favourite Fishing
- Lure
After last week’s unsuccessful hunt for silver, I planned to get back on the trail of Congerzilla this week. Unfortunately, with strong winds coming from the North West on Thursday, most of my marks were sadly ruled out 
. Wednesday wasn’t much better, but with slightly lighter winds blowing directly from the West, I decided to fish another beach session instead.
Whereas last week I had taken a risk in fishing a mark which requires the wind from a specific direction to get the best out of it, this time I decided to head for a much more open surf beach, which is exposed to any winds from the South West right through to the North West.
Another advantage of fishing Wednesday over Thursday was the earlier tide, and though I would mostly be fishing the ebb both days, I would at least get the first 90 minutes of the flood by fishing earlier in the week.
With my plans set, I arrived at my chosen mark for 19:30 to find a decent onshore breeze blowing, and out in the darkness I could hear the roar of the surf, perfect! ? A short walk later and I was setting up base camp. To maximise the number of baits in the water, I decided to fish the same tactics with both rods, and each was rigged with a 3-hook flapper, baited with a variety of frozen black lug, squid, razor, sandeel and mackerel. The first rig was cast out to maximum range, in the calmer water beyond the breakers, while my plan was to fish the second rod closer in, unfortunately my plans went to pot straight away, as my line parted on the very first cast, sending my beautifully prepared offerings out into the darkness with no line attached ?.
With no time to waste, I hurriedly prepared another rig, but while I was doing this I just happened to look up at my other rod tip, to see it bouncing around all over the place. What a great start to the session I thought ?, but with 3 baits out in the water there was no great rush to reel in. I finished setting up the second rod again and after making damn sure that the line was running smoothly this time ?, I cast my new rig out into the churning breakers. Once this second rod was safely in the tripod, I turned my attention to the first rod again and after watching it for a minute, to make sure that the fish was still there, I began to reel in. It wasn’t big, but there was definitely a fish on the line and a minute later the blank was beaten, with the first whiting of the session ?.
Pleased to be off the mark so soon, I quickly re-baited and cast out again.
With the tide on the ebb I hadn’t really known what to expect, so I was happy to be into the fish straight away and soon after this I was in again, with whiting number 2. Not the colour of fish I was after, but having really struggled last week I was just glad to be catching.
After this early success, the following cast was uneventful but when the next bit of action did come, it was worth waiting for. It wasn’t a keeper, but I was still happy with a change of species when this plump little codling showed up ?.
When sport eased off again, I took the opportunity for a change of tactics and the flapper rig on one rod was swapped for a pulley dropper. This was then baited with a half a squid and sandeel cocktail, in the hope of a late small eyed ray.
The next hour was quiet, with both rods remaining motionless apart from a rhythmic nodding in time to the waves, but eventually I saw more signs of interest on the small baits. My first thought was another whiting, but I was mistaken and an hour before low water, at my fourth attempt of the year, I finally caught my first bass of 2022. Not a monster by any means but it was small and perfectly formed, and I was chuffed to bits ?.
I was buzzing now and in the knowledge that there were bass about, the rays were temporarily forgotten about as I went all out for silver on both rods. It wasn’t to be though and for the remainder of the ebb, the baits went untouched.
As the tide finally began to flood, there was a brief flurry of activity with bites on both rods, but they only resulted in a couple more whiting. It was around this time though, that I something strange happened.
I was wading out into the surf tables in order to get more distance on my cast, when I spotted something in the water. I immediately recognised it as a whiting and I just assumed that one of those I caught earlier hadn’t survived ?, but as I got closer I could see that rather than just washing around in the surf, it was facing into the waves. That was strange I thought but then I noticed that it was attached to some line, I shone my headlamp into the water and I could see that it was in fact hooked on the rig I lost when I first arrived ?. Sadly the whiting was dead, but at 32cm it was a lot bigger than any of those which I’d caught since.
The last hour of the session was rather quiet again, but I did manage to add another couple of small whiting to my tally before I eventually called it a night at 00:15.
So I’m off the mark on the bass front for another year, with my first ever February catch and I’m hoping now that it’s a good sign for the rapidly approaching season ahead ?.
. Wednesday wasn’t much better, but with slightly lighter winds blowing directly from the West, I decided to fish another beach session instead.Whereas last week I had taken a risk in fishing a mark which requires the wind from a specific direction to get the best out of it, this time I decided to head for a much more open surf beach, which is exposed to any winds from the South West right through to the North West.
Another advantage of fishing Wednesday over Thursday was the earlier tide, and though I would mostly be fishing the ebb both days, I would at least get the first 90 minutes of the flood by fishing earlier in the week.
With my plans set, I arrived at my chosen mark for 19:30 to find a decent onshore breeze blowing, and out in the darkness I could hear the roar of the surf, perfect! ? A short walk later and I was setting up base camp. To maximise the number of baits in the water, I decided to fish the same tactics with both rods, and each was rigged with a 3-hook flapper, baited with a variety of frozen black lug, squid, razor, sandeel and mackerel. The first rig was cast out to maximum range, in the calmer water beyond the breakers, while my plan was to fish the second rod closer in, unfortunately my plans went to pot straight away, as my line parted on the very first cast, sending my beautifully prepared offerings out into the darkness with no line attached ?.
With no time to waste, I hurriedly prepared another rig, but while I was doing this I just happened to look up at my other rod tip, to see it bouncing around all over the place. What a great start to the session I thought ?, but with 3 baits out in the water there was no great rush to reel in. I finished setting up the second rod again and after making damn sure that the line was running smoothly this time ?, I cast my new rig out into the churning breakers. Once this second rod was safely in the tripod, I turned my attention to the first rod again and after watching it for a minute, to make sure that the fish was still there, I began to reel in. It wasn’t big, but there was definitely a fish on the line and a minute later the blank was beaten, with the first whiting of the session ?.
Pleased to be off the mark so soon, I quickly re-baited and cast out again.
With the tide on the ebb I hadn’t really known what to expect, so I was happy to be into the fish straight away and soon after this I was in again, with whiting number 2. Not the colour of fish I was after, but having really struggled last week I was just glad to be catching.
After this early success, the following cast was uneventful but when the next bit of action did come, it was worth waiting for. It wasn’t a keeper, but I was still happy with a change of species when this plump little codling showed up ?.
When sport eased off again, I took the opportunity for a change of tactics and the flapper rig on one rod was swapped for a pulley dropper. This was then baited with a half a squid and sandeel cocktail, in the hope of a late small eyed ray.
The next hour was quiet, with both rods remaining motionless apart from a rhythmic nodding in time to the waves, but eventually I saw more signs of interest on the small baits. My first thought was another whiting, but I was mistaken and an hour before low water, at my fourth attempt of the year, I finally caught my first bass of 2022. Not a monster by any means but it was small and perfectly formed, and I was chuffed to bits ?.
I was buzzing now and in the knowledge that there were bass about, the rays were temporarily forgotten about as I went all out for silver on both rods. It wasn’t to be though and for the remainder of the ebb, the baits went untouched.
As the tide finally began to flood, there was a brief flurry of activity with bites on both rods, but they only resulted in a couple more whiting. It was around this time though, that I something strange happened.
I was wading out into the surf tables in order to get more distance on my cast, when I spotted something in the water. I immediately recognised it as a whiting and I just assumed that one of those I caught earlier hadn’t survived ?, but as I got closer I could see that rather than just washing around in the surf, it was facing into the waves. That was strange I thought but then I noticed that it was attached to some line, I shone my headlamp into the water and I could see that it was in fact hooked on the rig I lost when I first arrived ?. Sadly the whiting was dead, but at 32cm it was a lot bigger than any of those which I’d caught since.
The last hour of the session was rather quiet again, but I did manage to add another couple of small whiting to my tally before I eventually called it a night at 00:15.
So I’m off the mark on the bass front for another year, with my first ever February catch and I’m hoping now that it’s a good sign for the rapidly approaching season ahead ?.
.
