Bass Guiding and Species Hunting

After my last blog I had an email from Carl asking for some guidance for himself and mate Glyn on fishing for bass. Neither had caught one before but after success a couple of weeks before I was pretty confident of getting them into some fish. We got down to the mark and set up in plenty of time, although not quite where I first hoped to be. I wasn't expecting much for the first hour or so but that gave me enough time to go through different rigs, preparing baits and approaching different marks for bass, as although they turn up anywhere, almost every mark requires different tactics.

Once the guys were happy preparing crab baits themselves, and negotiating the pincers of some lively ragworm we were able to fish hard, in the hope that with more bait fish around, the bigger fish would start to move through the channel.

Glyn broke his duck early on and followed it up with the first doggie I've seen at this mark, while Carl was having a bit of a harder time, finding snags on more than one occasion, fish coming off in the weed, and bites not developing past the initial rattle. We weren't going to leave until he had one though, so we swapped a big pennel rig for a 3 hook flapper. The change of tactics did the trick and Carl's first bass was landed. Despite steady knocks for the next couple of casts no more fish came and with it getting very late the guys decided it was time to call it a day. Although my own expectations for the session weren't met with the bigger fish again failing to show, the guys were incredibly chuffed to get their first bass a piece, and now they've broke the ice I'm sure more will follow for them.

A couple of days later I decided to revisit the mark, this time using lures to try and tease out a bigger fish. I covered a lot more ground than usual, with the smaller tide the fish wouldn't be as concentrated in the channels so I would have to go looking for them. The improvised patch over my waders just holding the water at bay I was out waist deep, fanning casts out from several spots. It was one of those perfect still, silent nights until a fish broke the surface with a mighty swirl off to my left. I speed retrieved my lure to hit the same spot, only to realise that fish had probably already made an attempt on my lure! Safe to say it didn't return! There was another couple of swirls but I was starting to get frustrated with the lack of hook ups so made my way back the way I came. A change to a more flashy lure did the trick after a few casts I had a hook up. There wasn't much fight but I took it steady until a schoolie about 3/4lb, not much bigger than the lure was on the bank. This was followed by two more the same size. With the feeling that the bigger bass weren't going to show again I made a move, but happy to get my first on a lure this year.

Monster tides at the beginning all this week made planning a bit tricky, but on Monday me and Paul headed out early doors, starting out after bass on the lures before trying for garfish. The water was perfect at our fish mark, just a bit more swell than I would have liked but clarity was good and I was optimistic to say the least. I fished hard as the sun rose, chopping and changing lures but nothing seemed to be happening. As Paul arrived I saw a follow from a fish 1-2lb size and Paul had a follow not long after but still nothing positive. I swapped over to fish a crab bait for a couple of casts and instantly had a series of short rattles. The culprits were confirmed as mirco schoolies again with one hanging off a 2/0 hook and bait nearly as big as it!

We decided to make a move, trying to catch the best part of the tide for garfish. Unfortunately were were already a little late in the tide and no amount of ground bait, lures or bubble floated mackerel strips could tempt them out of the deeper water. The persistent wind in our faces adding chop on the water I feel definitely didn't help. Paul moved to the Straits while I went home for a while and met up with him again later on, but I found myself leaving at what would have been the best time to be fishing.

The next day was another early start, this time back on the rocks trying to get into the rays again and have a little species bash close in. A gnarly swell pushed me away from the ledge I wanted to be on but the higher ledges were safe and I could still fish close without losing too much gear. Action on the big rods was none existent, with just a single doggie. I put this down to the water being so clear and also the May bloom of algae choking the water of oxygen.

With the action far out so slow, I concentrated on bumping up my species count. A couple of ballan wrasse were the first to come, followed by the biggest tompot blenny I've ever seen. Even the action close in was steady so I moved position over a gulley in an effort to tempt further bites. One drop I thought I was snagged on some seaweed so pulled up slightly. There was a bit of weight on I pulled up and there was a fish on. At first glance below I thought it was another ballan but as I lifted it out I was gobsmacked that I had a tadpole fish hanging from the line. Its a fish I've wanted to catch, but had like idea where to start tracking one down, to be effectively handed one like that was a definite bonus! I added a couple of shannies, but I was still riding the high of the tadpole fish.

I made a quick visit to Holyhead Breakwater that day as well, but very clear water and the algal bloom seemed to have put off most of the fish. 3 corkwing wrasse for my efforts saw me return to the rocks, I felt like there was a ray or two out there but time was not on my side and I had to leave before the potentially best time. However theres plenty of time for rays this year, I'll probably never see another tadpole.

At the beginning of the week I had an email from Chris who was keen on some bass lure fishing guidance. After speaking on the phone I felt Chris had plenty of experience lure fishing, and had even fished the mark I was going to take him during the week with some success, but was after a little more local knowledge. We met Friday morning and what a morning it was! Barely a breath of wind, clear skies, sunshine, and the bass were feeding! Most were the seemingly ever present schoolies but he did manage a better fish of 3-4lb which looked great fun on the light trout rod. It was a pleasure to fish that morning with Chris, sharing ideas, techniques, marks, and a few fish; all before most people leave for work in the morning. What its all about and why I started this venture!

It been a little while...

So I haven't blogged in a couple of months, partly because of a lack of time, partly because there hasn't been much to write about. In those months we've had the beast from the east, which seemed to kill the fishing at the usual marks for this time of year. Post beast I was looking forward to a bonanza but the water temperatures have been slow to pick up, but there has been some excellent ray fishing for those that have been able to time it right and get on the marks when the wind and swell have allowed. 

I managed 1 thornback in that time, but most of my sessions recently have been geared towards bagging an early spotted ray, bass on the lures or finding suitable conger marks. Needless to say those missions have been pretty fruitless though I feel I have learnt a great deal about marks I thought I already knew.

I took a couple of weeks off to tie rigs and prepare for a client session at the weekend just gone. Kyle and Ben were after bass and I was confident I would be able to get them amongst the fish, the question was whether they would be the size I was hoping for. The week before I spent several tides out looking for precious peeler, eventually getting around 20, though most were softies that I froze down to keep them in the best condition. We arrived at the mark in good time, the plan to target flatfish for the first hour and a half before going hard for the bass on the flood. Surprisingly Kyle had a decent bite on his second cast and a schoolie was soon on the beach. Things went pretty quiet for the next couple of hours so I covered a few marks near to where the guys stay on the island. Frustratingly the time I thought we would get the bigger bass came and went
with no interest but as the tide pushed the smaller schoolies came back on the feed. While nothing was over 1/2 lb the guys had plenty of bites for the last hour and by which point were used to baiting up crab, the key bait as we move towards summer.

Tuesday just gone there was a little break in the wind so it was time to make the most of it and get back on the rays. I was sceptical how many would be around but it was a case of get out, catch and get home again, size and number didn't really matter. It was a long day, covering two marks. the first of which bites were hard to come by but changing up the rigs, baits and distance I managed to tempt a few whiting before a dab and a bonus plaice added variety.




Onto mark number two! I got there early enough to secure a decent ledge but I took it steady to begin with, fishing just one rod in an effort to conserve my limited sandeel bait supply. The flapper rigs were bringing in double and trebles of whiting and doggies, and after having a whiting savaged on the hook it went straight back out, resulting in a decent bull huss. As night fell I switched up a gear going two rods out for rays at the best time of the tide. Two guys came and set up above me and just as they did I had a good slack liner. I could feel the "kite like" resistance of a ray and sure enough with not too much fuss a small thornback popped out of the swell.

The doggies were causing a nuisance by this point, and I though it was another one, only staying deep. As it turned out it was a bonus spotted ray. I though I might get one at my first mark but to get it on the species count early was a big plus. I missed a couple of decent slack liners which it unusual for me but happy with getting my targets and kicking off the species hunt competition I packed in. The forecast wind had started to increase and while the swell was manageable white caps on the waves were beginning to form. Not a manic days fishing but good variety and happy to be back amongst the fish!

13/2/18

So the weather is doing its best lately to clobber most of my fishing plans, and when its not the weather, its the forecasts making conditions out to be a lot worse than they actually are!

Previous to Tuesday I headed out with the intention of trying for codling on the north coast. The forecast was for the wind to veer round to north easterly, therefore making the west coast fishable, but still with a reasonable surf. At least its more comfortable with the wind on your back than in your face. However after driving between two marks and managing a single cast it was obvious that the change in wind had knocked the surf right off, definitely not what I hoped for! I decided to go back to my original plan and headed up north as at least I would still get a couple of hours over high tide. With the wind and the surf coming onto the beach it wasn't the easiest of sessions but at least I could get a line out and I felt more optimistic about catching. The codling didn't show but the rods were kept busy with whiting, regularly coming in as doubles. After all the driving I was more than happy just to be out and catching something!

Onto Tuesday! Again the weather was causing havoc with the planning! Eventually I settled on having a flattie bash around the Straits, before moving to the east coast out of the forecast wind to try for conger. I dug a decent amount of lugworm the day before but unfortunately I didn't get hold of any ragworm before my session. I prefer to have both, incase the fish aren't interested in one on the day.

I wasn't going to let that stop me though, so I made my way to the mark. The wind dropped for the 2 or 3 hours I was in the Straits and the water in front of me was like a mill pond. With sporadic sunshine it finally felt like spring was just around the corner. As I got set up I noticed an empty crab shell and a quick rummage around the seaweed I managed to find two peeler crab. They are like gold dust this time of year so they went in the bucket and all of a sudden my optimism lifted. In the end I threw all manner of baits and rigs in various combinations out and had just a single pull down on a piece of fresh crab.

With no sign of any flatties as the tide increased I stuck on a single big piece of crab as a last throw of the dice. It didn't take long to attract interest but it took a couple of minutes of small knocks before I got the solid thump I was waiting for. A tentative fight began, the fish pretty sluggish in the cold water combined with me being very gentle so not to lose it, but I had the upper had with it soon on the surface. It was safely on dry land now, the first proper bass of the year. Not a monster by any stretch but at about 2 and a 1/2 pounds it was bigger than any bass I've caught this early in the years previous. A couple of photos and it was away again. I had a second last cast with just lugworm and as I thought there was not interest in it, some marks only crab will do and this is one of them.

The East coast was beckoning, so after a quick stop at the takeaway I rolled up to the second mark of the day, where hopefully I would be free of lobster pots unlike last time. Despite looking promising there was very little happening, baits were being ravaged every cast and as the tide run picked up I discovered the culprits were pin whiting. Big or small baits, long or short casts nothing more toothy could be tempted out for dinner. Again I feel the forecasts did me out of going to a more productive mark, with the scheduled 20mph or so winds not feeling anything like that while I was out on the rocks. Still, it gives me a feel of what it would be like, and should those winds be forecast again, I  can make a better judgement of where to fish.

The Grand Tour - Anglesey Style

So this was my long slog of a day on Tuesday just gone. The weather forecasts and the tides on the day didn't lend themselves to anything inspiring to fish for, however after opting to stay in two previous days I had to get out there.

Initially my plan was to head to Amlwch over high water in the morning for some mini species. This changed quickly when I realised the high tide was earlier than I thought it would be. I could have tried it on the ebb but instead opted to try for herring from Holyhead breakwater. The spinning rod and sabiki's were packed and I was off up the A55. I was sceptical about how the wind would affect things, having tried a few times before for herring only to arrive with the wind blowing up a chop on the water, and therefore driving the shoal out of casting range.

As I arrived they was a fella just leaving. He'd been feathering away for a couple of hours for herring and just had the one, reckoning it was better for them over high water. This didn't fill me with confidence at all but I was here now, and wasn't leaving before my evening session. Thankfully conditions were slightly in my favour, the swell and chop were minimal despite the steadily increasing wind, and the water looked reasonably clear. After a bit of a stomp I pitched up by the second bend, reasoning I the wind was more on my back than from the side, and the water being slightly deeper.

I cut down a long sabiki rig to carry just two feathers and started lobbing it out on my spinning rod. Its a shame they don't make these on 40-60lb line so you can give them a real good whack out on a beachcaster, as I think the light weights restricted my casting distance in the wind. I'd moved up and down a few yards from my gear, thinking it was a waste of time, and also remembering the last time I tried this I ended up getting whiting on the feathers.

Out of knowhere I felt the tap-tap of a fish pulling back. It wasn't big, several times I though I had lost it on the retrieve, and coming a relatively long way out made me think it was a whiting. I remained pessimistic until it was on the surface. Its flanks shining much brighter than any whiting I'd seen it was a herring! I held my breath as I brought it up the wall and let out a big sign of relief when I got it on the deck. Success! Quick photo to capture the brilliant colours of the fish and it was back in the water, being on the small side.

Still with time left on the breakwater I carried on with the feathers to prove it wasn't a fluke. Lo and behold a few casts later at the same spot the rod bent round again. This time two herring! Almost as if it was easy now! The chance of adding a bit of variety to the day was beckoning so I tried using tiny pieces of lug on the feathers and dropping them close to the wall. Unfortunately the dropping tide had exposed most of the rocks that line the wall and the mini species had gone into hiding. Given ragworm on a summers day it would have been a different outcome. A few last casts with the feathers on the way back along the breakwater resulted in the surprise catch of the day, a mackerel, before I was off to my second mark.

Point Lynas can be quite exposed, with the headland sticking out off the top of Anglesey but usually provides shelter in South Westerly winds. As I came over the coast road I could see the sea was fairly flat and I had made the right choice to head this way. I got down onto the mark that has produced for me and Paul in the past, but usually at night. I had another issue in that four lobster pot buoys were sitting in front of where I would be casting. To begin with the buoys were out of my casting range so I was happy to fire out a couple of baits. That was until the tide began to turn and the buoys started moving around on their ropes. Swinging maybe 40 metres away from where they began, now putting them in casting range. After nearly losing a full set of gear to one of the pots I decided to pack up. The swell had increased slightly and it would be better to avoid the frustration of hooking pot ropes all evening. I nearly went for another ledge nearby but instead with a bucket of fresh lug went back around the coast road, the other way, to the Straits to tempt a codling or two (hopefully!).

I revisited Moel-y-don, despite it not having really fished very well recently I would give it a try as this time I would be fishing the flood, not the ebb. Arriving to the full force of the south westerlies, everything felt about 10 degrees cooler than at the north of the island. Crabs were going to be a pain so I rigged up a couple of pop up beads to try and lift the bait above them. In the end I fished for about two hours, it rained, alot (!), its was weedy, and generally a pretty uncomfortable time. However I did get my codling, all 6 inches of it! I did get a whiting late on but by now I was wet through (again!) and just beat a hasty retreat. Until next time, when the cod quest continues.