Catch fish with Mike Ladle.

Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

Information Page

SEA FISHING

For anyone unfamiliar with the site always check the FRESHWATER, SALTWATER and TACK-TICS pages. The Saltwater page now extends back as a record of over several years of (mostly) sea fishing and may be a useful guide as to when to fish. The Freshwater stuff is also up to date now. I keep adding to both. These pages are effectively my diary and the latest will usually be about fishing in the previous day or two. As you see I also add the odd piece from my friends and correspondents if I've not been doing much. The Tactics pages which are chiefly 'how I do it' plus a bit of science are also updated regularly and (I think) worth a read (the earlier ones are mostly tackle and 'how to do it' stuff).

04 May 2006

Persistence pays off.

My first couple of attempts to catch bass in April were (as reported) dismal failures. Anyway, as the end of the month approached my pal Ben rang and asked if I fancied an early morning trip. I said yes of course.

It was a lovely morning, more or less flat calm and quite warm. Ben picked me up at 04.20 hr and we were fishing by about quarter to five - still in the gloom. The spot that we tried first is normally very consistent but this time - no bites! Neither of us had anything resembling a take in the first half hour (usually the prime time). We moved on and tried the nearby tide race - nothing! (apart, that is, from a disused computer monitor - even the flotsam and jetsam is hi-tech these days). Round to a mixed shore of sand and boulders - nothing! Back to the tide race - again nothing! By now the sun was well up and it promised to be a lovely day. As we walked back we decided to have a last cast or two into the spot where we had started. On about the fifth cast my rod pulled over and I was into a bass. Was I surprised?

The fish splashed and struggled but it was no match for the line and I soon had it on the beach. About three pounds I estimated but should have been nearer four if it had been in good fat condition. we had a few more casts but nothing else showed so we went home for breakfast.

The same evening I went with Nigel to another spot a couple of miles along the shore from where I had the bass in the morning. We were both armed with fly rods and spinning rods - just in case. We were a bit early as this particular place tends to produce best within half-an-hour 0f high water. Nevertheless, shortly after we started I had a small bass on the plug. After that it was pretty quiet for a while so we began to make our way back. However, as the 'witching hour' (high tide and dusk) approached I missed a bite then I had another couple of bass. All in all not a bad evening.

If you have any comments or questions about fish, methods, tactics or 'what have you.'get in touch with me by sending an E-MAIL to - docladle@hotmail.com

Rubbish!

It used to be just plastic bottles and bits of old netting on the beach - now it's computers.  Do monitors float?

Ben.

Ben flogged away to no avail on the morning we went but two days later he landed a nice bass.

Early morning bass.

Look how thin it is.  Spawned and with an empty stomach I would guess.

Detail.

Note the loop attachment for the plug and the fact that the fish is (unusually) hooked on the tail treble.