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).

First bass.

One of my epals, Rob, dropped me an email yesterday and since it relates to bass fishing locally here is the gist of it -

Hi Mike

Hope all is well.

Finally Managed to get out for a session last night after work, when I got to the coast the tide was still a fair way out (4:45).

I walked along past the ledge and all the way to the waterfall at the end, really just to have a look at the beach. There wasn't a lot of weed build up and certainly no signs of fish and I decided to take the long walk back so I could at least have a look at other areas.

When I got back and went the other way I found the usual weed buildup and that was very maggoty but no signs of fish (although the tide was still a bit low at this point). I walked further and saw a few swirls in the first corner you come to. I plugged for a bit and bumped a fish which shot into the air! By this time I figured that it was likely to be mullet feeding on marine lice as there was no obvious sign of surface feeding or maggots. I had a crack with the fly rod and a shrimp imitation I'd buggered about with which produced a couple of follows and one slight take, there were loads of fish in there but my imitation obviously was struggling to fool them. I ended up losing the fly on a back cast so I tried a different type to no avail. Eventually I gave them best and carried on round the beach.

By now the light was starting to fade (18:50) when I started fishing the next bay. I plugged for nearly half an hour with a Maria Angel Kiss. not a bump! As the tide was rising I decided to try a slightly deeper diving lure, so I stuck on the Fakebait. Second cast. Whack! Fish on! I took it fairly slowly doing my best not to lose the fish and managed to beach a beautiful bass easily better than my previous PB - I'm guessing 6lb? (I don't own a scale). Grabbed a couple of picks and put her safely back to fight another day. I fished on until dark with no further action.

Obviously I was well chuffed as I wasn't really expecting anything!

I've attached a couple of pics I figured the info on the mullet might be of use to you. May have a bit more luck with a marine louse imitation (need to get myself some fly tying gear and knock a few up).

As always I've waffled on! If your going out and fancy some company give me a shout am going to try and have a crack nearer to home on the neaps, if conditions allow!

Cheers,

Rob

Well done Rob! After all the hiking and sheer persistence I think he deserved that fish.

Rob's bass!