Catch fish with Mike Ladle.

Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

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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).

More November bass

What would I do without my good mates? Certainly I'd have a lot less to put on the blog. Both Rob and Bill went fishing last weekend (I couldn't) and here are their tales of late November bass. First Rob -

Morning Mike

Hope you had a good weekend - any fishing??

I popped out with Dad yesterday morning, we arrived nice and early only to find another angler already setting up at his car. I didn't recognize him and he must have pushed right on beyond us, as there was no further sign of him! More lights were coming from the road as we left the car park I half expected to see you wonder round but no more anglers joined us!

After recent reports we figured it would be worth a look, we both started with weedless lures but I soon switched to a plug as the weed wasn't much of an issue. We fished for over an hour without a sniff! I tried several lures in that time interestingly all the plugs fished fine but the Redgill was totally hopeless (obviously the majority of the weed was sitting a foot or two below the surface!).

We had a few throws in the bay before having a crack off the ledge further along. We both fished the sheltered side of the ledge and I pushed up as close to the boulders as I could get, the waves were crashing in a bit but it was safe! We each had a few wrasse bites but nothing of note! I decided to have a couple of last chucks in the breaking waves straight out from the ledge, the water was fizzing as it rolled in over the large submerged rocks. The lure splashed down behind the breaker - a few turns and it was grabbed, the bass breaking the surface as it struck, a decent run followed but I soon had it beaten and used a wave to wash it over the ledge! It was a better fish than I first thought and I estimated about 3lb. I weighed it (I got a set of digi scales for my birthday) and was pleased to see it go 3lb 9! A few pics and back she went. We tried on but that was that, a few chucks on the return walk produced nothing!

It's definitely getting colder. Hopefully it stays mild enough for one more session but that might have been my last bass of the year!

If your heading out (coast or river) and fancy some company let me know.

Speak soon

Rob

Then Bill's trip -

Hi Mike,

Did you get out today?

I fished 11.30 - 15.30. I had a missed bite early on then nothing. So, I worked my way along the boulders and then fished into the next bay. I tried that big mackerel plug I showed you last week (bearing in mind your words big lure, big fish). Early on I saw a swirl and then a shadow behind it, close in, (could have been a garfish but I think it was a bass?) so carried on for a while. I fished with a Redgill for a bit and then decided to head back.

Half way along I was rewarded by a nice 3lb bass, it put a good bend in the new rod and took some line so I was chuffed.

I fished for another half-an-hour or so, had another missed bite and then called it a day. If the weather is OK (the forecast is grim) I expect I'll have one or two early starts next weekend.

All the best

Bill

Clearly they both had enjoyable trips and again I missed out on a nice day. However, that's fishing and I'm hoping to get out again before I go away for Christmas.

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

Rob's 3.9.

It certainly wanted the plug.  Typical of November fish it was in the white water.

Bill's bass.

In nice Autumnal nick.

Redgilled.

Like so many of the fish this year this one took a Pearl Evo Redgill.