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).

Tiny fish (but a bass!).

I had two trips to the coast on the same day this week. My first was in the early morning. I was there before first light and after a couple of casts with a big Slandra I packed in. It was blowing hard and the rain seemed to be getting heavier. "**** this for a game of billiards!" was my general feeling so I got back in the car and started for home. I'd only gone about half-a-mile when my pal Bill appeared driving in the opposite direction. We opened the windows for a quick chat and I decided to turn round and give it another go. It was good to have a natter after the long, bassless winter anyway. As it turned out neither of us caught anything although Bill tells me he dropped a fish after I left.

That afternoon another pal, Nigel, rang asking if I fancied fishing. We decided that the tide was about right to try a pre-dusk spinning session and we met at the beach at six o'clock. We hiked along to our mark and on the way we had the chance to catch up with events since our last fishing trip together. Of course I moaned about the prat who's rubbish lost tackle had helped to lose me the big carp a day or two earlier - I was just looking for sympathy I suppose. Anyway, we arrived to find that the sky was overcast and the sea was roughish. A stiff longshore wind was guaranteed to make casting a bit of a problem.

Nigel started off with a good sized plug and I used an 18cm Evo Redgill to combat the wind. We both managed to cast and fish without too much trouble but the last five metres of every retrieve was through weed soup so it meant that the lure had to be cleaned every cast. We flogged away for about half-an-hour and suddenly, much to my surprise, I was in. Clearly the fish was no monster and it was very wriggly on the end of the line, so I was even in doubt as to what it might be. The splash and silver flash soon revealed my catch as a small bass, neatly hooked on the Redgill, so I took its picture before releasing it to fight another day. At this point there was still about half-an-hour to go before high water - the prime time. We began to cast again but soon a glance along the shore showed a thick curtain of rain headed our way. It did not need much discussion before we agreed it was time for the long trek back to our cars to try and avoid a major soaking. We JUST made it in time. So, we never managed to fish the top of the tide but not surprisingly I was pretty pleased with my first bass of the year, on only my second real trip to the sea. Let's hope that there'll be many more for all of us.

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

Me.

Nigel.

Eureka!