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).

I'm Still struggling in the sea.

Last week I went for an early morning session at the coast. When I arrived in the car park my pals Rob and his dad Mike were already there and tackling up. We walked down to the sea together and spaced ourselves out along the rocky ledges to fish. We started by fly fishing and spinning but it was dark and for a while there was nothing doing. Eventually as the sky lightened we started getting a few knocks then Rob had a couple of mackerel and a pollack. At this point neither Mike nor I had caught anything. However, Rob gave me his second mackerel, which was lightly hooked, as a live bait. I progged the fish, which was a good size, on my 8/0 circle hook and set it swimming. Meanwhile my pals continued to spin with wedges or heavy spoons. To cut a long story short my livebait was untouched after a good half-hour of swimming and it was still going strong when I packed in. The others caught several more mackerel and pollack before the sun came up but, in truth, the fishing was slow. Hopefully it will improve as Autumn comes.

Bill Fagg emailed me later that day to say he'd also been fishing on another stretch of the coast. Interestingly as he walked along, round about low water, he'd seen fish tailing really close to the edge over some wrack covered rocks. Now last year Bill and I had seen the same thing happening at the same spot and I'd hooked and lost one of the bass on a soft plastic. This time Bill went one better and he caught a reasonable fish which took only inches from the water's edge. Fantastic stuff! On the same session he caught a couple more bass on his Evo-Stix/Slug-Gill type lures. This approach to lure fishing seems very consistent and by varying the size of the cone lead it is possible to fish almost anywhere without losing any gear.

Well done the others - I'll get one yet.

Rob and Mike spinning for mackerel and pollack (and anything else).

My 'gift' mackerel ready to freeline on the 8/0 circle hook.

Hooked like this and in good nick they will swim for ever (unless a bass finds them).

A nice bass for Bill on the EvoStix.

Bill being camera shy on his selfie.

The faithful Poppy guards her master's bag.

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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