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).

17 November 2006

Late(ish) bass.

The other day Ben and I went down for one of our Saturday dawn sessions at the coast. As it happened Richard, one of my sons, was staying in Wareham for the weekend and joined us. The weather was mild and the wind was fairly light and offshore but we knew that because it was low tide we would be forced to use poppers - even though it seemed a bit late in the season for surface lures. I tried my current favourite the TD pencil. Ben fished with a Skitterpop which had done well last time we tried and Richard (never a sheep) tied on a black coloured Yo Zuri Mag Popper.

It was pretty calm and there was not much swell. For the first twenty minutes or so we had no bites of any description then I felt a slight tug on the line as my lure lay still on the surface. Was it a bite? It felt like it but I was uncertain. I mentioned it to the others to give them a bit of encouragement and continued fishing. A couple of minutes later I heard a call and looked round to see Richard's rod bent into a fish. Clearly it was not a monster but anything was welcome. As his catch hove into view it turned out to be a garfish hooked behind the head. I took a picture but forgot to switch on the flash so it turned out really fuzzy in the gloomy conditions.

We were all boosted by the catch and fished on with renewed vigour. A fish struck at my popper about twenty metres out and then followed it in making grabs every time I gave the lure another twitch. The last attack was almost under the rod tip but I failed to hook it and did not even see what it was. A few casts later I had another bite just as the lure splashed down. Clearly it was something tiny because I could barely feel it wriggling as I reeled in. I was just beginning to wonder what I had caught as the line shortened to five or six metres when, to my great surprise, the rod whanged over and line line was dragged off against the clutch. Obviously something had taken a liking to whatever was on my hook. The bass (as it turned out) was well hooked so I was able to land it and return it to the sea. Sadly, however, my first victim was no longer in evidence and had obviously made good its escape as the bigger fish took the lure. I wonder what it was?

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

Fuzzy gar.

My bass.