Catch fish with Mike Ladle.

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).

03 October 2007

Squid nuisance.

I needed a fix after the non existant fishing in Malta. However, first I should mention an email from my pal Dave which went as follows -

Hi Mike,

I visited Malta many years ago in my youth and saw at close range the method you described in your latest diary entry. The guys were fishing for mullet and the end tackle consisted of a longish trace of around a metre or more in length which was festooned with literally dozens of small hooks spaced very closely together. The trace was then wrapped around a very large hunk of bread and the hooks firmly embedded. The bread was then lobbed out and fish usually ended up being foul hooked as a result of the number of hooks. I saw mullet caught this way but they said that other fish were caught as well. The other method being used from jetties and piers was to attach to the end of the line a heavyish jig armed with many backward pointing spikes. A ball of dough was then squeezed onto the line several inches above the jig and as soon as a few fish started to graze on the bread a sharp upwards jerk of the jig resulted in foul hooked fish being landed for the pot. The Maltese seem to be very pragmatic when it comes to fishing for ther pot food rather than sport!!

Regards, David.

In fact I'd heard of the tactic that Dave mentions before. I said to him that the lads I saw did not seem to have a string of hooks but I never had a close look so I can't be sure. Anyway, it all adds to the picture. Dave also told me about a website medflyfish which he says has a forum in English that has loads of postings from people who are seeking info about holiday locations in the Med that they intend to visit with a view to doing some flyfishing. He adds that there are loads of really helpful replies from people who know or have fished the areas in question.

Back to the fishing. I went at dawn to try a spot of livebaiting for bass again. The result was interesting. First of all I had a pollack on the fly rod then I switched to a spoon and promptly had a fierce bite which produced a hard fighting bass. After I'd landed the bass I had a few more casts and eventually hooked a nice small mackerel. Onto the circle hook it went and into the water. Within seconds it seemed to be tangled in the kelp - most unusual. Anyway with a bit of tugging and hauling I freed it and wound in. The bait seemed fine so I dropped it in again and away it swam. About a minute later the mackerel seemed to have stopped swimming (no tail beats) and there was a heavy weight on the end of the line. I tightened slowly wondering whether it was a strange bass bite but all I could feel was a heavy weight. As I retrieved (still in the gloom) the bait came to the surface and I could see a large brown shape moving with it and splashing and squirting as it came. Of course it was a big squid. Every time I tried to beach it it let go and every time I tried to set the mackerel away again a squid grabbed it. Futile! I tried to get a picture but it was really too dark, anyway it made a change and a bit of interest.

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

Pollack.

One day I'll hook a big one.

Bass.

It fought hard and took a lot of line against a fairly tight clutch.

'Kraken!!!'

I must say that I have a sneaking regard for squid.  They're such amazing creatures but can be a nuisance when you want to catch fish.

Squid damage.

My livebait badly bitten in the 'neck'.