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).

30 November 2007

The biter bit.

After my 'lay off' I required a taste of the salt water so, despite it being the end of November, I decided to have an early morning session at Swanage. It was calm and the tide was just beginning to flood when I arrived. There were lots of rocks sticking up so the places I could fish were somewhat restricted. I'd opted to use a white surface slider (a Lucky Craft Sammy) which has never even produced a bite for me (I must be crackers) and when I began fishing it was still dark. To my amazement on about my sixth cast I had a bite. The fish was hooked and sheered about for a few seconds before eventually weeding me and coming unstuck. I didn't see what it was but I was fairly sure that it was no bass.

Encouraged I fished on and after about half-an-hour I had a second bite. This time the fish was firmly hooked and after an initial struggle it came in fairly easily and proved to be a pollack. I was more pleased than I should have been - a fish on the slider and a bite missed - that was a result in my book. I knew that other anglers catch with these lures so I was keen to 'make it work'.

After returning the pollack I walked back to the car. Standing on the seafront I noticed a long line of gill net floats strung out into the bay. The netter was just beginning to lift his net so I took out the binoculars and watched. There appeared to be nothing but weed in the net but obviously there were a few small fish trapped because three cormorants were working along the float line and periodically coming up with small fish in their beaks. An interesting reversal of the usual situation where the netter catches fish that I would like to have a crack at.

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

Eureka!

Landed.

Well I never!