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).

Poor morning-good morning.

At last I'm feeling more or less 100% recovered. I can tell because I've roused myself for a two successive mornings to go fishing at the coast. On the first occasion I'd arranged to meet my pal Rob before first light. Sure enough when I rolled into the car park he was just getting his gear out of the car. More surprising was the fact that there were already two other cars there - at this time of the year they must be keen.

By chance it turned out that we'd both forgotten our headlamps so the walk along the beach in the dark was a bit slower and more tricky than it should have been. Eventually we arrived at our chosen spot and began to fish - Rob with a plug and me with a 'Slandra'. There was a fair old surf and a stiff breeze with a bit of east in it so conditions were not ideal. Gradually, as we fished, the light came into the sky and before long there was a glorious red sunrise. We fished for perhaps an hour and just as it was brightening I had one double knock but failed to hook the culprit. The sun was coming up now so I walked along to see how my pal was getting on. He had also had one bite which he missed, obviously it wasn't our morning. As far as we could see none of the other anglers caught anything while we were there.

Rob wasn't able to go the following morning but I decided to try again. When I got to the coast it was much calmer than the previous day and there wasn't a breath of wind. This time I had the entire sea to myself. The water was full of drifting kelp washed up by the earlier surf, much more than on the day before - in view of this the Slandra was (I thought) a good choice. I flogged for half-an-hour without result then, typically, just as dawn was breaking I was into a fish. It wasn't very big but it put up a lively struggle before I could unhook and return it. I began to cast again and almost at once I was into a slightly better bass. Excellent! I landed this one and again took its picture before releasing it. Although I fished on for another ten minutes, there was no more action so I packed in and went home. By 07.30 I'd had my breakfast, a good start to the day. It's still early in the year of course but I must have another go soon.

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

Rob.

The first bass.

- and another.