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).

More bass about.

On the whole the bass fishing this spring has been a bit slow to say the least. My mate Bill, who is very keen and puts in as much time as most, has had some nice fish and one or two reasonable bags. On a recent trip with him and his little dog Poppy (incidentally my most prolonged fishing trip for decades) I blanked using a plug while he had four schoolies and a PB wrasse on his favourite Slug-Gill. He certainly has the knack of catching.

However, a couple of days later I decided to revert to the 'crack of dawn' approach. As I arrived at the coast at 03:30 (a tiny bit late) another pal - Mike - pulled into the car park behind me and we set off along the shore in the dark. By the time we began to fish there was just the faintest glimmer of light in the sky. In the hope of catching something to restore my confidence I had decided to try a 180mm Evo Redgill - a pretty consistent catcher of bass of all sizes.

The writing was on the wall when, on my first cast into the gloom, I felt a tug on the line. My spirits rose and two casts later I was into a bass. I tried to take its picture but even with my headlamp it was tricky to focus on the flapping fish. By the time Mike called back to me from his position further along the shore that he had "a fish!" I'd already landed five more of my own. By the time we'd been fishing for an hour or so I'd landed 22 bass. None of them were monsters but four or five easily topped three pounds and a number of them made the clutch sing as they battled to escape. I looked at my watch - 04:50 - time to go home for me. I left my pal still fishing away in hopes of a few more. An email later on told me that he had four fish - clearly they'd 'gone off' as it got light because Bill, who went down to the same spot later on that morning, only managed a single bass in a longish session. Of course there's no 'best time' but timing does make a difference.

There was just one more memorable incident that morning. After packing in I was half way back to my car and decided I needed a comfort stop. As I took off my gear I realised that I had left my bag behind so it was another half-hour's trudge back along the rocks to fetch it. Silly old man!

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

My first.

My last.

Mike fishing.

Bill's wrasse.