Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle

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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).

Not my best year - up to now!

HAVE AN EXCELLENT 2024 EVERYONE.

I have to say that in the Autumn of 2022 I was ill and I felt as though my future fishing was doomed. However, I did (more or less) as I was told and here's how things turned out-

Not surprisingly my prostate problem buggered up the fishing for most of 2023. If you looked at the website for August 2023 you will gather that I'd travelled to Australia, in the previous winter, trailing a catheter from my nether regions. Although this provided a number of amusing events, didn't enhance the possibilities of fishing. However, I did manage to assist my grandson Josh to catch his first fish. This was followed by a comedy fishing act when, with some difficulty, I landed and returned an eagle ray from the beach, followed by sundry accidents and visits to hospitals and pharmacies.

Me and Josh failing to catch squid on a jig.

Success! Josh's first ever fish.

An eagle ray I caught earlier (years ago, same tactics, same beach).

When we returned to England my fishing activities were hampered by an operation, a couple of hospital stays and the subsequent enforced periods of recuperation. However, it all turned out pretty well and I'm more or less back to full fishing, gardening, writing and computing fitness now (the specialist said I would be), thanks to the dedicated care of the various medics and the selfless attention from members of my family (they were all fantastic!).

My last comment after my return from Oz was - "Perhaps my next web page may have a spot of proper fishing news?" At the time it was hard for me to believe that it might happen but, amazingly, at the end of August 2023 I went fishing. As you'll see (as a postscript) I've supplemented this seasons account of catches with a few pictures of fish I've caught from various shores over quite a few years. You have probably seen them before but at least they are good to look at.

I had an early, exploratory trip to the river with my grandson, Marcel. To be honest the fishing wasn't as good as I'd hoped, but we had a couple of decent perch up to almost a kilo in weight - not bad for one of his first. We also had a small pike. It could have been worse.

A decent perch for Marcel. The big one he caught jumped out of his hands and escaped without a picture.

...and a little pike.

I also tried bass fishing a few times and to tell the truth it was slow. At first I was reluctant to hike about the rocks until I felt more confident about my health. The initial, trial, trip was to an easily reached spot with my pal Martyn and after we'd tried with bait for a while it was clear that nothing was going to happen. I switched to a Pearl Evo-Redgill and almost at once landed a rather long, thin bass which fought pretty well. At this point I was more than pleased to catch a fish (any fish).

My last-gasp long skinny bass.

My confidence at rock hopping quickly improved and eventually, encouraged by a phone-call from my pal Nigel, I ventured out for a spinning session from the rocks. This time, between us we managed four schoolies - not very exciting but better than nothing.

Nigel prepares to unhook a small bass.

An even smaller one for me on the Evo Redgill (rotten picture).

On my first evening session with Bill and Nigel we were lucky, and there was almost a ‘maggot bonanza’. Between us we managed a decent bag of school bass.

Bill, Nigel and me fishing together again.

Nigel's in.

One of Bill's catch.

For my next trip, a few days later, I went to a quite different spot and, using a weedless, unleaded soft plastic, I landed a couple of modest bass and lost a bigger one, which came unstuck after a longish battle. Probably due to the line dragging round kelp fronds.

Not bad for starters.

... and a smaller one on the same lure.

By now it was the last week in September and I’d been another three times, trying to make up for my lack of practice. It wasn’t great conditions or tides at any time but I did manage to catch a few small bass on weedless lures to sustain my enthusiasm.

A decent fish, caught in the gloom, on my first session.

The...and a little one on my second session.

Now it was October and I was keen to get back to free-lining a bait on my big circle hooks. My first session was a blank and although the tide was better on my second trip, again I blanked. The following morning I was down there again and this time I landed a bass. Not a monster but at last a fish on bait.

Only 3.5lb, just after it had slid ashore.

My next trip was with Bill, him spinning and me using my remaining bait from the previous trip. The wind proved too tricky for my bait fishing and, quite unlike me, after Bill had a follower, I lost patience with the bait and switched to an Evo Stix lure. I swung the rod and cast the unleaded lure, perhaps twenty metres, parallel to the water's edge. A few turns of the reel handle and wallop - I was in. As usual Bill did the honours with some pictures.

I'm in and the fish is fighting well in the shallow water.

Bill made me have a 'grip and grin' shot before I put it back.

My stock of frozen baits was a bit thin, but when Nigel gave me some small mackerel that he'd caught. I couldn't resist having a go. After a fishless hour I had bite and hooked a 4lb+ bass in good nick. The bait had come off in the struggle so I packed in.

A decent bass, nicely hooked.

At the end of October Bill rang to remind me that it was likely to be our last chance of a maggot bonanza before the clocks changed. Nigel joined us and despite an iffy forecast we went anyway. It was rough, but the wind was non-existent. The weed on the beach looked pretty fresh but a scrape of the boot showed that it was full of little white maggots - a miracle. The fish, mostly bass, were close to the beach in the breaking waves, and we caught 15 between us. All in all, a good evening.

One of the larger ones on an Evo Stix.

After our catch of bass the weather deteriorated so I didn’t go for some days. Then in a bit of a lull, I made an effort and it was fishable. After a few casts with weed, weed and more weed, I decided to have the usual 'last cast', and it produced a fish.

A well conditioned fish.

Beautifully hooked on the big circle hook.

Well, that is that but just so there's something to look at, and also to boost my confidence for the future, here are a few of my past catches: none from boats! -

Snook.

Striped bass.

Carp.

Salmon.

Pike.

Seatrout.

Perch.

Jack.

Bass.

Tarpon.

Bonefish.

Younger me playing mullet on the fly.

– PLEASE TELL YOUR TWITTER, FACEBOOK, EMAIL FRIENDS ABOUT THESE BOOKS.

THE SECOND WAVE

Written with Steve Pitts this is a SEQUEL TO THE BESTSELLER "Operation Sea Angler" IT'S AVAILABLE ON PAPER FROM - "Veals Mail Order" AND ON PAPER OR FOR YOUR KINDLE FROM"Amazon"

HOOKED ON BASS

Written with Alan Vaughan. NEW PRINT OF THE ORIGINAL: IN PAPERBACK. Copies available from all good book shops RRP £14:99 - "Waterstones"

ANGLING ON THE EDGE

Copies can now be ordered (printed on demand) from Steve Pitts at £34.00, inc. Royal Mail Insured UK Mainland Postage.

To order a book send an E-MAIL to - stevejpitts@gmail.com

FISHING FOR GHOSTS

Written with David Rigden. Copies from "The Medlar Press"