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).
Brazilian fishing - I - Setting the scene.
My third son Richard, his wife Ana and their daughters Jasmine and Beatrice, have lived on the NE coast of Brazil for well over a decade. We'd visited them in Brazil several times and of course Richard and I did plenty of fishing. However, for the last three years they have been working in Portugal, and they only returned to Brazil in September 2023. Since moving back to their house in Maceio, Rich has been trying to get back into the swing of fishing. He was hoping to give us a bit of a 'flying start' for when I arrived for a holiday at the end of December. However, in his three years absence the conditions at some venues had changed, for the worse, and not everything went to plan. Although, subject to wind and weather, he found that by beachcasting at night from the beach near his house it was still possible to catch smaller stuff and he could given luck, land decent fish from his kayak: but, the beaches where we had caught fish on lures were no longer productive. The change appeared to be mostly due to a shift in the course of a small river. Anyway, it seemed that blanks were now the order of the day. We had become too dependent on the one 'hot spot' and would have to discover other beaches and/or reefs if we were to land quality fish. Despite Richard's hours of searching on 'youtube', and his many trips to other local spots: in three months of searching he had caught virtually nothing by spinning from the shore. This will be the story of our five week attempt to re-discover quality lure fishing.
To set the scene here are one or two pictures of our fishing in earlier years-
Richard bait-fishing from the beach by a fish trap.
A golden catfish from the beach at night.
Going out in the kayak at night, again from the beach at the end of his street, was more consistent and increased the numbers and size of the fish with catfish, stingrays, remora, morays and small barracuda.
Richard with a remora from the kayak.
Unhooking a decent stingray at kayak.
The cream of the fishing (in the past) had been from the reefs at Mermaid Beach, a twenty minute drive from his house, where big snook, jacks and other predators sometimes took lures well.
Richard spinning from our former hotspot at Mermaid beach reef.
He wades back with a cracking snook.
....and a good snook for me.
To come to the point, our approach to the fishing in Brazil was still based on three tactics. (1) Light beach casting, mostly in the dark, from the shore within a short walk of the front door. (2) Fishing with freelined baits (octopus, prawns, mackerel or small fish) from his two-man kayak, again launched from the shore close to his house. Both tactics involved suitably sized circle hooks (4/0 to 8/0). (3) Spinning from the local beaches, mostly at dawn (the kids had to be at school by 07:00hr). We tried a variety of plugs and soft plastics based on our previous experience. However, we were almost starting from scratch to find productive areas for the lure fishing.
As happens anywhere, in the event of bad weather or unsuitable tides, Rich would fish local ponds and streams. On the afternoon that we arrived, to break the ice (they don't really know what ice is unless it's in a drink) he took me to a tiny pond, only a stroll from his door, and showed me that at least there were fish to be caught there.
Richard spinning in the tiny overgrown pond near his house. (note the swirl of a scared fish just in front of him)
A small toothy traira.
That evening we fished with bait from the shore - again only minutes from where he lives. There was a stiff onshore wind and quite a strong left to right tidal flow. Fishing was not made any easier by the amount of loose weed drifting in the water. It was tricky, but we managed to catch a few modest catfish of the two commonest species. At least it was a start.
Richard with a gafftopsail catfish, which took an octopus tentacle, on our first evening.
A close up showing the characteristic long dorsal fin ray.
...and a sea catfish, which grows much larger but is more sluggish.
All the catfish have venomous fin spines and it is wise to unhook them with care (and forceps).
On our first kayaking session we caught the usual catfish but each of us lost really big rays?? when (unusually), after long powerful runs, the fish came unstuck.
A freelined gafftopsail from the kayak.
During my stay we also caught several sea catfish on lures from the local beaches (a new and surprising experience for us both).
This one took a Black Minnow.
... and this one took a plug. The fish were often right in the margin even in daylight.
We also had a go from the estuary of a local river a short walk from our house. I caugth several puffer fish on a small jointed Rapala.
A typical puffer - they all have strong teeth.
You don't use a Redgill when there are puffer fish about.
Richard caught this tiny jack in the river and he also had a small garfish.
Soon after the quick dabble in the river our fishing was seriously hampered, when I (silly old so and so) slipped on the rocks, cracking a rod ring and splitting my left hand badly. Then, a day or so later, walking back from the beach in bare feet, I compounded the problem by smashing a toe nail against a stone. My self inflicted injuries hampered our progress for a day or two but liberal use of plasters and antiseptic quickly saw me healed up and fishing hard again. In the next two pages I'll reveal how we fared.
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 -
HOOKED ON BASS
Written with Alan Vaughan. NEW PRINT OF THE ORIGINAL: IN PAPERBACK. Copies available from all good book shops RRP 14:99 -
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.
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FISHING FOR GHOSTS
Written with David Rigden. Copies from
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