Dreams do come true

Big well done to Rob. For someone who has never really fished in his life, he took on the challenges of bass fishing with such high dedication in his first year. He managed this beauty last night, shame I wasn’t around to see the smile on your face… (I must of left that mark half an hour before you got there you git). Keep up the good work mate. As a Jersey chap once said to me ‘’The first fish is always the hardest but is the biggest achievement’’

Also Ive got to say a big thank you to a close friend of mine Rob Mears for some great company last night. Not many fish to sing and dance about, but a few pollack to keep the lines tight and enjoy some fresh air. This guy also can take some outstanding photos and has a talent to capture those moments you never want to forget. Check some of these photos out... Outstanding!

LRF at low water Weymouth stone pier

Sunset Portland Bill

Pollack from Red crane Portland

All Work And No Play !

Well from the title you probably guessed there hasn’t been much fishing. As I was working at a machine, I was watching perfect tides and the slight breaks in weather pass on by. So with my one day off this week I managed to catch up on some sleep and check out some fishing marks for the following week.
I like to check out marks and make notes at the beginning of the week for many reasons, swell to wind ratio, wind direction and water clarity, the list can be endless but all have a massive effect on my fishing. I tend to try and visit marks at low water, find those gully and weed patches where fish will hold up and ambush prey. One thing a lot of people don’t realise is some seaweed can grow 50cm in one day! One week of good sunshine and calm conditions can turn a productive fishing mark into a tackle graveyard.

Portland

Take this photo I took today at low water, this whole location is a massive kelp forest with a gully that runs from the bay on the left out to sea at a 25 degree angle to the right. The mark gives great shelter from the south westerly winds. And has a natural breakwater that stops those rogue waves from washing you off your perch. For me this location screams Wrasse by day and Pollack by night, maybe a Bass or two, but due to that natural breakwater there is no main flow of water entering the bay.
On this simple observation I can now plan a mid week, late evening fishing trip and give myself a high chance of finding some fish… I know this general location fishes best on the flood under the cover of darkness, if I get the chance with work being so busy than a report shall soon follow, lets hope for some fish!!

The Fleet Weymouth

First Blog Post! One Good Fish

Well, I thought I should start this blog off with a picture of my latest fish caught,.The evening I caught this girl was rather dull with only one Pollack of around 1.lb pulling at my rod tip. Walking back from one of my favourite fishing marks I thought I’d stop for a few casts at a mark that I’ve only ever blanked at and also known of only one bass being caught, (handsome size bass at that though). The tide had dropped off and everything seemed quiet, with a few small Pollack breaching the surface. It pays to stop sometimes and watch for a few minutes. I always try to match my lure to the prey that Bass may be chasing.. size, colour and action. The lure I chose was a Megabass Zzonk Gateride 120 HT in rainbow pearl, I have a massive affection for this lure as its smashed so many fish that I've lost count. With the wind behind me I made a good cast to the distance, let the lure splash down and then wait 5 seconds to 10 seconds. This splash sound lets fish zone in before you start the return, 10 seconds in the freezing cold may seem a life time but its worth the wait.. 3 turns of the reel handle and smash, this fish shook hard and striped 15ft of line in its first run.
2 days before I lost a good fish to a hook straightening, could this be that same fish, who knows? After a good tug and pull session for around 5 minutes the fish came to the surface and weighed in at 4.5 lb, that’s my biggest this year and was a happy sight to finish the evening.
For the record… still waiting on that 10 lb silver bar but I came close last year with a 9.4 lb and 9.2. Fingers crossed for 2011.
Hope you enjoyed the reading