Sorry for the lack the updates recently, I hadn’t been out much and I only recently got the internet sorted in my new flat to allow me to write my blog at home. Since my last good session with Tim I have only been out a handful of times and none of them have been very productive.

I managed to get a day free to myself one day and headed to the coast to clear the cobwebs. It certainly didn’t feel like a winters day, It was shorts and T-shirt weather! I tried for a Bass briefly in the morning but soon gave up in less than perfect conditions and decided to go in search of Wrasse. Normally the winter months can chuck up the better fish but today was a reflection on how the rest of the Wrasse sessions have been for me all year. Small fish after another, very finicky bites and nothing over 2lb. I fished a variety of lures but settled on a Watermelon/White 4 inch Senko that they seemed to be most interested in. A good standard colour that I have found on many occasions. It was a lovely day in the Sun with the crisp winter air. I ended the day with 7 or so wrasse in a few hours but it was just nice to be out.

Me and Kory had an attempt at Bass when there where some good condtions. We headed out into the darkness one cold evening and as we waited for the tide we opted to try another spot close by that I haven’t put a huge amount of time in. The big ground swell was creating some nice condtions with only a little bit of weed in the water. Kory found a good ”Perch” and stuck to it giving him a good place to fish his Savage gear Sandeel. I covered some ground and fished a Savgage Gear with the standard 16gm jighead to give me more feel in the big swell and wind. I couldn’t find a bite even after fishing around some promising structure and as we where about to leave Kory hooked up. Not a monster but a welcome fish altogether.

We then headed off to the chosen mark. Once again a big ground swell was present and we opted to stick with the current lures to maximise our feel in the conditions. It was a lot quieter than I had expected but after 30 mins I struck into a fish. Once again only a schoolie but it turned out to be the last Bass of 2014 for me! All fish where taken on straight retrieves and fished mid water.

Me and Tim also managed a day out in the SIB, it was pretty spontaneous and I didn’t do as much research as I should have. I was going off images in my head of the ground and where we might find some features but we where terribly unsuccessful.  I took a few Pollock to Fiiish Minnows and the 42gm Savage gear Sandeel in Real Pearl while Tim managed to find the only Wrasse of the session and probably the weirdest coloured Wrasse I’ve ever seen. I’d be interested to hear peoples thoughts on its colouration because its nothing like I’ve ever seen before. Unfortunately no Bass showed up to the party even though we fished around some lovely structure with plenty of current and I was feeling pretty confident that something may turn up.

We did a few lazy LRF sessions since and It gave me a good time to play with my new HTO Rockfish 1-8gm. We took a number of species over a few sessions including, Pollock, Pouting/Poor Cod, Whiting, Bass, Herring, Smelt and Gobies all from the Dartmouth embankment area. Most fish fell to worm style lures like Isome and the Aquawave straight 3.5” fished dropshot and some of the better Pollock I took on my favourite 3” Black Reins Rockvibe and a 3” D’Fin on 2gm jigheads. A few fish where also taken on 2” White curly tails on 3gm Jigheads and most on steady straight retrieves at varying depths with the Whiting and Pouting caught tight to the bottom.

Interestingly this Herring had been grabbed by something pretty big at some point, Bass, Bull Huss or Conger?

Just after xmas we decided to give it a go for out first Pike of the winter, We only had a couple hours but Tim soon had a follow and our hopes where up we might see a couple of fish. I stupidly decided to fish my LRF reel with 8lb braid on but with a wire leader as most of the fish we have had have been around 6-8lb and on my HRF rod which is a joy to use with Soft plastics. Well the inevitable happened and a Pike surfaced behind my 6inch Swim senko that looked like a giant snake. I knew once I connected not to apply much pressure and I would probably have to play it out but the line snapped almost instantly. Whether it was just a weak bit of line or whether the Pike engulfed the wire trace as well I don’t know but it probably would have been the biggest fish I have ever landed… while I was messing around trying to set up Tim managed to hook into a fish on a 4inch White HTO Shad very similar to the One up shad. At first he thought it was a small fish but it turned out to be better than he thought and one of the better fish we have had from here. No more action was seen after and I could only reflect on what could have been. It has certainly given me the motivation to get out and do a few more sessions over these cold months and actually put some time in too see if I can understand these fish a little bit more.