May/ June Blog-post (Sea is warming up)

Hello everyone as per slacking on the blog posts i apologize. I went to Florida on the 18th May for 2 weeks, Theme Parks, Chilling, EATING you know the score. I managed to fit in a couple of fishing sessions with my travel rod and managed to experience the amazing Bass Pro Shops for the first time :)

So i was really keen to get out for a fish when we was a couple days into the holiday, i was sussing out which lakes to fish on Google maps and i found a good one only 2 miles away from where i was staying.
So my friend Marc dropped me of near the lake and i went for an adventure climbing over some barbwire (feeling like i was going to get shot) but was so worth it as managed my first Large Mouth Bass taking the Bass Assassin Soft Plastic fished using the same techniques as you do for Sea Bass (Sink and Draw) ..they are great fighters! Think i managed another smaller one on this occasion and i called it a day, good start :)

So a couple days later i just had to venture down to the lake again, to see if i could get myself a bigger one! Loads of fish surfacing EVERYWHERE i thought i was going to be in for a good morning. I lost a Fish on like my 3rd cast which destroyed my Soft Plastic. The most annoying part was i only had minimal amount of gear with me, and was down to my last Bass Assassin Soft plastic. Anyway i tried and tried moving around the lake not a touch. Even ended up trying to catch fly's to put under a float as thats what these fish was taking on surface! It was not to be i packed up and knew Bass Pro Shops is high on the To-Do-List :)

 Any ways i got a Trolly and spent less than i thought but got some great lures to try out!

Oh we got a few more rods too. We was kitted out to kick some Bass's ar*e

And we tried them out alright :)

Here is Jack with his First Fish! He then went and showed us all how to do it and caught 6 of them!! 

I did manage (one) as well, wearing my new t-shirt as you can see!

So near the back end of the holiday after all the Theme Parks etc. I was dying to take a trip down to the beach and fish a place called Clear water Pier 60. So my friend Marc said he is keen to go and so was his Girlfriend Pippa. My Girlfriend Jess went to Sea World that day with her parents. We took the 1 and half hour drive down there, 1 stop for Burger King :) 

And we arrived at our destination! Looks very good went to tackle shop on pier and paid for a bucket of shrimp and a heavier rod and reel! (i wanted a Shark haha) Started off with catching small fish on the live prawns.

After a bit of fun on the smaller fish i went bigger! Got out a live bait on 4/0 Mustad Hook 60lb Hook Length and flicked it out! First cast and i was into a nice Cobia!

Went quiet for a while on the big baits....Then Marc's Rod Screeched offf!! Struck into what was by far the biggest fish of the day a Bull Shark we think it was over 100lbs. Any way after stripping every bit of line of his reel and nearly pulling him in. I was even more keen to try and hook into one lol! I was really trying hooked into a big Spanish Mackerel was playing it for couple mins and then i spat the hook! Then i got a better bite again!

Black tip shark then took my live bait, great fighting fish! 

Video of me catch this is below:  

So a good holiday came to an end :)

Lure Wrasse Fishing using my new soft plastics i got from Bass Pro Shops in Florida i was keen to test a few out! Well it was safe to say they all work, i ended up with 16 Wrasse in total, most of them going for the Pink colored Bass Assassin, i have started using  the take Akashi Ultraclear Fluorocarbon in breaking strain of 20lb for the Lure Fishing, i do find it safer if you have a good Wrasse on!

4lb 8oz Wrasse

My First Smooth Hound session of the year i ended up landing 2 and Alex managed one also biggest of the session. Mine were both small ones.

5lb 4oz Wrasse on the 13ft Mullet Rod, 6lb line, size 6 Kamasan Hook crab for bait :)

Went out with my mate Alex Plaster again to see if we could get a bigger one, was pretty quiet and not much action only bite and fish of the night fell to my rod. My new P.B Common Smooth Hound weighing 9lb 9oz which took green crab baited on a 4/0 Sakuma Manta Extra Hook on a running ledger. 

LOST A BIG ONE :(

Went out with Ross Johnson & Scott Bachelor to try for a Bass on Lure, after a tough decision we made our mind up where to fish and down we went. Within 10 mins Scott hooked into his first Bass on a Savage Gear.

I ventured around the corner away from the other two leaving my net with them, to fish a gully with a nice amount of White Water! 2nd Cast BOOM hooked into a Bass fighting this fish for 10 mins screaming like mad for some help as net was round the corner. No one came, tried attempting to bring it in with the swell whilst it was on surface Snap Line !! Worst thing was it looked like a Double Figure :(

So on Sunday 16th June i went out on Tony Heart's Charter Boat with a few mates. The plan was to get some fresh Mackerel & target some Hounds and Tope. Very slow start to the day, tide was really pulling needed 2lb of Lead to hold bottom!

But James was into the first decent fish of the day a Bullhuss that went 7lb 

 He also managed Black Bream (they were hard to find as-well) 

The Smooth Hounds where none existent & The Tope was very hard work too but we had a quick period where they came on the feed! Callum hooking the first one! & myself hooking one as he was playing his!

I love these fish (both where around the 20lb mark)

 Well i went and got a new rod for Lure fishing i purcahsed the Shimano Stradic 15-60 Grams...and its lovely :) Simple as that!  

Even got a Bass on it already!

Shore Smooth Hounds are still hard work! Couple more small ones though...hopefully soon i will get my Double!

Its the longest day of the year today and still raining! dont think we are going to get a summer yet again this year :( Anyway thanks for reading :) Tight Lines.