The colder months are out the way!

It's April can you believe it? Since I got into fishing April has always been a very exiting month for me, waters start to warm up fish start to become more active. Towards the middle of the month bait fish shoals have found their way into the shallows. With a bit of luck the predator fish are following them! 

So what have I been catching over the last 3 months? Well for the amount of times I have been fishing I have caught myself a few fish.

Well this one is certainly not a specimen sized fish, I think when you catch your target species especially on a cold January night it doesn't matter how big it is I still get happy! My first Sole of the year and probably my smallest ever Sole.

The good thing about fishing is you never know what is going to happen, I must of found myself casting my worm baits over a big shoal of Pollock. I was getting one a chuck couldn't leave my rod down for 2 minutes before it was bent double with a Pollock on it all taking the worm baits on the bottom. I managed alot over 2lb and managed a chunky 3lb 2oz,

 I put a bit of time into my Flounder fishing I have done two sessions with 1 Flounder caught this year, okay I might have got a bit lucky as it was a good one caught on Redcat worm at range using a size 4 Sakuma Hook.

2lb 9oz Flounder

I have done a few Conger sessions over the last couple of months. I seem to be finding the Eels but there is just no size to them. 

Here is a few picture's I got anyway - Managed a couple of eels this night was cold but the eels was feeding over high water. (Jersey's North Coast)

Jonathan Bailie with a Conger caught on Jersey's SW Coast on a whole cuttlefish.

13lb 10oz

Mark Le Huquet with a 14lb Conger caught down St Catherine's one night.

I am sure if we keep at it throughout the year we should find some bigger eels just need to be in the right place at the right time.  

First personal best for the year. I went down to a rock mark in search of some rays. My plan was to blast baits out at range (Well as far as I could chuck them) Hope that a big Blonde Ray finds my launce sandeel baits. Wasnt looking too promising after the first couple of hours with just a couple of dogs and pollock for my friend Jonathan.

As I was reeling in what I thought was just another average sized dogfish, I actually thought too myself when it broke the surface as my head torch lit up the water ahh its a small huss! But it wasn't just a new personal best dogfish weighing bang on 3lb! Still a dogfish but any PB is welcome :)

The tide was nearly forcing me from the rock I was standing on I thought to myself "where there is dogfish there is a ray" I always tell myself this literally every session, just gotta fish through them keep checking them baits and stay on the ball. My best fish of the session was this Undulate Ray which weighed 15lb 2oz which took my launce sandeel the cast after my big doggy! 

Bass Fishing Lure & Bait. 

We all know the winter months can be good for Bass fishing from our beaches using worm baits. Local angler Leigh Mullins seems to prove this over the last couple of years getting double figure fish both years in these colder months. Pretty much any beach in Jersey you could catch a big bass its just working out the tides & trial and error as too which beach is holding the most / biggest bass.

 I obviously didn't get it right the 2-3 sessions I did in terms of size of fish. But the first session had a couple of small ones. 2nd session I did manage 6-7 Bass but all schoolies. 

I had a brilliant lure session after work with Alex Plaster we reunited for the first time since he returned from tagging sharks in Bimini! We set the location and only planned a quick lure bash after work, so we got fishing by 5.30pm and I went for a hard lure three casts later fish on!! Felt like a good one strong head shakes and dives Alex just went around the rock (With the net) so I had to Gill this one was a struggle but I did it - Shouted to Alex he was gutted he missed the fighting action! 

70cm Lure Caught Bass

After some photos and weighing/ measuring 7lb 12oz & 70cm I put her back in. Chucked my lure back in the same place bang another fish on this one just a 49cm fish!

 Absolutely buzzing with this we carried on with confidence and at 6.30pm Alex had his last cast with his Savage Gear - Zzzzz fish on looked like a great fight and I got it in the net no bother pictured weighed and released 5lb 8oz! 

😃

🐟

 1st Lure caught bass of the year for me too haha! All fish returned.

Few days later we was twitching to get back out we decided on a early morning raid on the Bass Alex Plaster catching the only one during the short morning session.....A lovely solid fish weighing 6lb 14oz (65cm) Caught on a 42g White Pearl Savage Gear.

🌊😃🐟

🎣 Lure caught C&R!

 Boat Trip!! 

Went for a trip aboard Anna 2 the weather was not great at all with big swells and F5-6 winds. We tried offshore but was too much like hard work to fish properly. We ventured inshore and anchored a reef, we had a few fish I managed a couple small Huss the best fish of the day was caught by Alex Romeril and it was a Common Smoothound which was caught and released. Wasnt much caught apart from that and 1 small conger. I have heard the mackerel are in now and my friend has caught Turbot so get out there and give it ago!

A few other fish caught 

Session at St Caths nothing but dogs, pout and this Three Bearded Rockling weighing 1lb 3oz.

Pollock took the Ray gear one night again wasn't much happening on this session. 

My first wrasse session was only 1 hour long and stuck to the lures this time last year was getting a few chunky ones on blue soft plastics so I tried it again but the tide was wrong but managed a couple of baby ones. Next time I go will do the incoming tide and I think we should see some bigger fish!

Thanks for reading just thought I would try and keep up with my fishing a little bit more. Otherwise lots of sessions get forgotten about, Rumour has it the bait fish like gars & the odd mackerel are in now so we are likely to see a lot more fish getting caught! 

November Report :D

NOVEMBER FISHING IN JERSEY

November is always a great month to fish, this year was very hard work compared to recent years though. The Congers have not really been feeding inshore, the weather has not been kind to us either but still i worked my socks off trying!!

I attempted catch  a Golden Grey Mullet down our local harbor (failed at that) found a few Garfish & Mackerel on the float was good fun on the 13ft Match Rod! 1lb 2oz was my biggest Garfish & Gareth Mcmonagle also had one of 1lb 2oz...the best one went to Adrian Le Hueze at 1lb 3oz

Ben Bates with a nice Pouting (he demanded the photo lol)

November is always a good month in Jersey for targeting Red Mullet & Sole, this year however they have not really came on the feed! After many sessions trying for a Red Mullet i did manage just the one weighing 1lb 8oz (First Cast) 

Other Anglers in Jersey managed to find some specimen Red Mullet & i believe they had them up to 2lb 12oz. After this very short session i changed location and changed over to using my lure rod, guess which cast i caught a fish on??? 

No more fish was caught on this little Adventure i stayed fishing for another 30 mins. 

As for Ray fishing i cant seem to find any more Small Eyed Rays or Blonde Rays, but i managed to find my Personal Best Undulate Ray! It was a Monday night & the tides was not really in my favor, i was thinking all day of where to try.....I started headed up North to find out it was too rough for what i wanted to do! Wasn't too keen for my Plan B as it is a bit of a hike, but thought i could do with the exercise. I have been quiet jammy with my "first cast" recently but the Launce Sand-eel did the job again!  

15lb 9oz

Now i was chuffed to bits after taking these self timed shots i released her to fight another day :)

It was now around 10pm and i wanted a different species, A BASS so out came the lure rod for a while. Didn't take me long before i landed two Bass on a Delalande Weedless Shad

Now i can go home and sleep a happy boy :)

 Now it was Conger time, sticked one rod out with whole Cuttle Fish & the other with fresh Pouting head! I was playing around with my scratching rod catching quiet a few Shore Rockling / Pouting, i got a run on my Eel rod Strike Fish on! Ohhh this is small :( saw it on surface and thought id test my rod out so i winched it up the rocks!  

Here are some of the Shore Rockling i have had during November all pretty small though 10oz biggest!

10oz Shore Rockling

Now i have been trying to get my self a big Pollock also they have been mostly around the 2lb mark though with a couple over 3lb too!

During our a competition i had a few Wrasse one morning too but nothing over 3lb really this one took Limpet on a Jig Head :) 

Myself & Sam Daniels had a lovely romantic evening on the rocks as well & just few Pollock and a pathetic Conger ....and of course the usual Dogfish, Pouting & Rockling to show for it....good sausages though ;)

Rock Hiking Boots :)

On my last fishing day of November & i managed a Flounder weighing 1lb 3oz :) i have blanked on previous 3 sessions for them so was good to see :)

Thanks for Reading, i am currently having a bit of a rest from Fishing. I am sure i will sneak a few trips in though! Tight Lines!

I'm a Sole Man!

First things first i got my Sole! After many many sessions trying over last couple years it came on my 2nd session of the year for them only weighed 1lb 6oz took Lug worm on a 1 up 1 down rig :)

Dont need to cast far for these, had this right under my feet pretty much. (Think i was singing im a sole man for 30 mins after i caught it hahaa)

My first Red Mullet of the year went 1lb 4oz took lug-worm again on a running ledger :)

Me & Alex went Congering, so with the conger competition coming up was in need of a bit of practice to went to new mark we never have fished at night only for 2 hours and we managed 1 Eel each :) 

Here is Alex with the best Conger of the night going 16lb+

Then i managed a whip too!

Myself and Ben der Bates targeted some Sole & Red Mullet on the Worms and he wanted to bring his lure rod down and did! (as we got to the car park i had a phone call of Callum Robertson wanting to know if i was fishing i told him where i was and he met us down there).

I had a spot in mind but when we got there Anglers was already there, so fished a rock near by i also knew there was chance for my sole and reds  So before i even set up 1 Bait rod Ben has had 2 follows and hooks into a fish i run over with the net as he screams with excitement and scooped up a Bass Quick Picture then off to right another day:

Here is a Close up for Mick Ward as he sold him this lure lol  

So Callum got down, i said to him that a couple of Bass around & Ben has had one and couple follows. So he sets up and hooks into them straight away after loosing a couple on first few casts... he got one in! Best one of the session too!  (I wont mention anything about him using smelly worms on the Tenryu when it got dark  hehe )

So now i am sitting there with shame on my face for not bringing my lure rod down  So after this session i was driving home around 10.30pm and i was thinking to my self ah i want a quick bass on lure too, so had a few casts down a spot on way home and manged a small one 

Conger Competition :) 

Myself, Leyton, Ritchie was the 3 Man Team in the above event, 72 Anglers Entered the competition. We was geared up for strong winds and thanks to Leyton who managed to catch us aload of Cuttle fish was geared up with Bait! Weighed my Rucksack before i went down it was 40lbs (Graft) oh well off we went and got fishing. Leyton on the Mackerel Feathers managed the first fish of the session which was a Pollock came in handy for our rubby dubby sack :) ! 

I went on the Bream at first and i had x2 Bream and 1 mackerel . Leyton also got Mackerel so a bit of fresh bait cant hurt anyone :) Leyton then gets a phone call saying that the weather getting real bad! like force 6/7s and heavy rain. At this point Ritchie wasn't keen to stick out the night so he left the mark before dark. So now me and Leyton got on the Beers and waited for Darkness.....Rods went out......waiting game now i said. And what you know on Leyton 1st cast his rod started to bend over!

(Not exactly the monster we were after but gained a bit of confidence as it was first cast!)

Still on the first cast i also managed one around the same size. No piccie going on here i cba lol :)

Then after a bit longer of a wait my rod had a good bite, picked the rod up it was pulling down ...pulling down....pulling down STRIKE fish on :) good scrap and was on the Gaff. Yeah Buddy! its a Weigher weighed on scales around 24lb i was happy with that in the bag it went! 

Then another one came in for me. This one 14lb, Leyton also had another one under 15lb. God we have had a few now it not even 11pm i was thinking! 5 Eels so far Bloody good session really.  

The Texts where going on winding up my mates about how many Eels we have had and my rod Started screaming off! I was thinking bloody hell i whacked this one out very far (like nearly emptied my spool) anyway picked rod up and double striked this fish as could feel some power to it. Wanted to make sure i had hook set! Was coming up pretty easy at first but as soon as i got it towards rocks F*** Me did it pull down, i was not letting it go no where keep drag fully locked and just letting rod bend, trying to tire it out. As it was against the rocks but still deep i could feel line rubbing! This is the point i was like i gotta bully this So Pumping time! Very heavy fish and up came the Head...my words was "Holy S***" Leyton down on the rocks was saying the same i was like omg that head looks like a 50lber (as you do). As trying to gaff the fish  i felt like the line snapped....i think i was ready to cry...but then i hear a voice saying "Yeeeep Yeeeep" Got it!!! My face soon changed to Panic still dont think i have slided down rocks so quick in my life grabbed the Gaff off him and got it on the rocks. i knew i was not in a safe position to carry it around to wear my gear was so i just held it. Leyton brings the bag over, and after struggling trying to get it in it woke up! as i took it of gaff...oh bollocks its going back towards sea (repeat of last year) Leyton starts kicking it haha, i was either depating give it a Bear hug or just use the gaff...gaff it was again in its head. "Leyton go empty my Rucksack" managed to curl it up in there and Zipped up its safe now! :) WHohohooo i weighed it in rucksack with still few bits in it and went 44lbs i was like GET IN (i knew wouldn't be that much at weigh in i was hoping to just brake the 40lb mark tho.  Here it is at the weigh-in going 39lb 12oz :) 

Then i chilled out for a bit Leyton needs one now. He had a couple which got away but then he Strikes he is onto one. i knew this was a weigher by bend in his rod! down i went with gaff and up it came :) Whohoo shake of the hands is required, cut the lines packed up the rods. Waited around till weigh in and rocked up with the fish. Leyton weighing 23lb 14oz.

Final results was: 

1st Daniel ferguson 39lb 12ozs

2nd Simon Gavey 24lb 12ozs

3rd Leyton Hunnisett 23lb 14ozs

4th Steve Mullins 22lb 8ozs

5th Colin Shales & Martin Shales (tie) 19lb 12ozs

Winning team was Daniel Ferguson,Leyton Hunnisett & Ritchie Campion 63lb 10ozs 
Well done also to Lee Jarvis wh managed a pb conger of 19lb 6ozs and just missed out on the prizes.

Anyway enough of those slimmy things :) ...1lb 8oz Flounder i had the other day as well as couple Bass, & a couple Smooth Hounds :)

My new P.B Small Eye 9lb 9oz :) Took whole squid on Running Ledger :)  Literally had the bite 2 mins of the bait being in the water! 

Here is another Sole which i had took lug-worm on a 1 up one down rig, hopefully more of these to come :) 

CHOW 4 NOW