Mr Fish
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2020
- Messages
- 19,047
- Reaction score
- 65,766
- Points
- 116
- Location
- North Devon
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
Comp weekend and I had thought to try the rocks for a huss but the tides were too small so I figured I’d try one of my beach marks.
I don’t usually fish this until later in the year but assumed if ray were about they’d be here as much as any other surf beach, plus hounds have started to show. Always the chance of a bass too, of course.
Timed it just right so after a 15 minute hike along the sand I was set up just as darkness fell.
The water does retreat - and come in - quickly here, even on a neap, so it means a lot of walking up and down all night.
I had taken sandeel for the ray, two spider peelers to try for smoothound and had small blueys for bass or ray plus a box of squid.
First casts were both sandeel as it was the only thing that would defrost quickly enough to use, but I set aside a spider to defrost too.
Within half an hour, the surf line where I had started was about 100 yards down the beach. Time to start the walking marathon!
I walked down with one rod, that had been showing the odd nudge on the tip, eased into it and a satisfying weight was the result!
Dog maybe, or ray?
Definitely ray!
It was no more than 4lb, way too small for the comp qualifying minimum of 7lb, but a welcome sight.
The brown blob is half a spider peeler, the other half already being on a spare trace.
Put the ray back, left the rod in the rest, walked the other one down and blimey, a second ray!
This was much smaller, maybe 2lb and also lip hooked so I released it at the surf line, no pic.
Then take the rod back, walk the whole tripod down, go and get the box, then I could cast out again!
Two fish and one move meant about six trips up and down the 100-150 yards. Do hate fishing the ebb on flat beaches, sigh.
I felt I should stick with sandeel so they both went out again and it wasn’t long before one was nodding and pulling again.
Looked more like a dog bite than a ray but no, ray number three!
He was a bit bigger, I guess 5-6lb but not big enough and I didn’t weigh it.
Then another smaller ray on the other rod. Four casts, four fish, yeesh!
A short time later I returned to the first rod to find line peeling off the reel. This seemed a much better fish but onshore it looked about the size of the other ‘5lber’.
I did a very rough weight check and deducting the sling, it was about 5lb so no good for the comp
Then the second rod was due a retrieve and I added a bath toy ray to the collection!
It was the turn of the tide pretty much so I thought this crab really needs to go out.
It wasn’t out there long when the rod was jagging violently, followed by a massive slack line.
Whack! Oh, nothing, except a very mangled half crab.
I put the other half out, carbon copy bite. Then a third half, same. WTF?!
Definitely fish not weed, no weed about. Either bass or… I had a suspicion…
By this time the flood was pushing me back and I swapped sandeel for a whole small bluey.
Ray would still take it but a bigger bait well out as the flood comes in seems to be the best choice for bass here.
Although with the bright moon, I feared sea bass was off the menu!
The last spider half went out and once again an odd jerky/pulling bite.
I took my time with this, struck on a pull and yep, theory confirmed, small hounds.
It was a little larger than the pic shows, 2-3lb but I do find the smaller ones bite erratically rather than scream off with the bait and I suspected there was a glut of them out there, again no good for comp purposes.
By this time I was sitting on whole bluey baits as the tide pushed me back and 200 yards of 15lb line was emptying from the reels pretty quickly.
By now it was gone 1am and also getting pretty chilly, so although I could have fished several more hours, I decided enough was enough.
Still, for an early season experiment, not too bad at all!
I don’t usually fish this until later in the year but assumed if ray were about they’d be here as much as any other surf beach, plus hounds have started to show. Always the chance of a bass too, of course.
Timed it just right so after a 15 minute hike along the sand I was set up just as darkness fell.
The water does retreat - and come in - quickly here, even on a neap, so it means a lot of walking up and down all night.
I had taken sandeel for the ray, two spider peelers to try for smoothound and had small blueys for bass or ray plus a box of squid.
First casts were both sandeel as it was the only thing that would defrost quickly enough to use, but I set aside a spider to defrost too.
Within half an hour, the surf line where I had started was about 100 yards down the beach. Time to start the walking marathon!
I walked down with one rod, that had been showing the odd nudge on the tip, eased into it and a satisfying weight was the result!
Dog maybe, or ray?
Definitely ray!
It was no more than 4lb, way too small for the comp qualifying minimum of 7lb, but a welcome sight.
The brown blob is half a spider peeler, the other half already being on a spare trace.
Put the ray back, left the rod in the rest, walked the other one down and blimey, a second ray!
This was much smaller, maybe 2lb and also lip hooked so I released it at the surf line, no pic.
Then take the rod back, walk the whole tripod down, go and get the box, then I could cast out again!
Two fish and one move meant about six trips up and down the 100-150 yards. Do hate fishing the ebb on flat beaches, sigh.
I felt I should stick with sandeel so they both went out again and it wasn’t long before one was nodding and pulling again.
Looked more like a dog bite than a ray but no, ray number three!
He was a bit bigger, I guess 5-6lb but not big enough and I didn’t weigh it.
Then another smaller ray on the other rod. Four casts, four fish, yeesh!
A short time later I returned to the first rod to find line peeling off the reel. This seemed a much better fish but onshore it looked about the size of the other ‘5lber’.
I did a very rough weight check and deducting the sling, it was about 5lb so no good for the comp
Then the second rod was due a retrieve and I added a bath toy ray to the collection!
It was the turn of the tide pretty much so I thought this crab really needs to go out.
It wasn’t out there long when the rod was jagging violently, followed by a massive slack line.
Whack! Oh, nothing, except a very mangled half crab.
I put the other half out, carbon copy bite. Then a third half, same. WTF?!
Definitely fish not weed, no weed about. Either bass or… I had a suspicion…
By this time the flood was pushing me back and I swapped sandeel for a whole small bluey.
Ray would still take it but a bigger bait well out as the flood comes in seems to be the best choice for bass here.
Although with the bright moon, I feared sea bass was off the menu!
The last spider half went out and once again an odd jerky/pulling bite.
I took my time with this, struck on a pull and yep, theory confirmed, small hounds.
It was a little larger than the pic shows, 2-3lb but I do find the smaller ones bite erratically rather than scream off with the bait and I suspected there was a glut of them out there, again no good for comp purposes.
By this time I was sitting on whole bluey baits as the tide pushed me back and 200 yards of 15lb line was emptying from the reels pretty quickly.
By now it was gone 1am and also getting pretty chilly, so although I could have fished several more hours, I decided enough was enough.
Still, for an early season experiment, not too bad at all!
