- Joined
- Oct 4, 2020
- Messages
- 20,950
- Reaction score
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- Location
- North Devon
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
After Friday night the body wasn’t willing at all but it was still pretty decent tide times and size, plus the wind had dropped to a light SE which is off the shore here, so basically no wind.
However, I knew surf that large would not die down in a day and it wasn’t as if I had anything else on this weekend.
So after a few hours musing in the afternoon I decided to return to my bass beach for another try.
I popped a slow acting tramadol to keep the pain levels down (bad mistake, read on) and parked up just after 8.30, allowing for the later 10.45pm low.
Once again there was no one there at all, which surprised me a little for a Saturday night but I wasn’t going to argue.
I had planned to fish the left of the beach instead but walked over there and the street lights were fairly bright, but the right was somewhat shrouded in darkness so I returned to where I’d fished the night before.
Out went a whole small bluey on one and a double squid on the other, then I waited a bit.
It wasn’t too long before nodding bites developed on both rods and I retrieved a dogfish on one and a very small huss on the other.
Second cast resulted in another dogfish. Oh, so it was like THAT was it?
The surf was still a good size but not as powerful as the night before and much cleaner, in fact closer to the conditions I prefer although it could have been a bit bigger, but it wasn’t bad.
Tonight I opted to put a plain lead on one rig and let it roll away downtide - sometimes a good tactic if conditions allow as bass sensibly work smarter and not harder, preferring to wait for food to come to them rather than fighting up and down the surf.
Both rods were getting nibbling/nodding bites and there was almost no weed, so I knew it was fish and the mangled bait suggested dogs, though surprisingly I didn’t hook another all night.
I did drop something halfway in that felt like a modest ray but whatever it was, it wasn’t anything special.
Then I spied a bright headlight making its way across the beach. Oh ffs.
Who starts fishing at 10.45 at night? I didn’t want company but more to the point, I didn’t want bright lights shone everywhere
Which is of course what he proceeded to do. Shining the light at me, on the surf, everywhere, all on a high setting that really isn’t necessary and especially not on a shallow surf beach at night.
He even had it on high to cast out, then sat on his box shining it directly down at the surf while he was fishing.
Not the best pic but you get the idea
He was at least on the opposite side of the beach and just about far enough away from me otherwise I might have been tempted to go over and say something.
Thankfully he boogered off as we were moving back up the beach and towards what I consider the most productive time - he can’t have been there more than two hours.
I think it was an older chap I’d met before who has a holiday home near the beach and seems to do very short sessions.
He’d also complained to me when we spoke before he hadn’t had many bass, only one or two, but I resisted the urge to point out with light discipline that poor I wasn’t surprised!
Mine was on all night, but on a very low setting and more importantly, I never look directly at the surf and tend to fish with my back to the sea and switch it off to cast out or return fish.
I’m not that keen on company when fishing anyway, would rather not have to interact with anyone unless I’m there with a mate, otherwise I’d go to a bloody pier!
Anyway, grumble, mumble, mutter… back to the fishing…
It was slow. Even the doggie bites had stopped and I had about an hour left, albeit usually the best hour.
I had to give up on the rolling lead as it was starting to cross the other line and become awkward.
To eke out the bluey I put a whole joey on one rod as I zigged (or zagged) the tripod across and up the beach so I’d be level with the gully entrance.
Between faffing with the bait and looking up, I realised the joey rod had gone slack so I grabbed it and could feel the gear moving in towards me. Wound down on the slack line and struck into a fish, but not huge.
I half expected a dogfish but no, it was a bass. First thought was I’d return it but then I saw it was gut hooked and bleeding, so home it would come.
I’d say it was between 2.5-3lb but all the gore after snipping the gills and into its head to retrieve the hook didn’t make for a good photo, so you’ll have to make go with this one from a bit later - Master Chef eat your heart out!
The other reason for haste was the gully was starting to fill and I wanted to get one more cast in at least.
I moved my box right back to higher ground but once the water reached thigh level I knew I had to leave.
I chose to walk the rods back through the gully and leave them out there in the main surf for a bit.
In fact I probably gave it about 45 minutes but nothing else happened and it was well after 2am, plus I was knackered, so I gave up.
So two quite different nights on the same beach, target achieved both times though nothing to write home about, but still the target.
Fewer fish about the second night but more pleasant to fish in at least.
As a postscript, the tramadol… they work great for pain but they do give me insomnia and are slow release too, which doesn’t help.
I had hoped given how tired I was, they wouldn’t affect me last night but oh boy, insomnia in spades despite feeling totally knackered.
After a pee at 8.30am this morning I finally managed to get some actual sleep.
What’s more, two other known side effects, itching in different places all over the body plus weird thoughts, a mild delirium almost such as when you have a bit of a fever.
Perhaps they’re not the painkillers for me! Back to the codeine I think!
However, I knew surf that large would not die down in a day and it wasn’t as if I had anything else on this weekend.
So after a few hours musing in the afternoon I decided to return to my bass beach for another try.
I popped a slow acting tramadol to keep the pain levels down (bad mistake, read on) and parked up just after 8.30, allowing for the later 10.45pm low.
Once again there was no one there at all, which surprised me a little for a Saturday night but I wasn’t going to argue.
I had planned to fish the left of the beach instead but walked over there and the street lights were fairly bright, but the right was somewhat shrouded in darkness so I returned to where I’d fished the night before.
Out went a whole small bluey on one and a double squid on the other, then I waited a bit.
It wasn’t too long before nodding bites developed on both rods and I retrieved a dogfish on one and a very small huss on the other.
Second cast resulted in another dogfish. Oh, so it was like THAT was it?
The surf was still a good size but not as powerful as the night before and much cleaner, in fact closer to the conditions I prefer although it could have been a bit bigger, but it wasn’t bad.
Tonight I opted to put a plain lead on one rig and let it roll away downtide - sometimes a good tactic if conditions allow as bass sensibly work smarter and not harder, preferring to wait for food to come to them rather than fighting up and down the surf.
Both rods were getting nibbling/nodding bites and there was almost no weed, so I knew it was fish and the mangled bait suggested dogs, though surprisingly I didn’t hook another all night.
I did drop something halfway in that felt like a modest ray but whatever it was, it wasn’t anything special.
Then I spied a bright headlight making its way across the beach. Oh ffs.
Who starts fishing at 10.45 at night? I didn’t want company but more to the point, I didn’t want bright lights shone everywhere
Which is of course what he proceeded to do. Shining the light at me, on the surf, everywhere, all on a high setting that really isn’t necessary and especially not on a shallow surf beach at night.
He even had it on high to cast out, then sat on his box shining it directly down at the surf while he was fishing.
Not the best pic but you get the idea
He was at least on the opposite side of the beach and just about far enough away from me otherwise I might have been tempted to go over and say something.
Thankfully he boogered off as we were moving back up the beach and towards what I consider the most productive time - he can’t have been there more than two hours.
I think it was an older chap I’d met before who has a holiday home near the beach and seems to do very short sessions.
He’d also complained to me when we spoke before he hadn’t had many bass, only one or two, but I resisted the urge to point out with light discipline that poor I wasn’t surprised!
Mine was on all night, but on a very low setting and more importantly, I never look directly at the surf and tend to fish with my back to the sea and switch it off to cast out or return fish.
I’m not that keen on company when fishing anyway, would rather not have to interact with anyone unless I’m there with a mate, otherwise I’d go to a bloody pier!
Anyway, grumble, mumble, mutter… back to the fishing…
It was slow. Even the doggie bites had stopped and I had about an hour left, albeit usually the best hour.
I had to give up on the rolling lead as it was starting to cross the other line and become awkward.
To eke out the bluey I put a whole joey on one rod as I zigged (or zagged) the tripod across and up the beach so I’d be level with the gully entrance.
Between faffing with the bait and looking up, I realised the joey rod had gone slack so I grabbed it and could feel the gear moving in towards me. Wound down on the slack line and struck into a fish, but not huge.
I half expected a dogfish but no, it was a bass. First thought was I’d return it but then I saw it was gut hooked and bleeding, so home it would come.
I’d say it was between 2.5-3lb but all the gore after snipping the gills and into its head to retrieve the hook didn’t make for a good photo, so you’ll have to make go with this one from a bit later - Master Chef eat your heart out!
The other reason for haste was the gully was starting to fill and I wanted to get one more cast in at least.
I moved my box right back to higher ground but once the water reached thigh level I knew I had to leave.
I chose to walk the rods back through the gully and leave them out there in the main surf for a bit.
In fact I probably gave it about 45 minutes but nothing else happened and it was well after 2am, plus I was knackered, so I gave up.
So two quite different nights on the same beach, target achieved both times though nothing to write home about, but still the target.
Fewer fish about the second night but more pleasant to fish in at least.
As a postscript, the tramadol… they work great for pain but they do give me insomnia and are slow release too, which doesn’t help.
I had hoped given how tired I was, they wouldn’t affect me last night but oh boy, insomnia in spades despite feeling totally knackered.
After a pee at 8.30am this morning I finally managed to get some actual sleep.
What’s more, two other known side effects, itching in different places all over the body plus weird thoughts, a mild delirium almost such as when you have a bit of a fever.
Perhaps they’re not the painkillers for me! Back to the codeine I think!
