South East Friday the 13th ? Pett level

[ouchthathurt]

My boy and I returned to Pett level this morning to pump some lug, found 5 professional bait diggers systematically working the lug beds! Managed to pump enough for a crack at low water this evening. Had some tea and hit the beach just before 7pm. I’d slightly misjudged my timings as the tide hadn’t cleared the rocky reef yet, so I taught my boy how to cast for half hour or so until the tide had dropped enough for the sand gullies to be accessible. He was able to throw a plain, unbaited 5oz lead about 40-50yrds, using his sonik sks black 13ft beachcaster and fixed spool reel. With practice this will improve I’m sure. Once the tide had dropped to my satisfaction, I fired his rod out first then I fired out 2 hook clipped down rigs with 1/0hooks to 5oz gripper leads using my pair of Leeda Icon elite match rods and Diawa 7ht multis. My boys outfit had an identical terminal tackle set up. With that it was time to sit back and watch the tips. What was immediately apparent was that the weed was worse than the other night, secondly, as I’d not fished here at this state of the tide before, it receded at a fair pace, so following the water down was paramount. First casts didn’t produce, so they were chucked back out there. My boy decided to try achieve his ambition of pumping a lugworm, as his previous attempts had failed, this he managed to do! Obviously this worm was destined for great things and needed to be on his hook immediately! As he was reeling in, he was confident there was a fish there, “just weed I sagely advised…” wrong again, a little bootlace eel appeared, spun in a trace and weed ball! After cutting the trace to ribbons to free the wee beastie, it was released after a quick pic. With that I noticed that my tip was nodding, so retrieved it to find an eel on mine too, this trace was also “eel’d” and needed replacing from the winder box. Both rods duly rebaited (with the boys lucky lug - or “captain black-lug” as he christened it! - I quickly retrieved my other rod to find another eel on the end. Another trace required! The boy had another bite register in his rod that produced his second eel of the night (yet another trace!) taken on his “lucky lug/captain black-lug” then I had an eel on each rod to take it up to 5 eels in 3hrs. We stood under the stars watching the tips, yet drawn to the meteor shower (the persiads) over our heads, when the boy declared himself to be rather tired (we had been bowling and played laser quest with my other son and other family most of the day) so we retrieved the gear to find (thankfully) empty hooks, especially as all my traces were now balls of snot and I’ve got to strip them all down and retie them. Still no first bass for him, I’d have expected at least a schoolie, but he enjoyed it and was happy with our haul.

 

[Thrasher]

Slippery critters them eels but blank savers for both of you apart of course from the rig destruction.

 

[Shirleycodlin]

Awesome report. Nice one ?

 

[wingnut55]

Great report Matt, looks like you and the lad had a nice Dad and Son session.

Ian.

 

[ouchthathurt]

It was an enjoyable little trip out, he’s still itching to catch a bass, after seeing the 2 schoolies I nicked out the other night, but the eels were on the baits fairly quickly, not that we mind as he likes to catch anything and I’m glad to see the eels coming on well after their massive decline in numbers. I seem to catch one or two a trip from this mark, why it’s so prolific for eels I don’t know, but destroyed traces aside, I don’t mind them at all. Since going up to 1/0 and 2/0 hooks, they have all been lip hooked, so they all go back easily enough.

 

[Tatunka joe]

My boy and I returned to Pett level this morning to pump some lug, found 5 professional bait diggers systematically working the lug beds! Managed to pump enough for a crack at low water this evening. Had some tea and hit the beach just before 7pm. I’d slightly misjudged my timings as the tide hadn’t cleared the rocky reef yet, so I taught my boy how to cast for half hour or so until the tide had dropped enough for the sand gullies to be accessible. He was able to throw a plain, unbaited 5oz lead about 40-50yrds, using his sonik sks black 13ft beachcaster and fixed spool reel. With practice this will improve I’m sure. Once the tide had dropped to my satisfaction, I fired his rod out first then I fired out 2 hook clipped down rigs with 1/0hooks to 5oz gripper leads using my pair of Leeda Icon elite match rods and Diawa 7ht multis. My boys outfit had an identical terminal tackle set up. With that it was time to sit back and watch the tips. What was immediately apparent was that the weed was worse than the other night, secondly, as I’d not fished here at this state of the tide before, it receded at a fair pace, so following the water down was paramount. First casts didn’t produce, so they were chucked back out there. My boy decided to try achieve his ambition of pumping a lugworm, as his previous attempts had failed, this he managed to do! Obviously this worm was destined for great things and needed to be on his hook immediately! As he was reeling in, he was confident there was a fish there, “just weed I sagely advised…” wrong again, a little bootlace eel appeared, spun in a trace and weed ball! After cutting the trace to ribbons to free the wee beastie, it was released after a quick pic. With that I noticed that my tip was nodding, so retrieved it to find an eel on mine too, this trace was also “eel’d” and needed replacing from the winder box. Both rods duly rebaited (with the boys lucky lug - or “captain black-lug” as he christened it! - I quickly retrieved my other rod to find another eel on the end. Another trace required! The boy had another bite register in his rod that produced his second eel of the night (yet another trace!) taken on his “lucky lug/captain black-lug” then I had an eel on each rod to take it up to 5 eels in 3hrs. We stood under the stars watching the tips, yet drawn to the meteor shower (the persiads) over our heads, when the boy declared himself to be rather tired (we had been bowling and played laser quest with my other son and other family most of the day) so we retrieved the gear to find (thankfully) empty hooks, especially as all my traces were now balls of snot and I’ve got to strip them all down and retie them. Still no first bass for him, I’d have expected at least a schoolie, but he enjoyed it and was happy with our haul. View attachment 12843View attachment 12844View attachment 12845View attachment 12846View attachment 12847View attachment 12848View attachment 12849View attachment 12850View attachment 12851

He’s lovin it bey ???

 

[wingnut55]

One thing i have noticed Matt, your nippers reel looks like it could do with coming down the butt a tad, looks a bit high for the lad to me, looking at the first pic. JMO.

Ian.

 

[ouchthathurt]

One thing i have noticed Matt, your nippers reel looks like it could do with coming down the butt a tad, looks a bit high for the lad to me, looking at the first pic. JMO.

Ian.

Yes mate, you’re right! I noticed it when he was practicing casting, next session I’ll position it where it will be more comfortable for him. Many thanks Ian. ??

 

[bananas]

eel-do !!, well don the the slippery ones

 

[ouchthathurt]

One thing i have noticed Matt, your nippers reel looks like it could do with coming down the butt a tad, looks a bit high for the lad to me, looking at the first pic. JMO.

Ian.

Just done an hour or two chucking mackerel feathers into an empty sea, I positioned the reel to suit the boy and he was soon firing the tinsel traces out 60-70yrds with a 4oz lead. Off the harbour arm, we are already about 150-200yrds off shore, bait fishing he will be well in with a shout. We will have to do an evening high tide down there some point soon.

 

[wingnut55]

Hi Matt,

That's good to hear, at least it will probably feel more comfortable for him, he just didn't look it in the pic before.

Ian.

 

[nearly70ty]

And a great time was had by all