Andy 1965
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2020
- Messages
- 402
- Reaction score
- 3,655
- Points
- 93
- Location
- North Wales
- Favourite Fishing
- Lure
Part 1.
OK, I admit I nicked the phrase off someone else ? but it just about sums up this weeks’ fishing.
Since my last session on the lures, North Wales had been subject to a 24 period of strong Northerly winds, which would have rendered my recent mark unfishable for a few days at least. However conditions had been more settled since then and though I considered a change of scenery, it seemed silly to gamble on a different venue when I’d been doing so well and catching bass in decent numbers, so I decided to give it another go anyway.
Everything looked good when the coast came into view, with warm sunny weather and calm seas, but as I approached the shore I realised that I might have a problem
. The first thing I noticed was the strong smell and when the beach came into view, I saw a massive accumulation of rotting seaweed along the high tide line. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the sand was also littered with it and the first couple of meters of the sea was thick with loose weed tumbling in the shallow surf tables 
.
Though things looked bad, I wasn’t actually fishing off the sand and I hoped that the water would be clearer off the rocks, but I was out of luck. It was nowhere near as bad as on the beach, but there was still enough rubbish about to make fishing difficult. I wasn’t about to be put off though and I reasoned that the water would be clearer still further offshore, if only I could reach it.
The first spot I tried wasn’t great, but thankfully I was fishing the ebb and as the tide receded I was able to follow it and to wade further out, and reach ever greater distances from the shore, where hopefully the dreaded weed wasn’t as bad. I persevered and tried several different lures, but anything with a treble hook became covered in cabbage within seconds and I was in fact limited to fishing with the Swimmish, which given its record over the last couple of weeks wasn’t a bad problem to have.
The first couple of hours was quiet, and I had to remove the odd bit of weed off my lures on most casts, but I was at least in with a chance, then about an hour before low the weed mysteriously vanished
. This gave my confidence a massive boost and this proved to be justified when no more than 10 minutes after the water cleared, my lure was stopped abruptly half-way in. At only around the 2lb mark, the fish wasn’t the biggest I’ve had at the mark but I was more than happy to beat the blank yet again 
.
After a quick pic I wasted no time in getting back to it, the green stuff could return at any minute and there wasn’t a moment to lose. Thankfully I was right and only a few minutes later I was in again, only a schoolie this time but it was number 70 for the year ?. Unfortunately, schoolies are quick little buggers and this one was able to slide off the rock just as I was about to take a snap. It’s there in the picture though if you look closely enough ?.
With no time to waste I got straight back to the fishing again, but soon after this the weed was back and the bass were gone again, but at least I had a couple of fish to my name.
Eager for more, I carried on fishing in the hope that the turn of the tide would improve conditions and sure enough, dead on low water the cabbage vanished completely
. Like before, I hoped this would give my chances a boost and once more that was exactly what happened, as in the next 15 minutes I landed 2 more bass 
.
Unfortunately though, the light levels were dropping quite rapidly by now, which is usually the kiss of death on the rocks, and all too soon after I had started catching again, the bass were gone for good
.
It was still relatively early yet and I wasn’t ready to call it a night, so I spent the next hour wandering along the shore, trying any likely looking spots. Unlike at my first mark, the weed was still a massive problem and I wasn’t able to fish effectively anymore, so I finally called it a night just after midnight (THUMBS DOWN).
Part 2.
After breaking through the 70 bass barrier, I couldn’t resist a return visit the following evening and though the lateness of the tide wasn’t ideal, the overcast conditions could help. Also I hoped that the extra 24 hours would mean more time for the weed to settle ?. Once more the smell of rotting seaweed was noticeable in the air, long before the sea came into view and the surf was still full of it, but thankfully the water on the reef was almost cabbage free now.
For the next 3 hours I followed the ebbing tide out, constantly wading slightly further in order to reach clear water, but despite trying all the lures which have served me well at the mark in the past, the bass were nowhere to be found and I only had a single tap on my lure. By the time low water arrived, the light was all but gone, so I only allowed myself another 30 minutes before I retreated to more level ground.
Desperate for my recent successful run not to come to an end, I spent another 90 minutes wandering along the shore trying to find some clearer water, but alas my search was in vain. As the fog rolled in, blanketing the coastline, I felt my chances of avoiding the blank slip away and I was finally forced to admit defeat with my first blank in 7 sessions ?.
OK, I admit I nicked the phrase off someone else ? but it just about sums up this weeks’ fishing.
Since my last session on the lures, North Wales had been subject to a 24 period of strong Northerly winds, which would have rendered my recent mark unfishable for a few days at least. However conditions had been more settled since then and though I considered a change of scenery, it seemed silly to gamble on a different venue when I’d been doing so well and catching bass in decent numbers, so I decided to give it another go anyway.
Everything looked good when the coast came into view, with warm sunny weather and calm seas, but as I approached the shore I realised that I might have a problem
. The first thing I noticed was the strong smell and when the beach came into view, I saw a massive accumulation of rotting seaweed along the high tide line. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the sand was also littered with it and the first couple of meters of the sea was thick with loose weed tumbling in the shallow surf tables .Though things looked bad, I wasn’t actually fishing off the sand and I hoped that the water would be clearer off the rocks, but I was out of luck. It was nowhere near as bad as on the beach, but there was still enough rubbish about to make fishing difficult. I wasn’t about to be put off though and I reasoned that the water would be clearer still further offshore, if only I could reach it.
The first spot I tried wasn’t great, but thankfully I was fishing the ebb and as the tide receded I was able to follow it and to wade further out, and reach ever greater distances from the shore, where hopefully the dreaded weed wasn’t as bad. I persevered and tried several different lures, but anything with a treble hook became covered in cabbage within seconds and I was in fact limited to fishing with the Swimmish, which given its record over the last couple of weeks wasn’t a bad problem to have.
The first couple of hours was quiet, and I had to remove the odd bit of weed off my lures on most casts, but I was at least in with a chance, then about an hour before low the weed mysteriously vanished
. This gave my confidence a massive boost and this proved to be justified when no more than 10 minutes after the water cleared, my lure was stopped abruptly half-way in. At only around the 2lb mark, the fish wasn’t the biggest I’ve had at the mark but I was more than happy to beat the blank yet again .After a quick pic I wasted no time in getting back to it, the green stuff could return at any minute and there wasn’t a moment to lose. Thankfully I was right and only a few minutes later I was in again, only a schoolie this time but it was number 70 for the year ?. Unfortunately, schoolies are quick little buggers and this one was able to slide off the rock just as I was about to take a snap. It’s there in the picture though if you look closely enough ?.
With no time to waste I got straight back to the fishing again, but soon after this the weed was back and the bass were gone again, but at least I had a couple of fish to my name.
Eager for more, I carried on fishing in the hope that the turn of the tide would improve conditions and sure enough, dead on low water the cabbage vanished completely
. Like before, I hoped this would give my chances a boost and once more that was exactly what happened, as in the next 15 minutes I landed 2 more bass .Unfortunately though, the light levels were dropping quite rapidly by now, which is usually the kiss of death on the rocks, and all too soon after I had started catching again, the bass were gone for good
.It was still relatively early yet and I wasn’t ready to call it a night, so I spent the next hour wandering along the shore, trying any likely looking spots. Unlike at my first mark, the weed was still a massive problem and I wasn’t able to fish effectively anymore, so I finally called it a night just after midnight (THUMBS DOWN).
Part 2.
After breaking through the 70 bass barrier, I couldn’t resist a return visit the following evening and though the lateness of the tide wasn’t ideal, the overcast conditions could help. Also I hoped that the extra 24 hours would mean more time for the weed to settle ?. Once more the smell of rotting seaweed was noticeable in the air, long before the sea came into view and the surf was still full of it, but thankfully the water on the reef was almost cabbage free now.
For the next 3 hours I followed the ebbing tide out, constantly wading slightly further in order to reach clear water, but despite trying all the lures which have served me well at the mark in the past, the bass were nowhere to be found and I only had a single tap on my lure. By the time low water arrived, the light was all but gone, so I only allowed myself another 30 minutes before I retreated to more level ground.
Desperate for my recent successful run not to come to an end, I spent another 90 minutes wandering along the shore trying to find some clearer water, but alas my search was in vain. As the fog rolled in, blanketing the coastline, I felt my chances of avoiding the blank slip away and I was finally forced to admit defeat with my first blank in 7 sessions ?.
