Mr Fish
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2020
- Messages
- 20,546
- Reaction score
- 70,866
- Points
- 116
- Location
- North Devon
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
Was back at it yesterday for a Sunday daytime comp. After my ‘funny turn’ following the Chesil session I felt back to normal and tbh wanted to see how I did prior to any longer trips again.
The location was a local rock mark and the target really was hounds, though it can throw up huss and various species.
Met up with a mate and although still fairly busy, the mad press of tourists had subsided to something more manageable, so it wasn’t a total nightmare driving to the mark.
We set up at low and out went spider crab peeler as well as prawn baits, mixed in with the odd whole squid, in the hope of hounds.
It was also very hot and humid, with sun more often than not.
I’d opted not to wear shorts as there hadn’t actually been much sun forecast, plus I wanted to wear my neoprene Rockhopper spiked boots and they’re a misery of sweat on bare legs.
But ditched the shirt to treat any passersby to the Sag D Titz experience and the sweat was rolling off, much to the delight of a range of insects
Anyway, fishing was slow in the extreme. The water was clear, which my mate thought would make a difference for hounds - I disagreed, I think they just weren’t there.
We had a few dogfish looking bites that were missed, but nothing at all until we moved up to a higher platform.
I had tried some light feathering with a float rod and planned to get a float out, but stuck with the hound plan longer than it was worth tbh.
I did have a small huss that was modest dogfish size, no pic sorry, and then finally when I began float fishing I had a garfish.
Again no pic as it was lightly hooked for once and handling it with a cloth, I got it back quickly.
It wasn’t more than 12 ounces, if that.
My mate finally had a very dark coloured dog that we thought was a huss at first, but at 1lb 15 it was three ounces short of the minimum weigh in size.
Quite a few younger lads turned up and were thrashing the water with various lures, but they didn’t get in our way so all good.
I didn’t see them catch anything either, unfortunately.
As the sun began to set we packed up as the comp finished at 8pm but we didn’t have headlights and I wanted to be home by 8 anyway.
In hindsight I think I should have ditched the big bottom bait approach much earlier and focused on the float, or even tried small baits to see if there were any triggers or something different out there.
Hounds can appear at any time, it’s true and my mate was bemoaning bringing skanky crab ‘to use it up’ and thought that was why he didn’t have any.
I pointed out my crab was okay and I didn’t have any either - they just weren’t there.
A pleasant day to top up the tan but no fish action.
The location was a local rock mark and the target really was hounds, though it can throw up huss and various species.
Met up with a mate and although still fairly busy, the mad press of tourists had subsided to something more manageable, so it wasn’t a total nightmare driving to the mark.
We set up at low and out went spider crab peeler as well as prawn baits, mixed in with the odd whole squid, in the hope of hounds.
It was also very hot and humid, with sun more often than not.
I’d opted not to wear shorts as there hadn’t actually been much sun forecast, plus I wanted to wear my neoprene Rockhopper spiked boots and they’re a misery of sweat on bare legs.
But ditched the shirt to treat any passersby to the Sag D Titz experience and the sweat was rolling off, much to the delight of a range of insects
Anyway, fishing was slow in the extreme. The water was clear, which my mate thought would make a difference for hounds - I disagreed, I think they just weren’t there.
We had a few dogfish looking bites that were missed, but nothing at all until we moved up to a higher platform.
I had tried some light feathering with a float rod and planned to get a float out, but stuck with the hound plan longer than it was worth tbh.
I did have a small huss that was modest dogfish size, no pic sorry, and then finally when I began float fishing I had a garfish.
Again no pic as it was lightly hooked for once and handling it with a cloth, I got it back quickly.
It wasn’t more than 12 ounces, if that.
My mate finally had a very dark coloured dog that we thought was a huss at first, but at 1lb 15 it was three ounces short of the minimum weigh in size.
Quite a few younger lads turned up and were thrashing the water with various lures, but they didn’t get in our way so all good.
I didn’t see them catch anything either, unfortunately.
As the sun began to set we packed up as the comp finished at 8pm but we didn’t have headlights and I wanted to be home by 8 anyway.
In hindsight I think I should have ditched the big bottom bait approach much earlier and focused on the float, or even tried small baits to see if there were any triggers or something different out there.
Hounds can appear at any time, it’s true and my mate was bemoaning bringing skanky crab ‘to use it up’ and thought that was why he didn’t have any.
I pointed out my crab was okay and I didn’t have any either - they just weren’t there.
A pleasant day to top up the tan but no fish action.
