Soles.

[solehunter]

Hi everyone, I was wondering if soles would be about in numbers on the South Wales coast at this time of year. Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

[Beach]

Ah Soles Welcome

 

[glandyman]

Hi everyone, I was wondering if soles would be about in numbers on the South Wales coast at this time of year. Any thoughts? Thanks.

I would have thought it's a bit early, we used to start targeting them from August onwards in Cardiff/ Newport.

 

[Beach]

I would have thought it's a bit early, we used to start targeting them from August onwards in Cardiff/ Newport.

Nightime or after dark over sand late June through end of Sept is best down our way.

 

[Trampster]

Welcome to the Madhouse Solehunter!

South Wales is a bit far North from my area.

 

[solehunter]

I would have thought it's a bit early, we used to start targeting them from August onwards in Cardiff/ Newport.

I had some nice fat soles last year in the summer and autumn but I was hoping there may be some about a bit earlier in the year. They are my favourite tasting sea fish. I was catching them on lugworm on a size 6 de-barbed inline circle hook. The hardest part is putting the worm on the hook.

 

[Mr Fish]

I had some nice fat soles last year in the summer and autumn but I was hoping there may be some about a bit earlier in the year. They are my favourite tasting sea fish. I was catching them on lugworm on a size 6 de-barbed inline circle hook. The hardest part is putting the worm on the hook.

North Somerset you can start picking them up as early as May though as said, later summer seems to be better.
Since that’s directly opposite South Wales I would imagine similar timings apply.

I certainly don’t think you’d be wasting your time if you started trying now.

 

[glandyman]

I had some nice fat soles last year in the summer and autumn but I was hoping there may be some about a bit earlier in the year. They are my favourite tasting sea fish. I was catching them on lugworm on a size 6 de-barbed inline circle hook. The hardest part is putting the worm on the hook.

You may be lucky, the winter and spring water temps have been above average this year, good luck. I hate using worm with circles.

 

[solehunter]

North Somerset you can start picking them up as early as May though as said, later summer seems to be better.
Since that’s directly opposite South Wales I would imagine similar timings apply.

I certainly don’t think you’d be wasting your time if you started trying now.

Thanks.

 

[solehunter]

You may be lucky, the winter and spring water temps have been above average this year, good luck. I hate using worm with circles.

Thanks.

 

[Topwater]

Welcome to TSF and good luck with your huntHave you tried using a baiting needle? I've caught the occasional good sole locally but haven't targeted them specifically. Are you using fresh lug or does tacky appeal to them? I'd be interested to hear any tips or tactics for them

 

[solehunter]

Welcome to TSF and good luck with your huntHave you tried using a baiting needle? I've caught the occasional good sole locally but haven't targeted them specifically. Are you using fresh lug or does tacky appeal to them? I'd be interested to hear any tips or tactics for them

Thank you. My preferred bait is a static fresh lugworm but I don't want too much movement in them to attract other fish before the sole can home in on them. I find it difficult to use a baiting needle with inline size 6 circle hooks. I persevere as best I can, but it's fiddly. I prefer to fish at night and anchor the rig down hard onto the sea bed preferring neap tides or sheltered estuaries. Mostly, I can get away with a flattened 2oz-3oz lead on the end with a 1/2oz-1oz coffin lead at the 'upward' end of the rig next to the main line. If I fish two rods I usually have a 2 hook flapper with short 4"-6" snoods. If I am fishing on the beach without a tripod I use one rod with 4 hooks on the flapper. The flapper is a Mortician rig set-up. When fishing off a pier or breakwater I prefer a running leger with two hooks snoods tied Mortician style to a 40lbs lead core braid beyond the weight. This helps to keep the braid on the sand. I found these two sources of information to be most helpful. http://www.vicfisher.co.uk/tips-and-tricks/rigs/sole-rig/

 

[Topwater]

A size 6 circle is a small hook, depending a bit on maker/pattern it can be very small in relation to a lugworm. The sole I've kept have managed to get a big J hook and big black lug bait, aimed at bass, in them.
I like the simplicity of that 'mortician rig' in the video but that man needs to learn to tie better knots than his pigtailed improved clinch! Telephone wire trapped swivels are my favoured route. Leadcore is an interesting choice

 

[solehunter]

A size 6 circle is a small hook, depending a bit on maker/pattern it can be very small in relation to a lugworm. The sole I've kept have managed to get a big J hook and big black lug bait, aimed at bass, in them.
I like the simplicity of that 'mortician rig' in the video but that man needs to learn to tie better knots than his pigtailed improved clinch! Telephone wire trapped swivels are my favoured route. Leadcore is an interesting choice

I prefer de-barbed circle hooks to make the release of small soles easy and quick and I find that lugworm stay on the hook longer.