AKA Friday!
So, not a great deal too say, the crabs are still all over the marina although I’m told they mostly have stopped peeling I guess which means the buggers are toughening up for a fight before they bugger off. Plenty of prawns east of the marina too live bait with. bass still continue too tick over, mostly at night and I guess avoiding the bright light of day. mind you it seems like most of the fish are also doing the same and angler numbers have taken a huge hit on the marina unsurprisingly as lets face it who wants too drive 3 hrs each way if there is a seemingly distinct lack of fish!
There has been mackerel in the early mornings on one wall or the other but guessing which wall they may show up on is a fine art beyond my ability and so often te bloody fish are taking the piss when they show up just out of cast range or are “IN” so fast you dont have time too swap a bait rig over too feathers. So short is the time they are here or in range at the moment some people have realised it is a case of sod em and dont bother.
likewise at night horse mackerel are also proving a bit fickle as one night they seem everywhere in the twilight half a mile off shore then the dark drops and they vanish like a mist under the sun.
Now this does sound like a bunch of excuses on why no one is catching these once plague numbered fish or it could be another way of saying thee is no flippin fish out there. I don’t have answers and it seems a massive case of be here at the right time , right wall, right bay or, you leave convinced the fish are all phantoms and dont really exist.
Thank fk for the resident shoals of Bass & mullet , if it wasn’t for them the fish reports would be stuck saying a few bream on each wall, some gobies and tons of spider crabs that are turning rock hard ! oh for the joys of a few years back when I could walk onto the west wall and fling a line over and within minutes start catching bream.
I hope too gawd that August brings its pick up on the bream, it does usually seem too be the marina’s best one of 2 months for Bream (sept the other) because this year so far has been the worst ive seen for catches on the marina. Ironic that it isn’t really any better /or much better elsewhere on the south coast ! it does all feel a bit doom n gloom so I guess it cant sink any worse… can it ? ! lets hope not.
Anyhoooo that really is it for today and I may just go and hide until the fish return !
ho hum, nowt left too say for today so I guess I will beggar orf and close with, until the next one, I bid you all ADIEU
F
Category: Uncategorized
The weekend that is , mind u so is Roy Orbison but that is a very different matter !
So, (turns out this is quite a long one , ya been warned)
Is it still shit ?
Are there any fish ?
Are they in? or out? or shaking it all about !
Are they still here ?
Have you seen them ?
And most important of all,…. have u seen the muffin man ?
Shrek ? nursery rhymes ? wtf no I’m not having a melt down but my head does collect some weird shit and I cant blame it on the meds as they seem too be doing what the doc expects them too be doing !
Ok, too be reasonable with ya zall I guess I should answer the above nonsense in a slightly long winded kinda way that you probably by now actually expect.
Saturday, went along the seafront with Mrs P and some family members. My eldest Lad Pete is a wrestling nut far more so than even I am(I should perhaps admit family insanity at this point) and so the weekend kicked off with not even a look at the marina as we went down near the I360 or what ever that silly spaceship on a metal telegraph pole calls itself as there was a free wrestling show going on down there. (hence no fish post) and chilled out later watching the Brits vs Frogs WCup game.
Sunday was my wedding anniversary which was spent lazing about and having a few beers with the wife, If I make it without her killin me in frustration from leaving the bog seat up it will be 25 yrs married next year. hence a vague report most recently… which brings us around too yesterdays visit too the walls and a few answers.
Is it still shit ? in a nut shell , YES, everywhere it seems
Are there any fish ? well yea but not really in numbers
Are they in? or out? or shaking it all about ! mackerel, sorta yea & no read lower
Are they still here ? CRABS, they are trying too climb the walls for your food
Have you seen them ? not Mackerel, horse mackerel, late evening they are shoaling and despite a poor rep, they are not bad eating and can be decent bait.
So , lets pad this shit out as much as i often do eh :).
Truth, the fishing is poor when compared too past years, not just on the marina but all along the south coast and its not just Mackerel although they are the biggest noticeable absence. Btn waters are shallower than other common venues such as Dover and areas around Portsmouth and the IOW and as a result see some species clearly ahead of when the numbers start too show up on the marina and local beaches.
Regular readers here will already know my views re mackerel and links too warmer seas, changing breeding patterns, over fishing and drops in what these fish eat (phyto plankton and other smaller tit bits.) so I wont do a conservation speech today. Species numbers do seem too be suffering for various reasons and I can only speculate reasons without obvious and clear evidence as too why.
Some changes are clear, increased squid and cuttle activity in the autumn while spring squid seemingly are fading away. Bream numbers too some heavy hits over the past few years but this year are showing signs of slow recovery and we are getting a mix of black bream and gilthead’s . Plaice is a bit harder too call as they seem too fade one year and then bounce back in cycles and we may just be in one of those down years.
Garfish are slow arriving, perhaps as they are often seen with the main summer mackerel shoals of which the last few years seem too build slowly in July and then ramp up in August of the marina, (sooner in deep water regions like Dover) Wrasse seem too be more evident in their absence with numbers hugely down on say 10 years ago when they could match the bream for numbers. Thankfully we do have resident Bass in the marina keeping that part of the fishery stable but even their activity during these hot summer heatwave days has slowed up.
I wont say it will pick up next month but August is usually the best for multiple species and decent numbers, but I will say in near 27 years of sitting my arse on the marina this is truly the worst year I have seen for fish numbers and reports from other regions which does sorta point too something is broken or very near broken and something has too be done or changed. That point I don’t have a solution too but I suspect it may need a reduction in recreational and commercial fishing combined before we see the end of certain common species.
So, lets get away from the doom n gloom for a moment as I want intending a sermon but my brain does sometimes work the opposite to many normal peoples brains !
Right, lets fill in some blanks too them 5 leading questions especially as I opened up with a broadside saying the fishing is still shit.
Q1, Yes it is very poor and flippin hard work, not just hear but so so many venues are seeing drops so lets call it the too bliddy hot and bright factor too attract fish atm as it sounds a bit more positive and less doom mongering.
Im told the evening & night fishing is slowly improving, mostly due too the last question of which I will get too….. soon honest š
Q2 , Yes there are fish but daylight hours it has been very hard work, mullet numbers are less than expected but they are there. Bass Bream and occasional mackerel tick overwith daily catches of bream but mackerel are a bit more , erm , flakey. Early mornings this week has seen mini shoals close in and hang around for a few minutes then clear off. Following that there have been here n there catches through the day , mostly singles but occasionally 2-3 will come up on feathers but I warn you they are mostly right time right place or you wont see a single one all day. Mackies are tough going too catch. Bream as I have said while not in big numbers as yet do seem too be the most likely catch & a few are now fair too decent sizes if you catch. There are quite a few blennies along the wall, mostly close down the sides and erm … do save a blank.
The east has seen a few Pollack of mixed sizes top and bottom bays and has chucked up an occasional plaice & gurnard out over the sandy bays. Seemingly a total lack of rays but there does seem too be more cuttlefish this summer being landed. not sure if was a lack of targeting in the past or an increase this year.
Night fishing at the moment seems too be mostly some Bream, Bass and as said horse mackerel in decent numbers. There has also been a few sole being caught on local beaches so it may be worth baking some smelly worm baits in the sun if ya fancy a go at them.
Q3, I think I have covered mackerel in the above sections, they are sorta in 1st light but numbers are very low.
Q4, Are they still here ? well there I mean them spider crabs which seem dead set on a full scale invasion and take over. A lot of them are still quite hard but there are loads of peelers too go around. At times they are stacking more than 10 deep against the walls.
I will remind all that spiders and many other crabs do have collecting limits set on them by the IFCA and other fishery bodies. You are allowed too collect and retin 20 per day per person as bait and if keeping they should be 12cm across the shell. I realise some would say take em all they are a flippin pain but please be advised. Sussex fisheries do visit the walls and will check catches and spider crabs are something they are very aware of when it comes too people collecting them undersized.
Q5, Have you seen them ? does refer too this weeks sightings of horse mackerel shoals arriving in local waters in decent numbers. Bass needless too say are other than stuffing themselves on spider crabs are also hitting the horse mac shoals and sometimes it can be quite a sight as multi species have a way of exploding in the water as the bun fest kicks off attracting gulls and smooth hounds too the feeding frenzies., so dont be surprised if we again see a few hound takes being recorded on the walls.
Well I best call it a day and sign off before I send you all too sleep(assuming you are managing too read all this) and so, until the next one I will sign of and bid you all ADIEU
F
Well, there ya have it. So desperate for an apt or witty blog title I have sunk too the level of State The Bloody Obvious ! best watch out as I recon next will be “hell has frozen over !”
Why state the obvious? quite simple, so little too say about the fishing I guess BUT, there is a bit of bright news so lets start with that.
Im told that night fishing has improved, although Im not aware of how things went last night it seems that horse mackerel are becoming a bit more regular and have been caught in numbers 2-3 of the most recent nights and bass takes are still ticking over quite nicely, no sign of rays or sole on the west yet but I will keep my fingers crossed that the next few weeks show a marked improvement on how things have been the last few weeks.
Daytime fishing still remains very challenging and while it may sound like a bunch of excuses we have been hit by what I guess is a combo from hell. As I mentioned in the last blog July can often be a quiet month with bright clear water, very little fry in the water inshore, strong sunshine and hot all day seems too put the fish off from being active (cant blame em tbh) often moving too deeper water, add in dropping (or seemingly) stocks of bait species such as Mackerel, Herring, Sardine and such like has, it seems that things have given us something very unusual and the poorest fishing I have ever known in more that almost 30 years.
I realise I posted last time that July is traditionally quiet and not really a mackerel month for the marina, I also added about perhaps clouded memories and was reminded about something yesterday by a wall regular who was cycling the wall for a scout about and pointed out that he defo recalls the likes of mackerel in July and I do actually agree with him, in part, so I will elaborate a bit and get too waffle some more.
Ive mentioned in the past various ICES reports, in particular one 20 years back stating mackerel breeding patterns and migration routes & times. It at the time claimed that Mackies were breeding further and further north and under the polar Ice due too rising sea temperatures ( 20 years ago !) which was claimed would effect the migration timings and patterns as the distances increased. I have often repeated this info a fair bit, initially it was laughed off but being on the marina regularly has allowed me too see some of the changing patterns of catches and declines/rises in various sea species.
Yearly over the last 20 odd years the mackerel seem too get a few days later. Yes we usually get a spring run in April then things slow up & we see May rot take hold. We do see mackerel (usually) but not huge shoals. Often like currently a small shoal will show up, flit along one or both walls and be away inside a few mins meaning anglers needed too be in the right spot at the right time or you missed them. This year that pattern is still there but only Just. Fish numbers are massively down and its not just mackerel and its not just the marina that is seeing a huge lack of fish atm. The whole of the south coast is similar inshore with some boats going out further and further just too get a few mackies.
As said, the migrate pattern has indeed been shown as real, I said Ive been paying attention too it for 20+ years and a 1-3 day change yearly seems very little until you think…. 1-3 days in five years could at a push be as much as 1-2 weeks change, so 10, 15 20 year changes if the pattern continued ?
Perhaps now it becomes clearer why i say that mackerel arent a thing in July as the old “end of June” shoal arrivals hasnt really happened for some years and we are more likely too see shoals of mackerel (if they happen) somewhen into August this year. Something has too change soon before fish stocks take a permanent hit that will take years too undo. on that I don’t have the answers, lets face it we all think
“ahh its only Mackerel, there are tons of em why worry” but the other problem too falling stocks is how the fek too preserve them !
Can you imaging rec anglers being told sorry folks but, Mackerel are only for commercial fleets as they are scarce! Frick can you imagine the uproar ? The bigger problem though is not banning on sector from tking fish too preserve a stock the real issue is that any stock bans should be universally applied IE Rec and commercial alike, its pointless banning one group for the benefit of the other. IMO it simply wont work.
Sermon over & returning too a catch report,
when I went on the west yesterday (mullet) Dave was fishing his usual lower bay and he mentioned that he had seen a shoal of Mackerel (honest he did) about 7-7.15 am and by time he had set up they had been n gone so fast you could easily think it was imagined but nope , the same thing happened on wed morning but that time they were low on the east during the low tide.
Now based on that anyone wanting a half chance at mackerel should try early mornings for a few days, it may just pay off.
I spent all of the afternoon rolling around both walls (yes im that big and round) and through the high tide. Like Wednesday afternoon it was flippin hot and the few anglers there were getting very sun baked for a return of very few fish, most there didnt even get too see a fish caught yet alone catch one for themselves. There were a few fish as has been repeated all week but it was a case of mostly Bream, a couple of Mackerel and Blennies.
Yesterday I think was a new low for me. A Friday summer afternoon with fairly low numbers fishing when in the past both walls would have been quite busy but I cant blame people for not coming down. Lets face it 2-3 hour travel down with the prospect of a blank !, no one wants too do that when costs of things including car fuel constantly rise and people feel the pinch. 4+ hrs in a car, add road works, delays & traffic jams too sit on a marina too get a suntan ! sod that.
I shant say how few fish I saw or was aware of although I was told Roy had caught a nice mullet other fish on both walls were during the day very few and far between.
If this is the low point I guess’šµ things can only get better šµ especially as I’m sure they cant get worse !
Day off as such today as gonna go see some wrestling on the seafront (nr angel statue) so unless something strange happens today don’t expect a blog tomorrow.
Aaaaannnnnndddd with that I will sign off for today and bid you all ADIEU
F
Where oh where indeed.
Be warned, this is a longish read and not much on the catch report until the end so scroll down if you CBA too read me waffle š
I am beginning too wonder where all the fish have gone or put another what, where are they going during the daytime! jeez it feels grim sometimes. There comes a point sometimes when biging things up a little seem pointless if there is little too nothing too big up, or so it feels although some factors could or can be part explained. I know july on the marina has often been a cloudy part of many anglers memories and is actually often a very quiet month during the hot summer days.
Often crystal clear waters mixed with relentless sunshine and sunburns are repeated year after year as memories are clouded by past memories of fishing huge shoals of mackerel and plentiful gar fish. Weirdly i believe it is a false memory. yes April used too be a spring run of mackerel for 10+ days followed or mixed in with a boom of squid on the marina highlighted by then shore guide & now mostly boat guide Robin Howard. now I know I have bigged him up often but in truth its an earned rep and Im not one known for singing anyones praise so the dude is worth checking out.
Anyhow I digress, so April into May traditionally gives us a burst of mackies and then squid (usually) which is then followed by the dreaded may rot which tbh is now getting earlier as the seas seem too be raising average temperatures thus I guess the rot logically will arrive the sooner. may also see’s the boats doing well on the Bream front although the pick upon the walls is slower. yes we get bream sometimes from mid March but the numbers are hardly there for a few more months. May rot passing will see the arrival of the micro species such as blennies, gobies and scorpion fish(bullheads) and over the last few years the early arrival of the spider crabs. And then we hit July !
Oh the joys of July, long hot summer days, crystal clear water (sometimes) and what happens too the fishing during the day ? well IMO , sod all! there , said it. SOD ALL. I swear our local fish population all have sensitive eyes and all shy away from clear water and strong sunlight.. well not all. We are fortunate with the marina fishing as we do have resident shoals of Mullet and more specifically BASS. granted the Bass need a bit of tempting but there is now plenty about too do that.
July’s biggest feature now it seems is that the spider crabs that began in may are in full invasion mode and come prepared I swear with either their own cutlery or are armed with line snips too cut snoods and bait steal in large amounts! There is a bonus though. with so many moulting crabs the Bass get careless and almost it seems are getting drunk on the crab juice meaning that there is at least something out there too target in July Collect a few live prawns or use a drop net to collect some crabs and you are half way towards catching a Bass, how is up too you but its worth watching some of the regulars that fish the low east bays this time of year.
So so many I talk too swear they remember better summers and shoals of fish and its true that this year and perhaps the last 2 years have been the poorest Ive known in 26 years on the marina but it seems every year the same convo happens in July about how it was better in July in past years, Ive checked some of my records going back more than 8+ years and July had been one of them months where if it is hot, sunny and clear waters people have been sunbaked faster than they have caught a fish but…….. July does have a break in that pattern….
July night fishing is the pick up point. Horse mackerel numbers start too increase and from one or two nights a week showing up on the wall sees an almost nightly increase. bass as ever are also a stable catch for night anglers and I suspect we will be hearing about rays and sole again being caught at night on the west. ~
Now Im no fishing guru nor ever claimed too be a good angler. I watch others and am probably one of the laziest anglers you may meet. I do see what others do, occasionally I change how I habitually fish and even more occasionally catch more than a few bullheads and blennies resulting in mostly Bream or Wrasse who seem too play in the same areas of the walls.
As said, no great angler but I am a fairly decent observer and do like too chat on the wall when down there resulting in much lost bait and many missed bites. As a result I have time too look back and compare other years and see patterns.
20 plus years ago I saw an ICES report saying about how Mackerel are moving further North too breed, part from receding ice in the polar region and warmer local waters. At the time I reposted it and was as I say at the time sorta disbelieved. well over the years I repeated this and one or two people started looking at it realisticly and noticed what I had been saying. A slight change in general arrival times of the main shoals that most were accustomed too. The changes were slow, a couple of days per year, a week or so every 6 or so years, now it seems that those big shoals that do show up (up till last year) are later in the year than many of my age remember, so much so that it is over a month later with last year the few that we saw arrive mid August, yep AUGUST. Combine that with dropping fish populations of many round fish, probable over fishing , sea temp changes and it seems like some stocks are suffering as food chains get impacted.
Herring, sardine, mackerel, and more have dropping numbers , In Morocco the pilchard canneries are in trouble due too lack of fish, plankton & Phyto plankton numbers are down and some put that down too less fertiliser in the oceans mostly produced by dropping numbers of Whales. If the plankton collapses so will whole food chains.
Perhaps this is why this years start is so poor. Horse mac numbers at night seem fairly good and so perhaps also may be the numbers of mackerel when/if they arrive in August. Yes we are seeing some mackies in small bursts but this in itself is not unusual so Im gonna cross my fingers and hope August actually brings us some decent fishing.
To me the wind farm does seem too be looking beneficial too fish stock with plenty of fry out there drawing in larger fish too feed, thus nests should and are slowly spreading from there an I can see a recovery from that in bream numbers happening on the marina and Sussex coast in general.
And thus I get too the point of replying too the question, how was yesterday….
well….
erm..
daytime ? not a lot.
I got the quad out earlier than usual and hit the west wall about mid day too find things somewhat quite. From the toilet block the EAST looked near empty so took my time gearing up and having a quick chat with a few of the people on the west. Many were chucking feathers about in the summer heat ! ( sod that too hot for me) but a few also had baits out.
Again low numbers on the wall but not a shock, who wants too travel 60-100 miles and spend a hot summer day blanking ? Social media is a great tool but also a curse. This years visitor numbers so far is the lowest Ive ever seen!. While wandering through I did see a couple of Bream come out and also a couple of Mackerel ! omg they exist , honest. Anyhoo, after a chat & check of tickets I rolled the wheels over and onto the east wall.
Hmmm, no one on the first 15 bays, unusual in itself considering the crab population. Further along a few familiar faces and a couple of dudes returning for a first visit in 20 odd years or so. I did get a brief chat then and lso just as they were packing & while they didnt have many fish they seemed pleased with their visit and said they would be back. On the fish front though like the west there seemed little going on other than a couple or so catches that were returned.
On returning too the west another regular was fishing the lower bays with his nephew on his first visit landing a decent sized eel so hopefully that will be another junior returning sometime soon.
Mark opted too open the west for night fishing and it seems that it was a good call as for the third night in a row the horse mac came out too play along with the bass , and so for a change some decent news rther than a fish desert the night fishing seems too have picked u much too the relief of many.
I will be down on the wall later and will close the east wall for 9pm, the west is again open all night so if ya fancy it there should be horse mac down there too occupy most people.
That is it for today, tight lines too those out today or tonight and I will catch you all on the next one. Until then, yup I will bid you all ADIEU
F
yup, did anyone spot yesterdays mistake ? tbh it wasnt really a mistake, more an error or lack of update being as I had posted no night fishing and late afternoon mark decided too open up and I hadnt updated the info yesterday afternoon.
The decision too open was based on info that the night before had seen loads of activity from horse mackerel and was a fair chance of a repeat. Did they return ? no idea I guess I will find out today.
On Monday Mark posted that there were mackerel being caught on the wall as well as bream during the mid morning high tide. What sort of amount isnt clear too me but when I was down yesterday morning til 1.30 there were some mackerel and bream being caught on the west. I did make a quick visit too the east then but there were few anglers and most were below bay 29 and was hard too judge if anything other than spiders were being caught. I hopefully should catch up with Mark today sometime and get a clearer picture of how yesterday went.
Spidercrabs are still abundant on the walls as are the prawns along the east shoreline for those looking for some free too collect bait but please remember, spider crabs have a minimum size of 12cm across the shell and you are allowed too collect 20 per person a day/session, also please be aware the fisheries people are regular visitors on the walls and expect the wardens too inform those collecting crabs of the requirements so please, when a warden , or if a warden chats too you about sizes they are there too do a job and its not about giving anyone a hard time or being petty as some have put it on occasion. The last thing anyone want is problems with the fisheries over a few spider crabs. There are plenty out there of sensible size so please, help us help you, if a warden stops by and mentions the sizes that the crabs should be its what we are expected too do and it is actually for the benefit of those collecting undersized items š
I am helping out on the walls daytime today So if you are down there please feel free too say Hi, I try too speak too most people but do from time to time drift past in my own world.
Thats it for today, short and sharp i guess . Thus , untl the next one I will bid you all ADIEU
F
Both walls too close at 9pm today and through to include Thursday night closed while Mark has some staff taking time off. WEST will be open this week for night fishing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Very few on the marina yesterday while I was there & that northerly “breeze”, breeze my arse , was very noticeable and causing issues for anyone wanting too try float fishing. yes it made things a bit cooler but for sure it did noting too improve the fishing.
I hung around until about 6.50 yesterday evening and a fair few had by then shown up to have a go as the sun started too drop. I did see some bream caught on the wall, individuals here n there but the high was still ahead of my leaving so have no idea how the early evening went on the west.
When I took the quad onto the east it was almost empty other than a small family on bay 6/7 and a couple of bass regulars on the first couple of bays. The wind was solid on the NEast and still pushing sand/chalk and silt into the lower bays as far along as perhaps bay 19 where there was a clear line out splitting decent green water with a yellowed silt laden water on the bays below.
With so few there its impossible too gauge how things had gone earlier in the day but there is definitely a serious drop in catch reports that even the silky skills of old EDDIE in daves shop would have issues biging up.
I wonder how many reading this can remember at some time or other ringing the shop not just too order bait but too get a catch report off the old sod…
I can just picture it now with him on the phone telling everyone ” yea come down, they are catching mackerel on the east, loads of bream and bass, come down, come down son before you miss them all !” fook me he could spin a yarn and I think to myself, well actually, no, I KNOW that the shop is much worse off for the loss of his fantasy world of perfect fishing š I bet his spirit is still out there telling some poor sod about the huge bass that stole his float biging it up like something from the film JAWS !
Ahh memories, now I know ive got old and twittering like Uncle Albert š ho hum, I wont be on the marina today but will be tomorrow from about mid day.
A final repeat and reminder, there will not be any night fishing this week until Friday night and all weekend.
thats it for today, all that is left is too bid you all ADIEU
F
Well it’s been some week & mostly for the footy fans as the World cup moves into its quarter finals stages. Regular readers here will no doubt assume the fishing is cack due too lack of posts and seeing this one probably think right now that either there has been some fish or im gonna waffle the shit out of this page.
At this point of my waffle or Sunday sermon if you prefer that phrase I will point out that what I see and hear on the marina is not the be all nor any definitive idea of what is going on down the marina.
I get there in the late afternoon(mostly). I’m not there all day as some wardens are. I dont see many of the wall visitors as the bulk are there in the mornings and tbh in this heat Id be shocked if someone would be on the marina from 6 or 7am and still be there say.. 5pm on any visit. 12 plus hours out in the sun is currently way too much for sane or normal people and that includes the wardens.
Yes I chat with other wardens and also chat too as many as I can when on the wall but often someone catching a couple of fish slip through or people dont post a catch as they figured 2 blennies or a pout is not worth the post if that was the case of late Id have little too post and even less too say here.
Yes its hard going, some anglers can be here all day and swear blind no one caught a thing and the truth is they never saw someone catch , often as they were more likely doing other things when a catch happened nearby, that or feck all was truly the case.
July is often a tough month under normal conditions, full heat of day, bright sunshine, often very clear waters and the fish choose not too play until the sun goes down. Now add too that the talk of over fishing, vanishing stocks, super trawlers, doom n gloom talk and we get a situation that this year seems worse than many that have been prior. The fishing along he south coast in particular the shoreline this year has been very tough and in an age of electronics , social media reporting and very tight finances for many has lead too a situation where those that travel too the coast are being more selective of where they go and more too the point are following any catch reports in the hope of boosting catches.
The fishing is seriously tough atm from Kent down too Devon. Boat trips and the skippers are working harder this year it seems and putting customers on fish is not such an easy thing.
Looking at bait suppliers mackerel are thin in numbers and English caught mackerel come and go in short supply and often suppliers sell out of said English very quickly. Costs are going up as boats ventre further out in search of decent fish.
My fishing has been limited this year, part by health part by the heat of day and simply either not having the energy too fish or a lack of will too stand out in the sun for very long.
Catch recording is very below wheat most feel is normal and thus it is hardly a surprise that anglers are not venturing far if even out while catch reports indicate tough sessions made tougher by lack of fish or major heat concerns in the full heat of the day.
With angler numbers very much down during the day it seems that the night anglers are also feeling the economic pinch as much as the fish report pinch with numbers on the west wall way way down other than the few hours after 7pm as some come down too catch the light dropping and cooling of the day in the hope that fish may wake up or show up. Once things get dark very few are staying on the wall and as a result the feedback from the night dudes is erm, no one here so erm no fish.
Again a yes in that night fishing numbers are down as are the numbers of fish caught. We have seen bursts of horse mack and the usual bass catches but overall things are definitely quieter all over at night and during the days of a very hot summer.
Will it get better ? I flippin hope so, Its bad enough seeing a knackered mackerel stock but hope August brings the mackies and gar back in along with the improving bream catches. Bass as ever are a fixture for the marina and are doing very well here especially with the spider crabs in full moult. I guess some parts of the fishing don’t change and I realise how lucky we are in the marina having resident breeding shoals of Bass and Mullet.
The last few days have been tough for everyone. bass have ticked over where expected. There have been a few bream and wrasse likewise occasional plaice, a gurnard here n there does happen “Honnest guv” and mackerel are atm very occasional visitors but hit n miss. They show up, hang about for 5-15 mins n are gone again for a few days with the only exception 2-3 weeks aga where they showed up on a wed on the east followed by the west on the Thursday but again only hung about for a short period of time. Those arriving on the Friday with feathers in hand never got a sniff of a fish! go figure.
So, what too do ? tbh nothing but sit tight I guess. I do hope it improves and the stories of extinction levels of species going on fizzle away as fish return next month. As too fishing, well for me I have a dabble here n there when I can or feel up too it. Part of why I fish is not about catching fish, its the process, the down time, the chill out value and thus catching is for me a bonus. Blanking on a trip for mis is not any biggie too stress about although I know a few people that would stress on getting blanks. For me its its more about going through the motions and chillin out with a rod in front of me š
Summing up the above, its been frikin hot, too hot at times and the fishing is somewhat pants but, do u chase fish reports or do u fish for the peace it can bring ?
is catching the main reason too go ? or like myself do you class catches as a bonus.
Perhaps I shouldnt say it but, id fish an empty pond just for the social side and chill factor fishing brings , perhaps im a bit weird but id rather travel, fish & blank than be stuck indoors but hey, thats just my view.
Anyoooo, I think Ive waffled enough for today, I wont be on the walls tomorrow but will be on Tuesday. And so, yep, im gonna say it again….. Until the next one I bid you all ADIEU
F
.. put up the title as “Twot” but erm decided that it may sorta look a bit rude especially as its simply ment too be a pun on “too hot” simply said quickly but hey I didnt have much else in my head for a title.
So where are we.. ( no not rock bottom) and erm tbh id say fairly much where we were on Tuesday although as logged by wall regular Tommy Tuesday did see some cuttle activity amongst the occasional pout and small pollack happening on the low bays of the east but in general wandering the walls proved a challenge in the heat and also a challenge actually finding someone to chat to that had some catch news of any sort.
Im sure everyone will be pleased too know that the spider invasion continues and the smarter ones amongst the arrivals have started bringing cutlery with them and are very adept at cutting hooks from lines. I had a dabble for an hour or two on bay 9 Tuesday and managed too keep my rig but had 4 hooks cleanly cut off about 2 inches above the hook & knot for the gain of 2-3 decent bites 2 hard backs landed and one blenny that may or may not just be a frequent flyer on the marina, no im not mad but I will add some context too erm, said flying blenny.
As said on the fish front I managed one blenny on bay nine over Tuesdays high and obviously returned it. On Wednesday Stuart G posted a catch report that included the bass he had mentioned too me when I saw him on the wall and also for good measure posted a pic of a blenny the had caught. Now yea I now they are as common as muck but angle of pic etc gave the appearance of being the same fish I had caught the day prior and jokingly mentioned perhaps they were the same fish.
thus on the marina fb group began the silliness as shown below
F,……A nice fish for the table. That blenny prob the same one i put back yesterday
T, …yea pretty sure I had that one too
S, ..Same one I dropped earlier too
T,..he should become a named fish really
J,…..Barry?Ā 
And thus at the end of a quiet day Barry the Blenny became a frequent flyer ! yup, utter madness but it does break up those dead days on the wall in its own weird way.
Wednesday saw better numbers on the wall for a change, no doubt chasing the mackerel reports but just like that we were back too another stinking hot day out on the walls with loads of feather action for very little result.
It does seem very much like if it wasnt for the spider invasion there would be very little happening during the heat of the day out on the walls. yes people are catching but its occasional or in sudden bursts. There may be a few mackerel wizz through but if you are not in the right spot at the right moment you miss seeing much of anything. There have been pout, plaice even gurnards here n there but July is proving very much that July on the marina can be very hard work during the day.
I missed having a proper chat with the night dude yesterday but it was hinted that once the light has gone there are very few left on the west wall at night.
For those wanting a stab at the decent numbers of bass being caught Id strongly suggest getting down onto the east side beaches as the tide drops away too collect some of the spider crabs that are here peeling and often stacking up along the base of the east wall. A second option is get yourself a bucket or container of some form and an aerator/air pump too oxygenate the water and collect some prawns too fish as livebait along the inshore marks. Bait the fish with what they are feeding on rather than plugging away with lures in the heat of the day. Im currently typing as I wait on a bait delivery and will drop down onto the marina a bit later this afternoon.
Now I do realise Ive spent the last half hour waffling and for a catch report it only really contains one flying blenny but sometimes that is the nature of the beast and Ive sod all too say but have time too put the thoughts down in words, lets face it they (who ever they are ) do say that something is better than nothing but then I guess some may thing oh ffs shut up and so, I will for today do just that and with a wave sign of and bid you all….. until the next one ADIEU
F
Well, are they in ? or was it a mir-a-geee ?
Yesterday when I popped down for a nosey and went onto the west who did I see? well booger me tiz was Dave, the dude with the bike who usually lives on the high bays of the east. He, of the bike had been down a couple of days before and was packing up when I had arrived and mentioned that he had managed a couple of bream and also a few mackerel, the same as posted by Mark a few days ago.
Well shock horror, Dave was back on the west fishing, & trust me this is a rarity in itself and it seems that lightening does strike twice coz here he was and again catching mackerel and bream, wtf is going on.
Anyhoo, after a quick chat with Dave and a few others I drifted over too the east too find Tommy and Robin of BIF1 lure flinging on the low bays. A quick chat sorta said that not much was going on there even though the water conditions looked quite decent and a fair old tide which was quite a lot calmer than the west side that was a little choppy due too the westerly breeze. It seems the cack looking yellow shade in the water had finally given way too some decent looking summer water(until southern water do another dump) Anyhow, the bass today (or yesterday should i say) had decided Monday was a rest day even though the spider crabs did seem too be out in force.
There was quite a few fishing the bend and numbers were better than of late. For some reason the walls have been unusually quiet of late, I guess social media has its part too play in that many follow fish reports too better target where too go and dented incomes of late being squeezed too break points add too the lower numbers but with so much happening with the bass down here Id expect some level of increase in numbers that doesnt seem too be occurring.
Anyhoo I digress, back too more fishing the bend on a Monday. Now.. being honest re number vs fish caught a this point Id say the lower part of the east was under performing but as I passed bay 12 steps there was some activity with a few bream being caught and as I moved onto the bend properly it was showing signs that summat else may be going on and decided , take the wheels too the end and work my way back Doing this does give an inkling too quiet days and more hopeful days simply by numbers ratio of those stood bait changing, those stood feathering and those sat bored waiting for some activity and it was clear that something was going on all along the straight part of the east.
And thus, about bay 55 I swung the quad around part due to the uppers section being empty and part as someone had caught me up asking for some feathers and weights a bit lower along the wall at 45ish. Three lads fishing there it seemed had found a few fish and while mostly looking for mackerel which they had found had also caught a Bream or two over the sands of the straight section!
Yes its easy too think Bream ? so what but, on bay 45 is 99.9% sand and sand left & right for more than 10 bays each way. Now I realise some do catch bream out on the sand but by choice Bream tend too be near the rockier type of ground so are less common up on 45 that most realise.
As I worked my way back along the east it turned out that there were quite a few people catching a mix of bream and mackerel. No huge numbers of either and no signs of mackerel shoaling but they were there and I gather stayed for quite a while yesterday meaning that most above bay 22 caught a few of their chosen targets.
Thus Saturday and Monday ended up producing some mackerel. Now its easy too mock and ask, why a longish post about mackerel, comments like ahhh ya just posting too bump numbers but truthfully its more about the fact that we had some twice in 3 day than any method too boost angler numbers. It is becoming very clear that reports of a poor stock year and ICES reports that deal with fish stock numbers did this year for the first time list mackerel as “AT SEIOUS RISK”. Numbers of them are very obviously low not just on the marina but all along the south coast numbers have dropped alarmingly and as a result seeing 2 out of 3 days with mackerel has become unusual. i DON’T HAVE ANY ANSWERS, nor do i know how the situation can be rectified but as it seems right now something has too change before we loose yet another species either as a thing of the past or as recreation anglers we lose the right too fish for them. Spain and Portugal have as I understand it banned shore rec anglers taking mackerel and France this year set a limit of 5 fish per day !! wtf , imagine that rec anglers stopped from fishing or mackerel because some greedy countries in the north Atlantic want too reserve the last stocks for themselves ! FFS no thanks.
anyway, of the soap box and onto the what else bit. There have been a few skinny plaice of late but no specimen catches and prob none worth taking for the table. There are wrasse about and it seems they are a bit partial too live prawns if you can collect some on the low tides. As mentioned the crab invasion continues and the local bass I swear are near drunk on them. Gurnards have again started too show up and Id be surprised if we dont see a few red mullet showing up on the west extension very soon. The bream on the east are a mix of black and guilthead on the east and mostly black on the west wall. I gather there are a few mullet being caught but it seems only a very small number are curently targeting them a fair amount of micro species are lurking down the sided and in the Vs and while I have very little night info there are Bass and horse mac being caught. Final comment on species goes too the cephalopod of which we are seeing the occasional squid but the better numbers atm are for small pebble cuttlefish.
Thats it for today, I will have a poke about later on the walls and see whats going on, night fishing looks good for the whole week and for a change the weatherman seems too be smiling on us all. All done, & that just leaves me too say, until the next one, I bid you all ADIEU
F
A small update for today, firstly too confirm that the mackerel caught on the west wall on Friday were indeed real. Granted only a handful of people were there too see it but I did manage too have a chat with wall regular Dave who is often seen cycling about the marina. Dave was packing up as I got down there just b4 5pm and mentioned that he had a few mackerel and some bream but it had died almost as fast as it had started and he want inclined too throw feathers about for another 2 hours just in the hope of another fish or two !.
Friday early evening failed too produce on the west until it had properly got dark and the day warden on Saturday (John) mentioned things seem slow and that a couple of small hounds the usual night bass were just about it other than a few bream. Most of the night guys had gone home early so the night too day shift swap was somewhat quiet.
yesterday day time for a little while did seem a bit touch and go as to “will the wall be open over night” due too the fairly strong breezes pushing against the wall & due west! As it turned out XCweather had got it remarkably accurate and the wind did indeed drop for about 9pm ish.
I have yet too find out how the night fishing went last night but do know that the daytime on the west for many started ok at 6am but by 10 ish it was clear that again the westerly breezes were strengthening and making it pointless too open the extension (angler numbers were good) as things were forecast too get a bit lumpier, as indeed they did.
Slowly but surely the wave and water spouts did their thing and numbers started too thin on the west and while there I didnt see a single fish. By 3pm there were 6 left on the wall where it had been nearly full when I got there about 10.30ish.
Bits & bobs were caught on the EAST although I dint have a very clear picture but am aware of plaice and bream caught similar too Friday over there with again some bass caught on the lower section of the east wall.
As mentioned the spider crabs are well and truly “IN” especially on the eastern side of the marina, as are prawns. Both as always are proving very very good bait. Anyone visiting the EAST should keep an eye on the tides and if you can allow yourself a little time too get onto the low tide beaches on the east side. Collect a few crabs and a pint of prawns if you can as they are quite simply the best bait locally right now and with a little effort are free!
Things seemingly a little cooler today despite the news all over tv talking of another heat wave on the way ( “oh the fckn joy of it”) forecast again says a bit breezy on the westerly and judging by the tree movement outside of my windows I would say likely as not the west wall will be somewhat lumpy as the tide comes in with
high water today at 15.17 and 5.89m expected, wind driven Id guess it will be on the west about 6.5m in reality.
Low water this evening is 21.36 with a low of 1.37m and a 03.28high of 5.71m
the “strong breeze” is expected too drop this evening somewhen abouts 10pm so no issues with night fishing and the west will stay open, east closes at 9pm so please start packing in plenty of time so that the wardens can have the gate locked by 9pm. Pack up time is suggested by 8.30pm not 9 when the gate should be locked for the night.
that’s it for today, back whenever the next post is and so, until then I will bid you all ADIEU
F
