[PeteB]

Had a couple of hours out after work tonight checking out a new mark over high tide. We've had off shore winds all week and dying swell so was pleased to find the water clarity really good with probably about 6 foot visibility.

I'd not fished here before so tried a couple of shallow divers that I've been stockpiling over the winter. Nothing doing so thought I would try an ayu xlayer slowly along the bottom as this would be most likely to succeed when the water is still cold.

After about half an hour managed a bite which turned out to be a small coalie of about 12 inches. This is the first fish I've had on soft plastics, so although not very exiting I was well pleased. I only tried a couple of times with them last year and hadn't caught anything so my confidence was low, but now I can see myself persisting with them a bit more.

I've got a load more marks in mind to test before the Bass turn up so it's nice to know there may actually be something there to catch if you try the right methods.

First post on this section of the catch reports as well. Ha.:mrgreen:

 

[Steve Lewis]

Well done Peter, the catch reports have been few and far between of late but I reckon it will be busy very soon.

 

[PeteB]

The new mark is really good as well. Definetely be down there this summer. Only 15 minutes from home to boot.

 

[Keith White]

I had to re read this...

Awesome..

First report in this section and on a soft lure.

Well done m8. Take a look at the LRF/HRF techniques cause where you find one fish like that, there WILL be more.
You may well get Cod like this too.

 

[Mike Kennard]

Well done Pete.
Looks like the there is another species to add to the LRF list. And another venue!

 

[Tim Murphy]

Well done for getting out Pete, I only managed to get the wine out!

 

[PeteB]

Problem we have Keith is huge swells and water clarity. Which means great for bait fishing for cod through the winter but no chance of anything more than 1 cm visibility until about now.

After reading the LRF posts on here I have tried a couple of times in the Tyne where we have loads of small codlings, whitings and coalies from January to about May, but the Tyne has a pretty big catchment area and we get most of our rain through the winter so the water in the river is also thick with particles.

You can catch the small fish quite easily in the river with small baits and one of the most successfull baits I've found in the river is ASDA king prawns. So the next plan is to bastardize LRF and bait fishing and go for a prawn on a jig head. :-D The open coast though just wont work until we get the spring offshores as there is zero chance of anything finding you lure.

I'm still working on it but I'm sure I'll get something cracked. The fishing is fine though to be honest. Bass on bait from about May to June, lures from June to October, cod on bait from September to January. Just need to find something for the moment. Which I think is going to be scouting out Bass marks on lures with the chance of coalies, and flatties on beach and estuary marks on bait and SP's.

 

[Peter Smith]

Well done :-D
I was pleased to see you were using a Xlayer, mine just arrived in the post and I plan to test them out on Sunday.

 

[Keith White]

Problem we have Keith is huge swells and water clarity. Which means great for bait fishing for cod through the winter but no chance of anything more than 1 cm visibility until about now.

After reading the LRF posts on here I have tried a couple of times in the Tyne where we have loads of small codlings, whitings and coalies from January to about May, but the Tyne has a pretty big catchment area and we get most of our rain through the winter so the water in the river is also thick with particles.

You can catch the small fish quite easily in the river with small baits and one of the most successfull baits I've found in the river is ASDA king prawns. So the next plan is to bastardize LRF and bait fishing and go for a prawn on a jig head. :-D The open coast though just wont work until we get the spring offshores as there is zero chance of anything finding you lure.

I'm still working on it but I'm sure I'll get something cracked. The fishing is fine though to be honest. Bass on bait from about May to June, lures from June to October, cod on bait from September to January. Just need to find something for the moment. Which I think is going to be scouting out Bass marks on lures with the chance of coalies, and flatties on beach and estuary marks on bait and SP's.

No one should underestimate the need to manipulate methods and techniques to suit their own circumstances. Looks like you have some great ideas. I'd fish bait on a jig head. I would. In fact, I'll bet we do try it in dirty water. Please don't feel you can't let us know if you do mix styles to catch or search for fish just because this is a lure forum. Baited and scented lures are another part of the whole spectrum. We were only just suggesting baited jigs for LRF beginners in a recent post. Why not. I haven't caught a coalie before so I'm quite envious in fact.

 

[PeteB]

Coalies are nothing special Keith, your not missing much. You just feel the line go dead and need to reel in quick as they have a knack of spitting the hook if its not hooked well. But its a species on the list all the same.

It will never happen but I'd like to see some of you lot up here as a challenge to see how well the LRF / HLF techniques can be utilised.

I really, really want to catch a Cod on a lure though. Hundreds get taken on shads from the boats in the summer so it must be possible in winter from the shore. At the minute I'm thinking the bastard lure / bait method will be the best bet.

 

[trev richardson]

Pete,
Well done mate. It's nice to know there's some thing out there that's catchable. I'll be bringing plenty of LRF/HLF with me but will still be chucking plenty of the hard stuff...just to see how it goes.

 

[Peter Hewison]

where you fishing the mark i was telling you about?,im trying there today for a couple of hours up to high tide,might move round into the bay if nowt doing.
cheers--peter

 

[PeteB]

No went down the place you told me about last night but looks like it will need a bigger tide to fish anything but surface lures. Will wait a few months until its warmer before heading back. Ended up going to the place I went on Friday but no luck. Water was getting coloured again.

What did you end up doing?

 

[Peter Hewison]

went down to that spot but ended up trying off corner of old swimming pool.only stayed till just after 6.even on a good tide theres not much water there,i was getting them in about 2ft of water.bait lads get plenty of coalies from corner of beach near the old pool.im thinking of havin a go of the beach where the sailing club is inside the pier.and further round where they put the tyres for crab.gona try with the fly gear there to,must be some sea trout ,ill have to say im trying for coalies if asked though.when do you think it will be worth trying for pollock
cheers--peter

 

[trev richardson]

Pete,
Have just got back from your end of the country, travelling around doing the usual tourist stuff castles, Holy Island etc and had a great time. Tried Torness as discussed and good news is that there have been a few Bass showing to 5 lb over the last week mainly taken on floated sand eel. The bad news is that I chose to fish Thursday when the fog came in. 40 to 50 yards visibilty and there was a big swell on. Consequently I couldn't go scouting around the rocks as it was just too dangerous on my own. So stuck to the edge of the discharge outfall. Water clarity was good despite the relatively big seas. Deep diving lures tried and also all my rubbers worms eels etc but no takes. here were a couple of other locals with plugs but they didn't hang around when they saw the condition. Just good to get out and cast a lure really but there are fish about.

 

[PeteB]

Nice one Trev. Glad you enjoyed your week. We are due 8ft swells, 35mph wind and snow this week so you did well with the weather by all accounts.

I went out to one of my marks for dawn on saturday and although the wind and swell was OK the water was really coloured up again. I may have to bite the bullet and make a trip up to Torness at some pointy before the season starts properly here. Good to hear the water is still quite clear there when the swell is up.

If your ever up again give me a nudge, hopefully won't be tied down with work and I'll take you around a bit.

 

[trev richardson]

Pete,
If everything goes well I will probably be over next month after my next offshore trip. We are negotiating to supply one of the local tackle shops with fresh worms and frozen bait from my lads company so should be up for at least 2 days. No excuse not to give it a good try...he's as hooked on plugging as I am so should be 3 of us.
By the way the bass are showing up along the East Riding coast. There was another big match this weekend which my lad was in and there were a lot of schoolies caught including one washed up of 5 lbs. It didn't appear to have any obvious net damage so he assumed some one caught it and released it but may have been a bit rough or left it out of the water too long.

 

[Andrew Morrow]

hehe, you beat me and mr.green to the first post in the this section, we were just talking about it the other day, well done mate on the coaly.

We were also taking about taking cod etc on deep diving and bottom lures, i bet a 4lb cod would be a good scrap on the light gear and a pig to get off the bottom lol.

 

[PeteB]

Yeah, reckon it was a bit of a fluke to be honest, but have been desperate to get out on lures. Got a trip to the MOG booked for June, but I hope to manage a Bass near home before then.

 

[Richard Burke]

I'm up in Northumberland at the mo but haven't brought my fishing gear (lure gear). My wife's parents are up here and we stay up near Alnwick. Have seen some great bassy looking marks from Tynemouth all the way up to Holy island in my tourist travels around here over the yrs. I've asked a few people on the coast etc bait fishing and they have all said that they don't get bass up here - they are all fishing for cod etc...

Interesting that they are here but it's a bit early now i guess. Is lure fishing for bass reasonable reliable here in the later part of the summer then?