[Ben Field]

It gets mentioned occasionally, but how do people generally attack a harbour wall? I want to use light, soft lures for small fish - whiting, pouting etc. I'm likely to be a fair few feet above the water (even at high tide) and fishing in to perhaps 20 feet of water. Slack water will the the easiest time to fish a light lure, but what are people's recommendations?

 

[Keith White]

Parallel to it if possible. close and, bang the lure against it.

Hard lures : This means de-tuning to run offline.
Soft lures: Slide the jighead down the wall. They are rarely smooth.

 

[Ben Field]

Good thinkin!

What sort of jig and lures size would you recommend - considering the depth and small fish? I'd like to imagine that possibly the odd slightly bigger fish will pop by, but I'm really just experimenting and expect to catch (if anything) nothing above about 6oz.

 

[Keith White]

Small crankbaits. Mid depth divers.

2 1/2 -- 3" long. Cheap, easy to tune.

Most fish that hang around harbours are bound to come across what me and Kev call
'round' fish baits. Small pouting, pollack, rockling, wrasse etc..

If after the 'anything that swims' fish, why not try a 30-45mm lure, slim profile
sinking etc. I'd use a fluorocarbon line to help the small lure sink.

As for soft baits..

again, think about what you see around harbours. Don't forget deadsticking either.
Loads of people chuck bait away, normally straight over the wall. Chances are, they
are whole, or intact baits too. Mostly sandeels, mackerel etc but worms too get dumped.

So, try a free falling senko on a monofilament line (slower sinking).
Most fish will hit a worm.

 

[Ben Field]

Good call. Haven't thought about the small crankbaits to be honest. Fishing for whiting is gonna be a bit weird. I honestly haven't got a clue as to how they might react to a lure. Whether they're willing to chase it etc. This will most likely be after dark too (so the noise as it hits the wall could be extra important) as I don't think there will be enough fish around in daylight.

UPDATE: Nice one mate. Hadn't thought about the senko's etc. Numb brain I think from working all day. PLenty to think about. May even have to treat myself to a few new little bits and bobs as well to go and try a bit of everything. Be interesting to go out and crack it. Either that or just prove that I can't do it.

 

[Keith White]

Whether they're willing to chase it etc. This will most likely be after dark too as I don't think there will be enough fish around in daylight.

So use a suspending lure and let it hang.
Just odd twitches now and then. You know the drill.
read my suspending lure articles on my blog.

btw: balsa and cedar crankbaits are nearly impossible to get to suspend in salt.
However, try dead suspend plastics, or very slow floating like, 10 seconds per foot.
Watch the line !

 

[Retired]

...Slide the jighead down the wall...

Works for me. Use a sensitive rod, stay in contact with the lure and look for takes on the drop.

 

[The Squid]

[quote="Keith White":174i8gce]...Slide the jighead down the wall...

Works for me. Use a sensitive rod, stay in contact with the lure and look for takes on the drop.[/quote:174i8gce]

All makes sense. Use braided line and a flurocarbon leader.

Try thin soft plastics like worm or eel imitations.

 

[Keith White]

[quote="Paul B":1cm7dsdn][quote="Keith White":1cm7dsdn]...Slide the jighead down the wall...

Works for me. Use a sensitive rod, stay in contact with the lure and look for takes on the drop.[/quote:1cm7dsdn]

All makes sense. Use braided line and a flurocarbon leader.

Try thin soft plastics like worm or eel imitations.[/quote:1cm7dsdn]

Thing is though Squid, Paul does it to order.
On the push bike swim, 1 cast, slide, 4lb Bass.

I guess that is why he has a halo.

:muttley:

 

[Ben Field]

So are we talking basically vertical stuff with the softies? Or are people generally casting parallel when they say drop it down the wall?

This place is quite local to me. Padstow in fact, and it's in an estuary. The main channel actually runs very close to the harbour wall before turning round in to the harbour itself on your right (and from what I hear) casting to the channel does catch fish (on bait). I reckon I'm gonna have to go and give this a shot.

Only the depth concerns me. Getting down near the bottom could be tricky with a hardbait. Although if I could find just the right suspending bait, then I'd agree there Keith, in theory.

 

[Keith White]

Don't be fooled Ben:

Lots of little cranks run really DEEP.

14-16ft is more than possible on PE 0.8

I've got some of these coming just for that very job..

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpageHDCWORDENS-PCCD4.html

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpageHDCWORDENS-P400P.html

 

[Retired]

Hi Ben

Keith is very kind but my dear old gran could have caught bass from the mark he mentioned. And she has got a real halo now.

I Google Earthed Padstow and saw the jetties on the West side of the river. Are those solid stone jetties? Do you get a significant eddy an the end of each of those jetties depending on tide direction? Is that where you mean to fish? Are you also fishing the pressure wave in front of each jetty end facing up current?

Lots of Qs because I would like to fish Padstow one day (wife is a cook and all that......).

Cheers

Paul

 

[Ben Field]

Lookin good Keith. Will have to get myself sorted.

Yes Paul! Get yourself over here! Good food all over the place!

Not 100% sure of anything yet. To be honest I'm yet to get down there and have a proper look with my fishing head on. Knowing the tides etc though I'd imagine what you're saying about the eddies etc is correct. So that's the plan.

 

[Mike Kennard]

Try and find out all the info you can on 'light rock fish'. This is a Japanese style of fishing that sounds exactly like what you are looking to do. They use soft plastics, crankbaits and little jigs that look like micro sized pirks that sink slower than a metal lure. Not sure what the last ones are made of but they are effective, they may be metal cored acrylic. Check out the Daiwa Light Rock Fish dvd from PLAT for more info.
Flounders are likely a good option in Padstow too. Worth targetting.

 

[Ben Field]

Cheers Mike. I've looked through a lot of the rock fish tackle but not necessarily the techniques. Should do that. You're right about the flounder too. Got my stuff sorted for those and gonna try specifically for them a bit further upstream. They're probably well catchable from the harbour though.

 

[Nigel Gullon]

Had loads of success fishing harbour walls and the like. Vertically jigging an xlayer (white or AYU tops for me this year at this mark)on a fizzer jig head or similar. Weight depends on tide pull at the time. 20 gramme works well in a deep water mark I fish. Let the jig head touch the bottom and use erratic vertical jigs and then let the jig head touch bottom again. Work your way along the wall as you go. Often they hit it on the drop. Braid main line and mono leader works for me.
Crankbaits like the Tilsan Bass or Tilsan Barra are often good for me in these places (especially the Bass version), real small and dive deep when asked.
If there is a street lamps throwing light over the water as well, try these areas especially.

 

[Ben Field]

Nice one Nigel! Is that generally for the bass? Must give the harbour a proper go in the warmer months actually. The bass will happily pass along there. I'm going to try it at dawn on thursday and friday. Will be a bit quieter then and also good tide wise. If I have much luck then maybe we should even give it a bit of a go the weekend after?!

 

[Nigel Gullon]

Nice one Nigel! Is that generally for the bass? Must give the harbour a proper go in the warmer months actually. The bass will happily pass along there. I'm going to try it at dawn on thursday and friday. Will be a bit quieter then and also good tide wise. If I have much luck then maybe we should even give it a bit of a go the weekend after?!

Give it a go Ben. Bass are the quarry I target using this method, had all sorts on bigger tides though.

 

[Keith White]

Vertical jigging on Harbour Wall's.

You'd be surprised at many harbour fishermen. Many go to the structure and, bait, lure or whatever...

And then proceed to..cast away from it ? ? ?

We've got a few very productive harbour Bass specialists and I kid you not, if those baits
are more than 3ft from the structure I'd be surprised.

St Cath's, Town and Gorey amongst others will all produce Bass to vertical jigging along with loads
of other species.

 

[Ben Field]

Since I've started thinking about this, following from the comments above I've been watching a lot of Rockfish stuff in Japan. If I don't target bass (can't really right now), then I know a few harbour walls that are loaded with tiny wrasse. I reckon an IMMENSE amount of fun could be had on Rockfish gear! Actually had some size 4 zigheads turn up in the post this morning. 2-3inch softbait, vertical jigging .... I reckon this could rock!!