Catch Report - Ilfracombe - 19th May 2021 (9)

Date From: 19/05/2021 17:30:00

Date To: 19/05/2021 21:30:00

Time of day: Afternoon - evening

Location: Ilfracombe

Mark: Capstone Rocks

Tide Times:

Moon Phase:

Weather: Sunny and cloudy with a strong wind from left to right but dying down a bot later on.

Sunrise/Sunset:

Sea: Clear but choppy with a swell of around 3 feet

Method: float

Bait: Frozen Mackerel Strips

Caught:

The Session:

This session was just a quick float fishing session from a local rock mark.

It was around low tide when I arrived so I found a spot on the rocks where I could stand close to the water and have water right below me. With the depth of my float rig set at around 8 feet deep I cast it straight out to begin with to get an idea of the direction of floaw of the wtare and the strength of the wind and its effect on my line. I figured out how to get the float to drift slowly or stay still by balancing the effects of the two elements while ensuring I was casting over the kelp that stretched for several yards out.

It worked out quite well as the tide first flowed to my left and the wind blowing to the right, they cancelled each other out if I pointed my rod tip down to the water so I was able to stand with the float almost stationery, save for a tendncy to drift inwards very slowly. I didn't expect to get many bites yet though as the pollock here most often seem to show from 2-3 hours into the rising tide until high tide.

I was correct as the first one didn't happen until around 18:30 and typically I missed it. A few casts later though, and by now after the flow swapping directions more than once since I arrived, so my float was doing more like trotting a river as I let it go close to some white water before reeling in, esle I risked the hook snagging, the float just dipped once, seemed to stand very still, then vanished and again I lifted the rod but this time felt a fish on the end and reeled in a typical sized pollock.

Expecting more I quickly photographed it and recast but an hour passed before I had another bite and this fish was immediately noticibly bigger and put a good bend in the rod as I lifted it from the water and it seemed to signal the arrival of a shoal. I spent the next hour missing every other bite but managing to bring in 8 fish between a few ounces and over 1lb. But then the bites just stopped completely. The sea had become a bit more choppy and was managing to roll up the rocks but I've caught them in rougher conditions so I don't know wny the bites just stopped so I gave it a while longer while trying different depths but then packed up.

At least the Pollock were showing in some numbers even if for a short duration. The small tide may have been a factor I suppose but otherwise I don't know.

Tackle used (price) [ time since first used ]: