Catch Report - Brixham - 8th June 2020 (8)

Date From: 08/06/2020 11:30:00

Date To: 08/06/2020 21:00:00

Time of day: Morning - evening

Location: Brixham

Mark: The Breakwater

Low Tide:

Moon Phase:

Weather: Sunny to begin with but with a long period of rainfall before becoming bright again just before sunset.

Sunrise/Sunset:

Sea: Clear and mostly flat with a swell of a couple of feet.

Method: Ledger (shop bought 2 hook flapper) | Ledger (shop bought up and over rig) | Float | Lure (feathers)

Bait: Live Ragworm | Live Ragworm | Live Ragworm | 6 hook multi-coloured feathers

Caught:

The Session:

I returned to Brixham as planned and set up around the same area I did yesterday.

The rods and setups I used were about the same, with the ledger rods having 2 hook flapper rigs on but with one hook removed, so as to reduce the likelihood of getting snagged in the rocks and kelp if I hooked a fish. I cast them a bit shorter today because I ensured I was between two marker buoy for the pots that were still close in.

As it was a while until low tide I left the float rod for a while but set up the feathers ready to get some mackerel for bait. I had only brought the ragworm with me because I was certain I would get at least one mackerel if I just did some feathering for long enough. I gave them a go now and again while waiting for bites on the ledger rods.

Bob turned up later and fished for a bit, managing to get a Corkwing Wrasse before the rain hit us and a lot harder than I thought we would get it. I ended up running back to my car to try and get my legs covered as I was only wearing my flotation suit jacket. I ended up putting my waders on. It began to turn cold and Bob left as I was wondering if it was worth staying myself. The rain stopped eventually but the skies remained covered with dark cloud.

With nothing to speak of on the ledger rods I decided to set up the float, this time using a very short version of the one I used the previous day. I kept it in closer than yesterday aswell, sometimes hooking the kelp by the edge. There was some tow in the water and so I had to recast and keep checking the float by pulling the rod to take up the slack line and feeling if the cause of it dipping down every now and again was because it was catching on the kelp.

So it came as a big surprise when one of these times I felt something pull back and so I lifted the rod hard and managed to pull up a small Ballan Wrasse. I'm sure this fish must have been sitting in a crack in the rocks given how close in my float was. That was the main target species finally caught and on the next cast in around the same spot I hooked another fish, this time a small Pouting. I then decided to give the feathers another go to get some bait just in case I stayed until after dark.

It took half an hour to get 4 Mackerel which was plenty for bait and as I had a little bit of room left in the freezer I could take 2 or 3 home anyway. I put a small fillet on one of the ledger rods after changing the rig to a pulley rig and waited, hoping for a fairly big fish. When I cast this I gave it a good whack and it went around 70 yards. I replaced the bait on this rod after half an hour and something took the bait on the second cast. I suspected a Dogfish as it was pulling the rod tip down steadily, then letting go continuously. I waited for an ideal time to strike and did so when one pull looked like it was going to pull the whole rod down and changed my mind on what it could be. I never gave the fish any time to pull back so the fight was short and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a Conger Eel at the surface. Getting it up the side of the Breakwater was the most difficult part but eventually I did. A family walking past took an interest as I was unhooking it and I explained a bit to the kids about what it was, then back it went and I recast with more Mackerel on.

I checked the other ledger rod and recast that and then the float and less than 15 minutes after catching the Conger Eel the float moved about oddly, I was sure it wasn't weed but didn't hook anything when I struck. I explained the motion to a passerby who asked how I was doing and just as he was saying he thought it was cuttlefish it happened again and I managed to hook what it was. And it was a nice wrasse. I pulled this up quickly too so as not to risk getting snagged and as I was unhooking it the family from earlier were walking back and again took an interest in the fish. The kids were very impressed with the colour and markings and I was delighted to have caught what I'm sure was near to my previous best Ballan Wrasse. I weighed it and it went 2lb 1oz and I deducted 4oz for the sling.

From this moment the ledger rod I had with ragworm began showing bites. They were short rattles of the rod tip and began showing within moments of casting out. I just couldn't hook anything and each time I reeled in a bit more of the ragworm had gone. The bites stopped on the float so I concentrated on this ledger rod, hoping to hook whatever it was eventually. And I did just that after about an hour and just as I was using the last ragworm of the pack I had open. It was a Pouting. As I was sure that is what all the bites were I gave it just a little while longer with the other rods and then packed up as I thought I'd rather get home a bit earlier and planned and relax until my next session than catch more small Pouting. I had planned to go out the following day, so I could give myself the option of leaving early in the day again.

Overall I was pleased with this session today it was just a shame we had that period of rain which prompted Bob to need to pack up.

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