Date: 11/05/2015
Time of day: Afternoon
Location: Ilfracombe
Mark: The Pier
Low Tide: 05:29(2.20m) 17:57(2.60m)
High Tide: 11:54(7.60m)
Time fished from: 15:20
Time fished to: 19:40
Weather: Partly sunny, with a strong wind from behind.
Sea: Very murky with a swell of up to 6 ft
Method: Pully rig with rotten bottom / float / prawn trap.
Bait: Frozen mackerel segments, Frozen calimari squid / dead ragworm / Frozen mackerel head, squid rings
Caught (weight): 2 Dogfish (1lbs 8oz, Guessed) | 1 Pollack (0lbs 3oz, Guessed) | 2 3 Bearded Rockling (0lbs 1oz, Guessed), 2 3 Bearded Rockling (0lbs 3oz, Guessed)
The Session: The lower pier was clear of water when I arrived. I set up two ledger rods, both with a mackerel segment as bait and cast one 60 yards and the other 40 yards or so. I then set up a float rod so it was ready if the ledger rods were not producing bites. Finally throwing out a prawn trap with a mackerel head in the pouch. There were no immediate bites on the ledger rods so I switched to the float rod for a bit and after about 10 minutes a small pollock took the dead ragworm bait. No more bites came on the float in the next 15 minutes so I switched back to ledger and baited one with mackerel and the other with squid. This time bites came steadily and as bite after bite came I missed or hooked and lost fish after fish. It was around 17:40 when I landed the first dogfish and just sfter I returned it to the sea the other rod went and I landed the next dogfish. Shortly after I pulled in the prawn trap to find it contained 3 rockling, and a 4 inch edible crab. I missed a few more bites afterwards but then they became less frequent. I idin;t land any more fish and a final lift of the prawn trap resulted in another rockling and a 5 inch velvet swimming crab. I packed up a little earlier than planned because the big swell was already close to coming over the top of the pier.
Tackle used (price) [ time since first used ]:
Set up 1: Daiwa Seahunter X 14ft 3 Fixed spool £64.07 21/05/2014 Daiwa Crosscast S 5000 Fixed spool £48.99 13/03/2015 Maxima Hi-Viz 20lb £13.29 25/01/2014 Sakuma Circle 440 2/0 £8.26 21/07/2014 Maxima Clear 15lb £5.00
Set up 2: Ron Thompson Evo Surf 15ft 3 Fixed Spool £30.00 15/08/2013 Mitchell 667FG Fixed spool £23.90 15/08/2013 Maxima Chameleon 20lbs £17.99 25/01/2014 Sakuma Circle 440 2/0 £8.26 21/07/2014 Maxima Clear 15lb £5.00
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