Catch report - Ilfracombe - 25th May 2016 (7)

Date: 25-05-2016

Time of day: Evening

Location: Ilfracombe

Mark: Capstone

Low Tide: 02:29(1.41m) 14:42(1.57m)

High Tide: 08:50(8.54m) 21:08(8.60m)

Time fished from: 17:45

Time fished to: 21:25

Weather: Sunny but cloudy with a constant wind from right to left. Very dark clouds approaching later on.

Sea: Choppy and fairly flat but soon increasing to a swell of 6ft causing white water.

Method: Float | feathering | prawn trap

Bait: Frozen mackerel strips | flashers | frozen squid, frozen sandeel, frozen crab, frozen mackerel pieces, frozen squid pieces, frozen whiting pieces

Caught (weight): 1 Pollack (0lbs 12oz, Guessed), 2 Pollack (0lbs 8oz, Guessed), 1 Pollack (0lbs 3oz, Guessed), 1 Pollack (0lbs 6oz, Guessed) | 1 Poorcod (0lbs 1oz, Guessed) | 1 Mackerel (0lbs 8oz, Guessed)

The Session: I set up the float rod and cast it out about 10 yards at a depth of around 7 ft. I also set up a rod with mackerel feathers and switched between the two for a while. It was nearly an hour and a half before I had anything and it was the mackerel that came first. I had about another 20 or so casts and then put out the prawn trap and switched back to float fishing. I changed the depth to around 10ft and had a bite quite quickly, it was the first of the pollock. After I recast I retrieved my prawn trap and found there was a poocod in it. The rest of the fish were caught between 15 minutes and half an hour after each other and at depths between 7ft and 14ft with the final two pollock caught just a rod length out. I also had a number of missed bites and fish that came off before I lifted them out. Another retrieve of the prawn trap resulted in a small edible crab. I packed up as the tide had turned and the tow was pulling the float too quickly.

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

Set up 1: Rod: Shakespeare Alpha X Travel 11ft telescopic Fixed spool (£16.99) [ > 2 years 11 months ] Reel: Lineaffe SX50 Fixed Spool (£10.00) [ > 3 years 0 months ] Mainline: Maxima Chameleon 20lb 600m (£17.99) Hooks: Sakuma Circle 440 size 6 30 per pack (£4.85) Hooklength: Maxima Clear 15lb 100m (£4.00) Other1: Fladen Pencil Float 210mm (£2.00)

Set up 2: Other1: Prawn trap Other2: 50m cord

Set up 3: Rod: Shakespeare Omni Mackerel 10ft 2 piece Fixed spool (£16.95) [ > 2 years 5 months ] Reel: Abu Cardinal 176 SWi Fixed Spool (£34.99) [ > 1 years 8 months ] Line: Maxima Chameleon 20lb (£17.99) 600m [ > 2 years 4 months ] Lure: 4 Hook Flashers