Date: 02-09-2016
Time of day: Night
Location: Ilfracombe
Mark: The pier
Low Tide: 01:09(1.03m) 13:19(0.97m)
High Tide: 07:29(9.09m) 19:43(9.23m)
Time fished from: 21:30
Time fished to: 02:00
Weather: An occasional breeze from behind, increasing to a steady wind later and light rain.
Sea: Clear with a swell up to 5ft. Choppy.
Method: Ledger (homemade pulley rig) | Ledger (homemade pulley rig) | Float | Prawn trap
Bait: Frozen large sandeel | frozen mackerel segments | frozen mackerel strips | Frozen mackerel head, frozen squid pieces, frozen black lugworm
Caught (weight): 1 Dogfish (2lbs 0oz, Guessed), 1 Tub Gurnard (0lbs 10oz, Guessed), 2 Whiting (0lbs 5oz, Guessed) | 1 Pollack (0lbs 6oz, Guessed)
The Session: I fished with a friend and we arrived at the pier with time to spare as the tide was sometimes going over the higher part of the pier. When we decided to set up we did so on the higher part and we both cast pulley rigs baited with mackerel a fair way out. My friend had the first bite which he missed but the second one came soon after and he reeled in a nice sized tub gurnard. In the meantime I had set up a float rod and another ledger rod and baited the ledger rod with sandeel and gave it a light cast. I also put out the prawn trap. Nothing much else happened and we had a chat to some other anglers. Once the lower part of the pier was clear of water we moved down and recast. I also dropped the float down under the rod tip and put out the prawn trap again. My friend had the next bite and it turned out to be another, smaller, tub gurnard. As he was recasting I caught a pollock on the float. Less than 10 minutes later my friend had another bite which was from a whiting, which was small, but the biggest I have seen out of water. I had two more fish not long after, again both on mackerel and they were also a whiting and a tub gurnard. Things began to quieten down after this and save for a few retrieves of the prawn trap that contained some prawns and a velvet swimming crab we only experienced our bait coming back looking like it had been chewed. I had one last whiting, which I took just as a boat moored in the harbour which seemed to signal the last bit of action. When I packed up the rod I had been using sandeel on I discovered it to be snagged but I was lucky to get all but the hook back as I had forgotten to use rotten bottoms on my rigs. We packed up shortly after, my friend was please he had caught as he doesn't fish very often and this was his most successful trip so far.
Tackle used (price) [ time since first used ]:
Set up 1: Rod: Daiwa Seahunter X 14ft 3 piece Fixed spool (£64.07) [ > 2 years 2 months ] Reel: Daiwa Crosscast S 5000 Fixed spool (£48.99) [ > 1 years 4 months ] Line: Maxima Hi-Viz 15lb (£12.29) 550m Hooks: Sakuma Manta size 2/0 10 per pack (£2.35) Hooklength: Shakespeare Omni-X Connect Clear 15lb (£5.49)
Set up 2: Rod: Shakespeare Omni Beachcaster 14ft 3 piece Fixed Spool (£26.95) [ > 0 years 1 months ] Reel: Shakespeare Agility Surf 70FD (£39.99) [> 2 years 3 months ] Line: Maxima Chameleon 20lb 600m (£17.99) Hooks: Sakuma Circle 440 size 3/0 30 per pack (£9.86) Other1: Maxima Clear 15lb 100m (£4.00)
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 Hooks: Sakuma Circle 440 size 2 30 per pack (£5.55) Hooklength: Shakespeare Omni-X Connect Clear 15lb (£5.49) Other1: Fladen Night Float (£2.00)
Set up 4: Other1: Prawn trap Other2: 50m cord
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