Date: 25-11-2016
Time of day: Evening
Location: Westward Ho!
Mark: In front of the slipway
Low Tide: 09:05(2.50m) 21:35(2.25m)
High Tide: 15:25(7.98m) 03:51(8.09m)
Time fished from: 19:50
Time fished to: 23:15
Weather: Cold but dry with only an occasional breeze.
Sea: Clear with small waves rolling for around 80 yards or more.
Method: Running Ledger | Running Ledger
Bait: Half frozen mackerel | home frozen blowlug / blacklug
Caught (weight): nothing | nothing
The Session: This was a session that was really just to see how damaged my rod and reel were and I thought I'd give Westward Ho! beach ago as I hadn't tried it since an unsucessful attempt during my first full year of sea fishing. I took the shortest route from the slipway to the shorline, set up one rod and baited with half a mackerel and gave it a cast which I felt went just beyond the furthest breaker. I set up the second rod and reel and baited it with a bunch of lugworm and gave this a cast of around the same distance. Everything felt fine with the rod and so I continued to fish with it, but the reel drag makes no noise and on further examination I think there are parts (washers, clips) I must have dropped in the sand on the previous session. Unfortunately I noticed no bites at all and except for one retrieve of the mackerel bait which was stripped to some bone there was nothing to imply anything found my bait. As the tide turned I cast both rods short so they were in the surf for a while until the tide crept back up to my tripod. I packed up with at least a little idea of how the sea here does creep continuously forward when it comes in as opposed to other beaches where it appears to come in further with every larger wave.
Tackle used (price) [ time since first used ]:
Set up 1: Rod: Daiwa Seahunter X 14ft 3 piece Fixed spool (£64.07) [ > 2 years 5 months ] Reel: Shakespeare Agility Surf 70FD Fixed Spool (£39.99) [ > 2 years 5 months ] Line: Maxima Hi-viz 20lb 550m (£13.95) Hook: Unbranded Baitholder 4/0 (£3.99) for 50 Hooklength: Maxima Clear 15lb 100m (£4.00)
Set up 2: Rod: Shakespeare Omni Beachcaster 14ft 3 piece Fixed Spool (£26.95) [ > 3 months ] Reel: Daiwa Crosscast S 5000 Fixed spool (£48.99) [ > 1 years 8 months ] Line: Maxima Chameleon 20lb 600m (£17.99) Hook: Sakuma Circle 440 size 1/0 30 per pack (£7.05) Hooklength: Maxima Clear 15lb 100m (£4.00)