Swanage Pier Day 1.

Scott has been to Swanage Pier a number of times in the past and I have been curious of his antics there. A short while ago, Scott commented on how I should go and I replied "perhaps I shall join you on one of your adventures." Literally a couple of days after that conversation Scott text me to ask if I could get a couple of days off of work to go down and to cut a long story short, I managed to negotiate the time off of work and we headed down to Swanage on Monday the 16th Sept, with the view to fish the Tuesday and Wednesday. We knew from the off that we were going to be predominantly targeting Mini species, this I was keen to do as there are a few species I have been wanting to catch for a while and they have consistently eluded me. There was also one particularly interesting specie at Swanage which was a must have for me; The Baillon's Wrasse. I was quite prepared to use bait if it meant catching one.

Full of anticipation, myself and Scott rocked up at the pier ready for opening at 8:00am, we paid our dues and fished the lower decks. From the off I was using a dropshot rig with Berkley Gulp Angleworms for a lure, these things are just excellent for targeting mini's!

Scott was using scaled down bait rigs on ultra light gear and was catching straight away, it took me a minute to get in on the action, but I was soon catching consistently along with Scott.

My first fish was a Pouting, it was also the first one I have caught this year so quite welcome.

The fish came thick and fast and I couldn't believe the amount of Corkwing Wrasse present!

Scott was out fishing me with his baited rigs but it really didn't matter, we were both catching a lot of fish and having a lot of fun, heres a couple of Scotts Corkwing;

Wading through the multitudes of Pouting and Corkwing Wrasse, I eventually landed my hoped for fish, again to a Berkley Gulp Angleworm.

My first ever Baillon's Wrasse!

I was pretty stoked to catch a Baillon's Wrasse, they aren't common at all in UK waters, albeit there are plenty to be caught at Swanage!

After some time catching Mini's on the inner pier I decided to have a go fishing on the drop on the outer pier, to see what was about, I was using a Yoshikawa Paddletail rigged on a Decoy Delta Magic jig head.

It was quite fun and I caught a succession of Pollock to around the 1 pound mark probably. 

No photo's of the larger ones :/

I did at one stage hook a fish that I didn't recognise and it took my lure close to the surface, I have to admit I was being a fanny and lost it! I think It may have been a Scad and I was a bit gutted, I have never caught one before. I'll never know exactly what it was though and I just have to put it down to one of those things.

After a while trying for another I rejoined Scott on the inner pier and rigged up my dropshot again. The place just fishes non stop and I can't get over how easy the anglers down south have it, you just can't go wrong! We were catching just tons of fish and it was as I said to Scott "I can't believe neither of us have had a Tompot yet" that I bought one to the surface! Again this is a first for me and I am always pleased with new species and the chance to get a monkey off of my back.

Possibly one of the coolest looking mini species?

Scott swung in a Tompot too at one point and seemed to lose it somewhere.

We were getting quite alot of attention from the anglers fishing the upper pier at one point and they told us that they had only had a single Mackerel and a Garfish to their names. Upon realising there were Gar about, Scotts species hunting brain kicked in and we headed off to the shops for some shirvy ingredients, Scott has yet to catch a Garfish. Scott set up a float rig and baited the swim with his concoction and a Garfish approached, the mental thing was it didn't take Scotts bait. However Scott did catch a succession of Pollock, this one being the largest;

I was pretty surprised to see how the garfish was behaving, it was just milling around and casually eating bits of the shirvy. Every time I have encountered them on my local marks, they have been feeding quite aggressively on baitfish and in shoals.

The afternoon got pretty wet and windy, the conditions saw us taking shelter on the inner pier again.

The weather didn't bother the fish one bit though and we continued catching.

More Baillon's for me

Among a myriad of other things, a Rock Goby for Scott.

With the weather worsening we decided to go and check in at our hotel and then get some grub. Originally we had planned to go to Weymouth that night but with the forecast saying it was to be dire, we knocked that on the head. However, after dinner we soon realised that the weather was not to bad at all so we headed along the front at Swanage to see what was about. I actually had a pretty crap time of it as I kept getting wind knots in my Sunline small game. Scott on the other hand pulled out a few fish using a reins Palpuntin jig, the first being a bit of a shocker.

A Sand Smelt, hooked fair and square! I never realised they would take a metal.

Later n Scott also caught two Turbot with his jig, which pleased him no end and I too was pleased for him as I know how hard he has tried in the past for them on lure.

Well, that was a pleasant way to end a very fishy day! 

I must admit I did fish like a fanny at certain times during that day and I lost a specie I have never seen before, I also got smashed up a few times by fish running under the pier, but you live and learn (I hope).

A Thought Too Soon

I don't know what you're like but I tend to get mighty despondent after a run of blanks, this has been the case for me lately. I have been out after Bass and Flatfish on a few occasions and despite the odd bite and lost fish, I have not landed a thing.

I could hardly muster the energy to go out today and had a defeatist attitude for the morning. I finally managed to get my backside into gear and go to my local for low tide. It was a lovely day even if another blank was in store, it is nice just to be outside.

I walked along the beach and tried various places for flatfish. It's quite easy to spot fishy features along the low tide mark and on one of the gullies I spooked a small Flatfish, Initially I was a bit peeved but stayed for a while. I saw the fish return to where I was standing and spook again. On this I moved backwards and continued working the area twitching my Gulp! Sandworm up and letting it fall, then deadstick. Eventually I got a bite but missed the hookup, I quickly cast to the same place and repeated my retrieve. I got a positive bite and just let it develop for around twenty seconds before setting the hook, a relatively decent fight ensued. Before very long I had landed a Flounder and was quite pleased, I had beaten the dreaded blank!

I walked along the shore trying a few more features before heading to my Turbot spot. Sadly I didn't get a Turbot but I did get a good little scrap off a Bass that inhaled my lure off the bottom.

The tide now really started to push and was picking up all the washed up weed on the shore line, it became impossible to fish this section of the beach again. I started to get a little grumpy as I was thinking to myself "I haven't had a really good session with more than two fish for some time", anybody who knows me, knows I am a miserable ol' sod though.

I had decided to accept my lot though and wandered along the beach in a homeward direction. I saw three Razorbills in the water occasionally diving under, I thought "well nothing to loose" and started casting near where they were. The odd bite but nothing much really, when all of a sudden the sea just erupted! I was soon standing amid a cloud of tiny Smelt with fish hitting the surface, the Razorbills started going berserk and were catching fish. It was just an awesome sight, the sea looked like it was boiling. The next hour and a half I was practically getting a fish a cast, mostly small Mackeral but with the odd Schoolie thrown in the mix.

I stopped taking photos and just got on with the fishing, franticly changing my Gulp! Fish Fry as they  got totally mullered. The fish were just hitting them on the drop nearly every cast, it was epic and such good fun!

I couldn't believe a short while ago I was so pessimistic, yet was now in my element.

Strange though how as dusk approached it was like someone flipped a switch and the action just died. On the return home I was thinking about those Razorbills, I hardly ever see them on my local and wondered if they just knew what was going to ensue and where, amazing things!

Tight lines Peeps.

A mixed bag.

Today I had hoped to try a mark I know of from my bait days that yields good flounder, due to high winds though this mark was unfishable with the light gear.

I had thought I could give another mark a go where some good sized Turbot have been reported as well as the occasional Gurnard, unfortunately that was also a no go.

I opted for another one of my marks which was still hard going, but just about ok. It was at times difficult reading bites with such high winds and was also quite unpleasant during the rainy periods.

I tried a variety of lures and jig weights before opting for a 1.3g Ecogear Shirasu head and a pink Power Isome. Working a back eddy I was getting bites close to the bottom and before long I bagged a flounder. 

Unfortunately my pictures are a bit naff as for some reason I had left the soft flash setting on and had not really realised. An OK size though and the first of this year, that fact is crazy really as I know of a few good flounder marks and have had some really good fish off them before.

I was really chuffed though and have to say he put up a bit of a scrap for a minute.

The tide was rising and I was hoping for a couple more. I changed my jig to a 2g AGM Muscle head I strolled about a bit having a cast here and there until I got a bite, then one heck of a run. A lovely tune emitted from my drag as I thought "well that's no flounder", this was a powerful fish. Of course I knew it was a Bass as I saw it thrash on the surface at the end of the first run. It was amazing to see it thrash at quite a range, it then dawned on me that I was using lrf gear and the adrenaline started pumping.

I have to say it was the best fight I have had in ages and this fish really did not want to come in, I was crapping it as I saw my 5lb leader catch the gill rakers a couple of times before another run. I started praying "Please don't let it come off", it was so good to see how my Blue Current just absorbed the lunges and also to listen to my drag sing. 

Anyways eventually the fish tired and I was able to land it for a photo or two.

My photographic mishap just doesn't do it justice, it was a beautiful fish and really fought well, I was now super chuffed!! I have no idea how much it weighed, its no monster but who cares.

Despite the prolonged play, the fish swam off very well leaving me totally buzzing.

I had now realised though that I had been cut off by the tide somewhat and though wanted to stay, I had to make a somewhat perilous wade back to safer ground. At times I was rather buoyant, deep wading with my flotation vest on. Eventually I made it back to a place I could continue fishing in the hope of more flounder. I fished for another 20 minutes or so with no bites,  so decided to call it a day.

An enjoyable couple of hours though, which has left me feeling quite satisfied.

Well I hope you enjoy the report as much as I enjoyed the fishing.

Tight lines folks!