Saturday 24 November 2007

St Davids Head (6 Dogfish, 5 Whiting, 3 Pouting, 15 Dabs)

St Davids Head 23/11/2007
Time: 3.00pm to 8.00pm.
Tide: HW-2 to HW+3. Spring tide.
Weather: Clear and cold. Light NW wind.
Sea: Calm. Strong current from right to left at Conger Rock.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel strips, heads and pouting livebait.
Fishing: Had bites straight away from very small dabs that kept coming. Dogs made a good showing with some whiting and the odd pouting.
Comments: Nice mark to fish. Stumbled on the rocks coming down and broke the rings on the GRX rod. Size 4 hooks help to turn bites into hooked fish, but they are all too small so I may change to using size 2 or 1/0 instead as I don't see the point in pulling in very small fish unless they are good for livebait. Ok if catching some pouting for conger bait, but wasn't very good here due to the large number of very small dabs that were about. There was a strong current running from St Davids Head on the right towards Whitsands on the left. Even with 5oz grip leads it was pulling the rigs across very quickly. Lost some tackle after leaving it too long and it got dragged into snags on the left hand rocks, otherwise the ground is clear.

Sunday 18 November 2007

Morfa Bychan

Morfa Bychan 18/11/2007
Time: 11.00am to 1.00pm.
Tide: HW to HW-1. Neap tide.
Weather: Overcast, storm night before.
Sea: Rough.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel on flappers and large rig
Fishing: Pants!
Comments: Nothing about today. Took the boys down for a quick line wetting at high tide. Very cold, and I got a welly full of water as usual! There's always one wave that catches me out!


Saturday 17 November 2007

Wooltack Point

Wooltack Point 16/11/2007
Time: 6.00pm to 10.00pm.
Tide: LW+2 to HW. Neap tide.
Weather: Started overcast, cleared later. Dry, light SW wind.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Large mackerel baits on pully pennels & simple ledgers.
Fishing: Aweful. Some bites.
Comments: Wooltack Point is way too snaggy. Some patches are ok but a lot seem to have ledges which catch the rig on the way back in, and heavy kelp covered area. Started off fishing facing the islands but the rip was still too fast. The wind was cutting across as well. Moved to a ledge on the Martins Haven side that was sheltered and out of the main tidal flow but lost a lot of tackle. Some good bites, but the whole rig was getting caught in snags so even rotten bottom would not have solved the problem. Won't be bothering with it again as there are better places to fish.

Sunday 11 November 2007

Watwick Steps (2 Dogfish, 1 Mackerel, 6 Pouting)

Watwick Steps 11/11/2007
Time: 4.00pm to 10.00pm.
Tide: HW-3 to HW+3. Spring tide.
Weather: Dry, some cloud, NW winds. Cold.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Mackerel on flappers and pulley pennell. Livebait pouting.
Fishing: Usual pouting bites, used them for livebait. Slowed down about 9pm.
Comments: Met another angler who stayed until 8.30. Caught much the same, though he had some very small dabs using size 6 hooks. He had fished the steps for many years and didn't think the chances of conger where very good as he'd only had one strap in that time. Time to rethink conger venues! Walked over to Watwick Point initially but couldn't get down to the rocks. Photo below is looking across Watwick Bay towards the steps. Apparently the steps are part of a landing stage and pier that was used in the construction and supply of West Blockhouse on the headland due to the sheltered nature of the bay.

Friday 9 November 2007

Stackpole (11 Dogfish, 4 Pouting)

Stackpole 09/11/2007
Time: 5.00pm to 8.00pm.
Tide: HW-1 to HW+2. Spring tide.
Weather: Overcast, light NW winds.
Sea: Calm
Tackle & Bait: flappers, mackerel bait, pulley pennel, mackerel & live pouting.
Fishing: Had about five dogfish in the first hour and they just kept coming!
Comments: Dogfish madness!! Every cast the dogfish were there. Even had a pouting with a dogfish on the same rig. Must admit to getting quite irritated with it in the end so went home with the fish still biting - not something I do very often. Great mark to fish though. Bit of a walk from the car park, but well worth it. Fished well over HW but a lot of rocks started to get exposed as the tide went out and it could get difficult to fish over LW.

Thursday 8 November 2007

Morfa Bychan (1 Bass, 12 Mackerel)

Morfa Bychan 08/11/2007
Time: 4.00pm to 5.00pm.
Tide: HW-1 to HW. Spring tide.
Weather: Clearing after rain, NW winds.
Sea: Calm, good swell.
Tackle & Bait: Feathers & pulley pennel 5/0.
Fishing: Mackerel still coming in after whirebait, bass on livebait joey ledgered.
Comments: Just popped down to try for some more mackerel to eat and use as bait on the weekend. As soon as I caught a joey I put in on the rig and popped it out as usual. Right hand side of the bay and only about 10m out. Next thing I looked over while pulling in the feathers to see the rod and stand pulled over! Rushed across and found a good sized fish pulling on the end. Lovely bass of just over 3lb.

Sunday 4 November 2007

Morfa Bychan (5 Mackerel)

Morfa Bychan 04/11/2007
Time: 2.00pm to 5.00pm.
Tide: HW to HW+3. Neap tide.
Weather: Overcast, no wind.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Feathers, mackerel live bait, mackerel strip.
Fishing: Whitebait shoals still appearing at HW with a few mackerel following.
Comments: Tried using some mackerel as live bait but no Bass interested.

Saturday 3 November 2007

Druidston Haven

Druidston Haven 03/11/2007
Time: 6.00pm to 10.00pm.
Tide: LW-2 to LW+2. Neap tide.
Weather: Overcast, very slight N wind. Dry.
Sea: Calm.
Tackle & Bait: Flappers, mackerel & lug.
Fishing: Nothing! No bites, not even crabs.
Comments: Seemed to be busy in west wales with bonfire night parties. Set up on the beach to the far left beneath the hotel. The hotel then had a massive firework display on the cliff top right above me. Fantastic display with spent rockets raining down around me. Must have scared the fish away!

Nolton Haven Rocks (4 Whiting)

Nolton Haven Rocks 02/11/2007
Time: 6.00pm to 12.00pm.
Tide: LW-1 to LW+5. Neap flood tide.
Weather: Light W winds, dry, overcast.
Sea: Good swell and a moderate surf.
Tackle & Bait: flapper & pulley pennel, mackerel, lug.
Fishing: Slow, had a few whiting. No other bites.
Comments: Conditions seemed good, but no pouting showing unlike a couple of weeks back.