Lizard Peninsula

[barramundi]

Fished Saturday with Kevin,took him to a few marks I suspected would have a fish. Fished plugs for bass. No manicles ,too windy.

 

 

I had 6 all were 2 1/2 to 3 Lb (all returned)

 

Kev had 1 , the fish was less fortunate ,(it was his first) . I understand he had 2 from the same area today prior to our arrival so hopefully they swam away?

 

I took a guest to the same marks one hour behind kevin and had sweet FA which was an unwelcome surprise. He did have a 3 1/2 lb + pollack on a shallow diver in 20 foot of water which was rather a welcome surprise

[musket]

Fished Saturday with Kevin,took him to a few marks I suspected would have a fish. Fished plugs for bass. No manicles ,too windy.

I had 6 all were 2 1/2 to 3 Lb (all returned)

 

Kev had 1 , the fish was less fortunate ,(it was his first) . I understand he had 2 from the same area today prior to our arrival so hopefully they swam away?

 

I took a guest to the same marks one hour behind kevin and had sweet FA which was an unwelcome surprise. He did have a 3 1/2 lb + pollack on a shallow diver in 20 foot of water which was rather a welcome surprise

 

 

Come on Paintfly-tell us you put them back (understand keeping the first)

[paintfly]

Short answer:no

 

Long answer:

Just got back from the Lizard peninsula where, as mentioned, I caught my first bass on Friday, thanks to Austin/Barramundi, who very kindly showed me some likely spots and provided tips on technique. I had to wait a long time for it though, all the while watching him catch half a dozen. Finally got lucky with a Rapala X-rap, after trying almost everything else in my box.

 

I’d driven down on Thursday and couldn’t get hold of Austin, so headed for Coverack, which turned out to have a cute little harbour with a decent slipway. Popped round to see the harbour master and he gave me the OK and told me to put a quid per launch in the charity box. The wind was howling when I arrived, but as I was about to leave to check out a few other possible launches, it suddenly moderated, so I went out for a couple of hours before it picked up again and forced me back in. It took me nearly an hour to get back from just around the next bay (about ½ mile at the most), but I managed a couple of big wrasse, ledgering on rag, which was better than blanking, although I’m getting a bit disturbed by the whole guts hanging out thing too, and as spearing them in didn’t seem to work, I had to watch them float away while I was tied up to a pot buoy.

 

On Saturday morning I went in to Helston to get more bait, but there wasn’t any worm (apparently the hot weather has killed them off around there) and I forgot to ask about sand eel. So, I checked out their lures and although they didn’t have the one that Austin was having so much success with, I found something that looked similar, a Rapala Finnish minnow (jointed). I bought some rubber rag worm as well just for the hell of it, I’ve never used it before, but if the blurb on the back of the pack was anything to go by I’d be catching more fish than I’d know what to do with (yeah, right). Headed back to the same area I’d been to with Austin and bang! I was in 1st cast with the new lure.

 

This was great, but it left me in somewhat of a dilemma, as I like catching fish to eat, but once I’ve got my supper, I’ve found some of the urge leaves me. Which is why I like to have a variety of rigs/bait, so I can target different species. Yeah, I know…catch and release but, somehow, with all the fuss that’s made (quite rightly) about bass I was feeling a bit reluctant to carry on plugging. I did for a bit, until I saw another one follow the lure right up to the yak before it turned away, which was brilliant. But that made my mind up and I paddled off to deeper water to do some trolling, as the bloke in the bait shop said the lure was good for pollack. I paddled a long way (right round the head we didn’t get to – Austin) then I drifted even further out, while I had my lunch as the tide had just turned, and ledgered some of the rubber worms – zilch.

 

Eventually headed back, trolling again, and saw who I presumed was Austin and someone else, in a bay, but was too knackered to stop, and besides they looked busy and didn’t seem to see me as I paddled by a few hundred yards away. I rounded the next bit of headland through a gap in some rocks and thought I’d snagged on a rock or got caught in weed, as I’d completely forgotten I had a line out. It took me a while to realise there was a fish on, which turned out to be another bass.

 

OK, those of you of a sensitive disposition should stop reading now, because shortly after this photo, everything went pear shaped. I’d been told bass put up a good fight, but had always assumed this meant before you land them. But I reckon they’re even worse when you get them in the boat. It must have looked like one of those cartoon fights where you only see a whirl of arms and legs and fins. Eventually managed to pin it under my bare leg and the only reason he wasn’t getting away from there was because most of his dorsal spines and at least one treble were sticking into it. Both rods were totally twisted up with one over the side and line around everything and by the time I managed to take a look at the fish I realised he’d got caught up on my other lure that was lying in the foot well. Unfortunately it had got right in under the gills and to cut a long story, by the time I managed to get everything out he wasn’t looking too good, so I decided to put him out of his misery. Both fish got eaten, one going to a friend’s parents who live near by. With hindsight, wish I’d had the confidence to let the first one go, assuming I’d catch another. Didn’t fish today. Lot of lessons this w/e.

[musket]

Paintfly,

I now(after a similar experience ) squash the barbs on the treble on the front hook (sometimes make it into a double)and replace the rear with a short single.This makes release far easier.

Jon

Edited August 7, 2006 by musket

[barramundi]

I share a special place and you kill every fish you catch.Im a ****ing idiot!!!!!!

 

3 out of 3 . my ratios 170 /0 this season If you kill them they cant breed and they wont be back. Its bad enough that it goes on around me but helping a you to catch and kill bass that have not even bred yet Im a ****ing fool.

 

I fished with a great bunch of guys from this foum this year we had a great time and had great fish and all were released.

 

Sorry your a nice guy but greedy and I regret taking you fishing

 

 

 

 

I learned a few lessons this weekend too

[paintfly]

I share a special place and you kill every fish you catch.Im a ****ing idiot!!!!!!

 

3 out of 3 . my ratios 170 /0 this season If you kill them they cant breed and they wont be back. Its bad enough that it goes on around me but helping a you to catch and kill bass that have not even bred yet Im a ****ing fool.

 

I fished with a great bunch of guys from this foum this year we had a great time and had great fish and all were released.

 

Sorry your a nice guy but greedy and I regret taking you fishing

I learned a few lessons this weekend too

 

 

Jon – Thanks for the advice and your understanding attitude. I‘ve been thinking about barbless hooks so your modifications sound like a good idea. I also appreciate the offer of a meet up sometime despite my inexperience.

 

Austin – Sorry you feel that way, and sorry to have upset you, but I never concealed the fact that I intended to keep a fish to eat and you never mentioned that 100% catch&release was a condition of us fishing together. Greedy to want to have a fish supper 2 nights running?…well, you may have a point there, but that just leaves one that should have gone free and you should realise that I regret that it didn’t and that it was not intentional.

 

However, I did find your question as to whether they’d been released slightly disingenuous, as having spoken to the bloke on the gate at the car park, you obviously already knew they hadn’t. Perhaps you were hoping to prove me a liar as well? Sorry to disappoint you again, but I am more than ready to admit my mistakes and take any flak they deserve.

 

This will be my last word on the matter; it‘s a highly emotive subject and I don’t want to make the situation any worse than it already is.

[barramundi]

However, I did find your question as to whether they’d been released slightly disingenuous, as having spoken to the bloke on the gate at the car park, you obviously already knew they hadn’t. Perhaps you were hoping to prove me a liar as well?

 

No the guy just tod me you had had 2 fish > i did not ask him if you were carrying dead fish.

 

You said a couple of times thet you lose interest once you have caught fish for the pot. , a statement that i did find strange Well if thats the case then you had best look for a different hobby and buy farmed sustainable fish from Tesos.

 

My mistake for not asking if you catch and release. You live and learn

[SeaDooDavid]

Oooooh Kev you jammy so and so!! when will it be my turn to bag a Bass?

Still, will keep trying!

Nice one mate!!

 

SDD~~~~~~

[spanner]

Bit of a thorny issue this.

 

It seems that for some conservation is a black and white issue and you should not take any fish, or bass at least, for the pot.

 

If you are full on vegan and wouldn't dream of eating fish anyway, then that is fine, but if like me you like to eat fish and consider it to be a vital component of a good diet then you have to consider the environmental implications of the source of that fish.

 

There is quite a bit of debate at the moment over how sustainable fish farming is and I certainly think it is not all its cracked up to be. There is a lot of hidden environmental damage with fish farming and in my opinion assuming that farming is the way to go to preserve wild stocks is wrong. I still think the best 'farm' is a healthy and thriving sea and mother nature the best farmer.

 

Personally I only eat fish I have caught, or somebody fishing with me has. The quality is so much better than bought fish, from whatever source, and it has minimal impact through bycatch or environmental damage. So the issue for me is about taking suitable fish in suitable numbers and of a suitable size. If these bass were undersize and immature then that is the issue rather than the fact it was 3 fish.

 

Bass are localised and yes if you take too many you will destroy the local population, but that doesn't mean it is wrong to take any at all, it is just a case of the numbers and sizes that you take.

 

Where it becomes a grey area is when the fish is already dead, legally it has to go back, but I can understand the waste not want not mentallity, I've done it myself.

Edited August 8, 2006 by spanner

[darnsarf]

Agree Spanner. Im a conservationist but there is nothing wrong with taking the odd fish. It is perfectly natural, it feeds the essential preditor/prey relationship that fuels nature and evolution. A relationship we use to help catch them in the first place (Lures etc.). It all becomes wrong when one for the pot turns into exploitation. I am also assuming that the fish were legal.

 

I have fished with Paintfly on a number of occasions and I have watched him put fish back. I wasn't there but he certainly has never come across as a butcher.

 

One of the our strongest arguments against fishing being labled a blood sport is that rod and line is the most humane and targeted way to catch this food source with minimum impact to the enviroment. Difficult to argue against feeding the family. So although I put back as much as possible, I even shake mackies off of hooks if I dont need them for bait, I am happy for people to take some home. I think they could be the ones that provide the excuse that will allow this sport to stand and survive the PC brigade.

 

For the record I have taken one fish this year. That was because to release it would have run the risk of it being caught in an illegal Gill Net that had just been laid across the front of me. I moved the net to a spot that would be less dangerous to the public and the local Bass population and then reported the incident to the SFC. Guess who helped?

 

Please wait while I just climb off my soap box.

Edited August 8, 2006 by darnsarf