curuxz

Wow such a useful tool!!! Really good that you have taken the time to give details such as min size as well. Would be cool as an app for a phone

Hi guys, I have been estuary fishing on the river Itchen in Southampton for the last couple of months as so far have not managed to catch any bass A local tackle shop reckoned you could use bread to get smaller ones but that seems very ineffective (only had one bite on it, and it got off during the fight to land it) I have also tried small crabs (from the river bed at low side) and small prawns/minnows again caught at low tide but with no success. I know rag is supposed to be the best but have not gotten around to trying this yet. Was thinking of ordering some panic minnows (http://www.density-tackle.com) and trying those, has anyone else had any experience with them? Does anyone have any general tips for good time of day to go onto an estuary. To add insult to lack of catch, when I was there yesterday a Bass jumped out the water about 20-30ft from me, he was around 40-50cm long so I know there are fish of an edible size in there! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

just really annoyed at that stupid chav mum coming onto the fishing pontoon when I had a line out, I should have politely asked her to go somewhere else because it wasted half an hour waiting for the swans to go and I had lines out that I had to very quickly pull back to I didn't snag a swan. People just don't think. There was half a mile of open river side she could have thrown bread from, there was no need to draw birds into a fishing rod. ARRGG..first fish related rant over

Ah rite thanks, not sure if I will get Mackerel on the Itchen. Would love to tho, one of my favourite fish.

It's no problem. Min is 41cm rite?

Hey all, Managed to get out to the water for the first time today and have a play with my new rod. Decided to start off on the Itchen by the tidal part (before woodlands bridge) and see if I could get any bass. As I expected, I couldn't (LOL!) but I have it a shot. Best I got was one bite but it got away, but pretty pleased for my first time fishing. Went to the nearest bait shop and they were helpful getting me with a hook and float good for the river etc and I think the problem was the weather was just not on my side. Down on the itchen there is a pontoon which is great for fishing and just as I got my first bite a (very inconsiderate) woman with her brat trounced onto the fishing pontoon and started throwing bread out. A few moments later and the whole thing was covered in swans and I had no way of casting my rod safely (esp considering I was using barbed tackle and the thought of getting that in a swan was not good). After I had waited a good 30mins for the swans to disperse I tried for another hour but got nothing more. The wind was too high to every time I cast off the pontoon it would blow back in shore. I was using a simple hook, with 4-5 AAA shots and then a small float. I think next time I go I will try using a weight and one of these helicopter rig. Ah well thought I would just share my first, unsuccessful, attempt at fishing and sea fishing (I think tidal counts as sea right? )

Thanks for all the advice guys! I will defo try and get a copy of that book!!!! I only got this kit because of the good reviews, realise it comes with maybe a little more than I need for now but will have a go. Did not get a chance today to go out but hopefully tomorrow I can find a few hours for a play, weather permitting!

Thanks for this diagram, very helpful I can understand how to set that rig up. I will buy a disgorger and some mono line (along with some hooks without the braid). I am using a 12ft 2.5lb 3 piece rod. It came with reel with 200yards 0.28dia written on it and I have spooled up pretty much all 200yards on the reel following a tutorial i saw on youtube. Not sure if this was the right thing to do but testing at home I have a rod that seems to work.

So would the following simple rig work, I have attached the stopper things to make a weight thingy stay in place, then tied on (using half-blood knot) to the ring and the end of the nylon (how the hook came). I have pencilled in where the line is, since it did not show up well. If I am understanding this correctly, it will allow the line to sink a bit, but the hook to drift (with some bread or sweet corn attached to it). sorry realise I am hopelessly newbie on this all

Thanks so much for the diagrams, don't fully understand but at least now I can try and build one and see what happens Going to wonder down to the river later (if the sodding rain stops) and have a play! Worst comes to worst I get my first blank

Hi andy, thanks so much for your help. Do you know of anywhere online that explains how to use all this stuff together? I think tomorrow I am going to go down to the lake in sotton and cast out with just the hook strait on to the mainline with bread bait and see what i get, no idea how to use this carp rig.

Hi all, I ordered a fishing set online to get me started and it has come with no instructions, I have no idea what does what. I have brought a fishing book but I am finding it hard to figure out where to start. I have taken a picture of everything that came with it, perhaps some people could be kind enough to identify some of the stuff. I know 6 is a hook to nylon, but past that I am pretty stuck thanks all!

Does this all mean that I should avoid using worm bait ?? I only plan on trying bread and sweet-corn to start me off, but would be interesting to know what bait gets the fish on the tidal stretches of the solent/itchen/test.

Cheers for the advice guys, that list of sizes for sea fish is very handy. Although as someone who has not fished since they were about 10 I am not likely to get anything any time soon! Ah well think I will go on one of the local catch and release ponds and see what I can get with a cheap rod and some bread, just for practice!

OK, so I guess no one knows (which is fine) so I did some digging my self. While it may seem a little odd to reply to your own questions, I thought perhaps someone else would be interested/correct me/search in the future for this info. Personally I think as a new fisher it is damn confusing but oh well... Spoke to Southampton Council and the EA and they said: "1) Will a normal (ie non-migratory) licence be ok for the Itchen?" Yes so long as your not going after migratory species, you can fish sea fish without a licence if they come up there since part of the itchen (up to woodmill) is tidal. Still would like to know how they determine this, surly if I am using a spinner going after a bass (I think someone is about to tell me thats wrong or something, but I don't know better) and they say spinners are for salmon how can I prove I was after the sea fish. Very confusing. "Don't wish to be controversial, but on the Itchen being a free stretch can I eat fish I catch. I don't expect for a second to catch anything worth keeping with my lack of skill but out of interest if I did fancy the odd 1 or 2 is this allowed?" Apparently the tidal part, sea fish is eat whatever you like and course fish is standard rules but past woodmill in the fresh water part of the itchen it is only catch and release. Fair so. I also have herd that out on Redbridge causeway you can fish for sea fish on the mouth of the test for free, that seems like a fun idea (always see LOADS of anglers down there). Any tips on catching sea fish, from shore on a tidal water river.