nickw

The times I have been to tenerife float fished bread was being used and caught fish especially mullet but the locals were also using prawns from the supermarket and had lots of fish even in the middle of the day, bream seemed to make up a lot of the catch. If you can have a swim around with a snorkel and pick out the places the fish are holding. We could see plenty of bass and bigger bream doing that. If you wear sun glasses and stand on the break waters you will see other long thin fish on the edge of the shoals - barracuda. Interesting to try a small float fished dead bait sink and draw for these but take a wire trace and forceps. Don't forget to share your results here when you get back.

--> QUOTE(Norm B @ May 29 2006, 08:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> In the harbour, it's no particular spot, they are all over it, some days one area, next day another, usually the sunny side and out of the wind. Lots of illegal netting for bass early in the morning, well before Southern SFC are up and about, they're getting a lot of mullet in the bass nets, 60p a kilo I've heard at Viviers for mullet, so a 5lb mullet is worth £1.50p or there abouts. It's not so bad if it's a commercial earning a crust but part timers in a bass nursery area is a bit galling. Get rid of SFC's, bring on the EA Yes i saw a man in row boat netting the River Stour (Essex) up at Cattawade bridge near Manningtree about a week ago. It is so frustrating in conversation terms. --> QUOTE(Norm B @ May 29 2006, 08:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> In the harbour, it's no particular spot, they are all over it, some days one area, next day another, usually the sunny side and out of the wind. Lots of illegal netting for bass early in the morning, well before Southern SFC are up and about, they're getting a lot of mullet in the bass nets, 60p a kilo I've heard at Viviers for mullet, so a 5lb mullet is worth £1.50p or there abouts. It's not so bad if it's a commercial earning a crust but part timers in a bass nursery area is a bit galling. Get rid of SFC's, bring on the EA Yes i saw a man in row boat netting the River Stour (Essex) up at Cattawade bridge near Manningtree about a week ago. It is so frustrating in conservation terms !

'FishingGuernsey' & Leon Thank you for all your efforts on our behalf I consider 2,000 rather disappointing, I think a few got scared off by threats that attention would turn to over fishing other species others didn't respond because they don't target bass ! Of course a copy of the DEFRA paper should have been bound into every sea fishing related mag and all fishing tackle retailers and charter skippers should have been approached as this directly affects them in the same way as it does the commercial fishermen - no fish no business ! I was pleased to have got a letter back from DEFRA to my response, lets now see how it goes. It has certainly moved our interests right up the agenda and opened lots of discussion on conservation. Nick

Yes its a foul day today (Sunday). Nice looking cod on lug I see ! Always enjoyable to read your reports. Good to hear the sprats are moving off that might give us a chance over the coming weeks to get a few! Have not been out for a while but it won't be long now. Nick

(Phil "...I'm going to be in menorca.) Best of luck Phil, i'm going to Madeira early summer and will take some float tackle as well as my plug fishing kit. Nick

Getting more time to go fishing now - so do more fishing is first target. Lure fishing for Bass is going to be high on the list And if I can put up with people thinking i've gone mad catch some fish on the fly from my local estuary.

I have watched people fishing off the rocks in the south of france and they were catching bream on float gear, never saw anything big caught. As for Barracuda I saw plenty of these when fishing and snorkelling in canaries recently. Barracuda as well as Bass etc. can be caught on diving plugs etc. from the rocks see http://www.bassbonkers.com/index.php?main_page=page_3 for example of some caught in Portugal. The locals in Tenerife were mainly after bream for their BBQs and used brown bread but I found float fished defrosted prawns to be the most effective bait for all species. nick

My mistake is saying i'll be home by 6pm then decide on one more cast, then one thing leads to another and its suddenly 8pm and I get loads of grief . What I should do is say i'll be home by 9pm and then get back by 7pm saying I got back early as I wanted to take you down the pub etc. nick

Many thanks for the reply and advice. I will do a bit more research as you suggest looking forward to it, I do hope to get in a boat trip as well so will look at the suggested website. Nick

Looking through the brochures etc. to book up a holiday to Madeira in June. At the moment Canico de Baixo looks to be the most likely venue. Although I am hoping to give the boat fishing a try what I would like to do is to try some lure fishing from the shore. Has anyone got any knowledge of shore fishing in Madeira ? Thanks nick Anyway nice to think about something more cheerful than the sleet outside

This takes the dislike of easterlies back to the 17th Century Izaak Walton (1593–1683) 'The Complete Angler' "I shall stay him no longer than to wish him a rainy evening to read this following discourse; and that if he be an honest angler, the east wind may never blow when he goes a fishing." nick

Hi Cliff As mentioned before i'm just up the river from you at Holbrook. I'm intending to target the rivers a bit more this year. I would love to see the stour and north essex rivers designated as a bass nursery and netting etc. restricted. If the mls increase goes through then creating areas like these as nurseries will benefit everyone and give the developing bass fishery a real kick start. nick

Catch and release is certainly on the increase especially those who fish a lot and travel. Also among the growing numbers who switch between Coarse, Game and Sea fishing. It is easy to explain to the younger anglers who readily embrace this. Some of the older people you see still killing all their catch are harder work. nick

Definately, agreed nick

When I mentioned bag limits I was thinking of our need as anglers to encourage catch and release. I can not see the sense in restricting the commercial guys then our colleagues going out and selling their catch, which I am aware happens around here. As well as anglers and amateur netters taking under size (36 cm) fish. I don't really want to be standing there gently putting a fish back while a bloke up the beach is filling a bin liner I believe Ireland has introduced limits of two fish landed per angler per 24 hours. That sort of regulation would help demonstrate that it is a sustainable recreational sport fishery that we are looking to create. Nick

Hi Would it be interesting to re-run the Poll to see how it has changed in a month and with a month to go it might encourage those who are still getting round to it. I sent mine in by email supporting the MLS increased and increase in net size and had a proper response etc. I also added some personal thoughts on the estuary area where I live, South Suffolk, and the importance of these estuary areas as nurseries where restrictions on commercial fishing and angler bag limits would help speed up the process. I also copied it to my local MP Nick PS I got a good response from family and friends to the idea though they will not have written to DEFRA. PPS I saw the number of 400,000 anglers interested in bass fishing quoted somewhere, does BASS have a break down on numbers of bass anglers by region ?

There are meant to be a fair few caught off Walton pier in the summer months using mackerel strip on light float tactics just below the surface, as described by the others. Something I keep meaning to do and never yet got round to but it does sound fun. nick

Talking of food last night about 17.30 I heard the shingle move turned round expecting a spectator and found a fox looking at my bait. Must have been even more desperate than me

Fished the beach Felixstowe on Sunday and not a touch despite excellent bait and OK presentation. Spoke to others and no one knew of any Cod from that beach for a couple of days also reading other reports from friends around the Suffolk area and find that despite windy weather, coloured sea and good tides nothing much to report. I'm going to try and book up a boat trip asap and hopefully that will be successful and refuel my enthusiasm for the beaches ready for some days off at the end of the month nick

Yes, interesting. Thanks for the reply. I will remember the hooks/bait bit. Also will get in touch with Rod and arrange a day out. nick PS I'm Holbrook so know the marina well. I will have a look for your boat next time i'm over Shotley.

Fished Landguard this afternoon, 14.30 to 18.30, but not a touch. Spoke to others who had fished Saturday as well and no had anything very very quiet ! I just don't think there were any fish along the beach at all. Think I will give Rod a call and try and get a day afloat. I will need to if I'm goimg to catch any cod this year! Cliff were the fish you were catching full of shrimp, sprat or anything ? Nick

I'll probably be down at Landguard Sunday pm fishing the ebb. Might manage a midweek as well. If the weather is going to stay calm I might give Rod a call. nick

Ditto But in a better world I would like to see the MLS increased in all the major cases e.g. Bass to something like 50cm, Cod to 5lb (cm equivalent) etc., quotas, conservation areas and minimum distance from land for commercial net fishing. There would need to be a transition peiod and if this interventionist approach was taken then yes compensation would be justified. nick

Thanks Mike will do nick

I will probably be on the beach at Landguard sometime Sunday - if I can get a pass nick PS Heard about the dinghy that got upset by the tug the other day off Felixstowe. Were you anywhere near by ?