RichardB

Hi Youngrod. I don't know your area either and as Fishing Guernsey says, one of the biggest factors in bass fishing (or any other) is local knowledge. If you don't have access to this - try gathering your own - it's half the fascination of it. Walk along your chosen beach at low tide and study it. Look for 'features'. Even on a beach consisting of mainly clean ground spy out any bolders or patches of rocks, weed beds, worm/shelfish beds, maybe groins jutting out into the tide. Make a note of where they are. All these places represent food and shelter for crabs, worms, prawns, smaller fish etc. which will hopefully attract predators - like bass. Once you have chosen some spots to try, fish them on a variety of different sizes of tides, and different periods of the flood or ebb. Try during the day or after dark, or around dawn or dusk. Again keep notes ! You can begin to build up a picture of when they are present and feeding - often this will be at quite specific times during certain tides and might only be for short spells. Be prepared to experiment with different baits - often bass will be pre-occupied with certain things i.e. crabs in spring/early summer with the onset of molting their old shells, or fish baits like mackeral or squid later in the season. Fish as light as you can if ledgering - most of the time bass are never far out so heavy beachcasters are rarely necessary and light tackle allows bait to be taken with the least resistance felt by the fish. Also a light rod can held for long periods - often neccessary to feel the initial take and strike successfully. There are many other methods to try as you go along - spinning and plugging, float fishing, live-baiting etc. and fly fishing - something I've yet to try ! Hope this helps. Good luck ! oops ! looks like I've covered the same things as Sharkbyte here ! ... ah well.

Well done Sam - genuinely interesting stuff. We will be expecting the first run of thornbacks in the Solent soon.

Congratulations.

Gosport, Hampshire ..... well, somebody has to be.

Just watched it - absolutely stunning. They've done it again !

--> QUOTE(Norm B @ Feb 27 2006, 08:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Don't forget the Allan's Marine Open at Eastney on the 19th of March, usually a few flatties then and a chance of the £1,000 first prize. I'll be there, my annual pilgrimage, meet the people I only see once a year. Might give it a try Norm ! I've never entered that one before - not much of a one for competitions but I used to enjoy the Elmore AC, and Stokes Bay opens years ago - when I were just a lad .

Problem is, at the Southern end of the country at least, not much to fish for at the moment so not as many fishing = not many posts, I suppose. I've mostly blanked on the few trips I've done since Christmas. There are reports locally of a few bass around (not around me though). May be next month will give it a try for plaice off Hayling Island, Eastney or Gillkicker.

I've just gone all faint .

Yes ! its my new plan to get loads of bass bait this year. Cover myself in enhancing liquid, lie down in the mud at low water and wait ! I must stop drinking this stuff.

Yes, a dab behind each ear lobe and I became irresistible I tell you !

Sack of bicycles ! Love it !

Hi tappy42 . I live across from Portsmouth in Gosport. Sorrry to say fishing usually in the doldrums through Feb into March. I've recently blanked twice on daytime trips in the hillhead area. Usually expect to pick up a few flounders but very slow. Don't think the constant East wind has helped at all. Roll on Spring !

Hi YoungRod . There's people on here will give great advice. Don't be afraid to ask.

I was waiting for that !

I don't get much involved in the political stuff either. Not that there's not some interesting and important subjects covered - there are - but I tend to follow the discussion to the point were it goes into a 'loop' and people start to get needlessly unpleasant about it all. I have my own mixture of opinions and knowledge regarding the politics of fishery management, and conservation, but often feel a bit 'un-qualified' to spout forth very much. I'm a sea angler with a life-long interest in the coast, the sea and the creatures that live in it, and alongside that naturally comes an interest in the conservation of the same. I can also square that up with eating a few of them occasionally. Thats about it ! As for hogging the forum, well I suppose it seems that way sometimes but its not as if the "gang" are taking up space in a finite area to the dissadvantage of other potential posters. Its up to others to post more as Mike suggests, on any variety of sea angling subjects that THEY would like to see opened up. One problem at the moment could be that in my area and I suspect many others, we are going into a rather 'doldrems' period (Feb / March) for inshore fishing . Maybe people are fishing less and therefore have less to report and talk about. My mind keeps drifting forward to the Spring and Summer when I know I stand at least a sporting chance of connecting with fish that will be of reasonable size and will pull in the oposite direction ! eg. smooth hound, bass etc. II'l get back in me box now .

Will do .

Cheers for the info Mike

Hmmm, perhaps I ought not to be so fatalistic about it then ! Do you find the dabs go for small fish / squid baits ? I must admit I 've never really targeted them that seriousely, but it might give me something to go for on a few of the good tides over the coming 'lean' weeks.

She's added a couple of strong points to the discussion.

If I could, I surely would Mike. Bit far from Gosport though . Good luck though - hope some of those big dabs show up - something which seems to be in short supply around here. In fact fish in general are in short supply around here at the moment except for a few decent flounders before they depart for spawning. I dread February and early March in which traditionally, the fishing is pants. Is it the same in your neck of the woods ?

And most of the time bass are found at short range Skippy, so long casting with that rig not needed.

Very true - look how me and Shonzy met today - just happened to be fishing about twenty yards from each other !

Thornback ray = Flappers.