Specimen hunting. 17th July 2008.

[Mark Crame]

Tonight was one of those nights where sitting at home wasn't an option. Initially I had no intention of fishing - I just fancied a paddle as I felt in need of the exercise and I wanted to play with a borrowed Kinetic Wing to see if I could get on with it.

 

Arriving at the slipway onto Lake Lothing I realised that the water wasn't fully up yet and if I was lucky I may be able to dig some harbour ragworm...sure enough 5 minutes saw me with a few so I rigged one of my match rods with a float and a size 22 hook and paddled out.

 

I don't know how many of you have paddled with a Wing (I know Richi has one) but it's quite different to my usual paddle. The shaped face and back of the blade felt strange at first and it took a while before things felt right and I was able to enter and exit the water smoothly. The Wing can be used for a normal stroke but to get the best out of it there is another kind of stroke needed and i need to get some advice on that as I wasn't doing it right I suspect. That said I did seem to be moving at a good pace with ease. I'll have to keep hold of it a while I think.

 

Anyway, arriving at a spot I wanted to try where I'd seen plenty of Mullet jumping the night before (and where they'd played volleyball with the Smartcast transponders) I put the anchor down, baited up with ragworm and cast out. It was getting dark by now and it took ages, but finally the float went under. A massive fight ensued and finally I managed to subdue the first Bass of the evening:

 

 

Two more followed and some d**ned good Mullet flew out of the water here and there but they just didn't want to know about my bait.

 

I up-anchored and paddled about trying to find some other spots where they may be in eating mood. sadly i could now get nothing at all and come 10:45 I decided to paddle back to the launch point and try for some of the Gobies I'd seen when digging the ragworm.

 

Yes, you heard right. Intentionally targetting Gobies.

 

I ran myself right up to the waters edge and used my torch to look around for Gobies on the bottom. They're beautifully camouflaged and it took a while to spot one...I got my bait in place eventually and it started to move onto it. Then it started to nibble (I was watching all of this with the torch in 18 inches of water). Then it stopped, motionless. It was clear why - a shore crab was sauntering past only a few inches away. Gone, the Goby picked at the bait again and I struck...too soon. It disappeared.

 

A few feet away I spotted another fish - no idea what but perhaps a Mullet. No interest at all in my bait and it swam off. then I spotted another Goby. I positioned the bait and it started to nibble on it...I could see the hook being exposed little by little as it nibbled and then, suddenly, a swirl of water and a small cloud of sand...the Goby retreated and I struck into my first Dab (and flatfish) of the year! I was surprised and highly amused once i'd defeated this monster!

 

 

(Now I know I should have put my tournament token into the photograph but in my defence the fish was so small it would have stuck to it if I'd 'plaiced' it on and had I put it next to it and got the token in the fish would not have been seen...Starvin, please can I claim my caught-fair-and-square dab with a technical waiver of the rules? :-[ )

 

I looked around. Here was some fun coming - a Prawn!!! I placed my piece of ragworm close enough and watched as it approached, picked up the bait (this was an absolutely magical half hour) and started to eat. Now, there aren't many people that can say they've ever struck into a Prawn but I can. I actually caught one many years ago in a river while fishing for Eels but this time my luck was out - it dropped off and didn't want anything more to do with my bait.

 

Still laughing to myself I decided on one last try for the Gobies. One was located but the first strike failed to connect as it dropped off. it wasn't sppoked however so I dropped the bait down again and watched as it was totally ignored.

 

That is until another Goby came along. Head to head with the bait between them they both, they both made a lunge at the same time and the sand cloud and disappearance of fish indicated that i had to mmake my move. As I struck I felt a heavy weight and a firm pull on the line....and swung into the yak my alternative target species.

 

 

I came in, laughing. Beat that ;D

[wooky]

bit like land of the giants ........ lol

[jasper3]

mark..... that photo of the goby is phenomenal.......... as in all your reports, they make cracking reading and viewing