Goateeblank
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2020
- Messages
- 1,593
- Reaction score
- 5,414
- Points
- 115
- Location
- South Coast
- Favourite Fishing
- Shore
After meeting my mates on Tuesday night (something we have done for over 40 years or so!) I said my goodbyes and left at 10, hoping to get though the roadworks on the A31 before they shut the roads for overnight repairs. It has to be done I know, but the diversions they put in place are so looooong! Big blow going on and plenty of rain, but the roads were quiet and I was pulling up to my spot to sleep the night in the van before 11.30.
The weather forecast was good for the Wednesday, my bait, was in the van fridge and I was looking forward to a nights sleep without my wife constantly trying to get herself comfortable all night!
Had a decent nights sleep and woke up looking forward to the sunrise and my Greggs bargain breakfast bacon roll and coffee from the shop only a few hundred yards away. The picture below was my view of the sun rising behind Swanage Pier. What a way to start the day!
The pier was open early and I was parked on the pier around 8. The pier volunteers are a great bunch of people and good to chat with. The divers were there already (also part of the Greggs breakfast appreciation society) and cramming in some extra vapes before heading to to their dive site.
I was to be joined by @cap'nhaddock later, so wanted something rare under my belt before he arrived. Fished with the usual one up with running ledger bottom, size 6 long shank hooks and small chunks of rag or whole maddies and one with small Sabikis. Rods my usual 9ft spinning ugly sticks. Everything was tangled and messy, I set up a float rod for mackerel and gar as well (untouched all day) and nothing went right. Hooks in my hoodie, dropping things, I felt like a complete amateur and glad I had the pier to myself to save my embarrassment.
Anyway first drop down gets me the bragging rights rare-ish fish a Baillons wrasse. You can see the black dot in the dorsal fin, the red fringe fins and the pattern under the eyes is dotted not continuous. That said I did not realise it at the time!!!!
This was followed by regular ballan and corkwing wrasse, until a tompot blenny came in.
Next up was a little pollack.
I was trying the sabikis to try and catch one of the numerous bait fish swimming past, but it was just not happening. My main target for the day was a pilchard. Haddock is with me now and plucking pilchard and sand smelt out with relative and regular ease!!! No sign of any sand eels this time. I couldn't not work out why he could get them and I couldn't and he is taking great pleasure letting me know it is his technique and experience. Love a bit of banter! I put on a new set of sabikis and hey presto got my pilchard! Also got plenty of sand smelt, but no sand eels or my other target a launce.
Pilchard.
Sand smelt.
There is a spot on the pier that usually holds dragonet's. Lined it up, cast to it and in no time and to my surprise, considering my start to the day, in comes a dragonet. In the sun it seemed very translucent and somehow different, so I called on haddock for confirmation it was not a different type.
We have now moved up top and Haddock is battling something on his spinning rod and its not a mini species! I went to help him hand ball it up onto the pier, but with a big effort he managed to flip it over the rail. A nice black bream. Time to change spot again I think. Bigger worm and slivers of gar sent out and in no time one rod is banging away and the retrieve is "interesting" as the fish is kiting and diving around. Lift up and my first bream is on the pier. They sure give a good account of themselves don't they! Time for a wee and I left Haddock "in charge". I am wandering back and Haddock is waving at me. I don't have to run do I? It looks like I do. Good job you bungeed that rod on he said, as he is stood with his foot on the bottom! Its been trying to get over the rail. He did not want to lift it as I was also hoping for a red mullet and I have to lift the fish myself to count
for the species hunt. This was on a bigger rod and good job too. It put loads of pressure on and turned out to be the best one of the day. Picture shows the best one in my hands and mine and Haddocks on the floor.
Next up was a pretty and unexpected plaice.
The ferry came in and that seemed to drive off the the bream, BOOOOOOO! It was also getting near to pier kick off time and guys were arriving for a pier comp so we left.
I still needed a shanny for a different comp, so we went to the the quay wall and set up dropping straight down. We were getting wrasse and a better stamp of fish than we were on the pier certainly for Haddock anyway. Lots of people eating chips around us and the smell was making me hungry! I decided no chips till I got my shanny. It did not take long!
Shanny challenge done, we had celebratory fish and chips and they were goood!
Spoke with some locals and helped them with smelly bait for crab catching and casting practice for a lad with a 3ft rod!
So a good trip all round, good kip, great sunrise, barely endurable company! One new fish for my main species hunts giving me 37 in total, less on this hunt, and a total of 11 species of fish caught on the day. Don't know how many fish I caught, but lots and lots. No road diversions there or back.
Need to target rays (only got a small eye so far) cod and mullet now.
Species caught this trip.
Baillons wrasse
Ballan wrasse.
Corkwing wrasse.
Pollock.
Tompot blenny.
Pilchard.
Sand smelt.
Dragonet.
Black bream.
Plaice.
Shanny.
The weather forecast was good for the Wednesday, my bait, was in the van fridge and I was looking forward to a nights sleep without my wife constantly trying to get herself comfortable all night!
Had a decent nights sleep and woke up looking forward to the sunrise and my Greggs bargain breakfast bacon roll and coffee from the shop only a few hundred yards away. The picture below was my view of the sun rising behind Swanage Pier. What a way to start the day!
The pier was open early and I was parked on the pier around 8. The pier volunteers are a great bunch of people and good to chat with. The divers were there already (also part of the Greggs breakfast appreciation society) and cramming in some extra vapes before heading to to their dive site.
I was to be joined by @cap'nhaddock later, so wanted something rare under my belt before he arrived. Fished with the usual one up with running ledger bottom, size 6 long shank hooks and small chunks of rag or whole maddies and one with small Sabikis. Rods my usual 9ft spinning ugly sticks. Everything was tangled and messy, I set up a float rod for mackerel and gar as well (untouched all day) and nothing went right. Hooks in my hoodie, dropping things, I felt like a complete amateur and glad I had the pier to myself to save my embarrassment.
Anyway first drop down gets me the bragging rights rare-ish fish a Baillons wrasse. You can see the black dot in the dorsal fin, the red fringe fins and the pattern under the eyes is dotted not continuous. That said I did not realise it at the time!!!!
This was followed by regular ballan and corkwing wrasse, until a tompot blenny came in.
Next up was a little pollack.
I was trying the sabikis to try and catch one of the numerous bait fish swimming past, but it was just not happening. My main target for the day was a pilchard. Haddock is with me now and plucking pilchard and sand smelt out with relative and regular ease!!! No sign of any sand eels this time. I couldn't not work out why he could get them and I couldn't and he is taking great pleasure letting me know it is his technique and experience. Love a bit of banter! I put on a new set of sabikis and hey presto got my pilchard! Also got plenty of sand smelt, but no sand eels or my other target a launce.
Pilchard.
Sand smelt.
There is a spot on the pier that usually holds dragonet's. Lined it up, cast to it and in no time and to my surprise, considering my start to the day, in comes a dragonet. In the sun it seemed very translucent and somehow different, so I called on haddock for confirmation it was not a different type.
We have now moved up top and Haddock is battling something on his spinning rod and its not a mini species! I went to help him hand ball it up onto the pier, but with a big effort he managed to flip it over the rail. A nice black bream. Time to change spot again I think. Bigger worm and slivers of gar sent out and in no time one rod is banging away and the retrieve is "interesting" as the fish is kiting and diving around. Lift up and my first bream is on the pier. They sure give a good account of themselves don't they! Time for a wee and I left Haddock "in charge". I am wandering back and Haddock is waving at me. I don't have to run do I? It looks like I do. Good job you bungeed that rod on he said, as he is stood with his foot on the bottom! Its been trying to get over the rail. He did not want to lift it as I was also hoping for a red mullet and I have to lift the fish myself to count
for the species hunt. This was on a bigger rod and good job too. It put loads of pressure on and turned out to be the best one of the day. Picture shows the best one in my hands and mine and Haddocks on the floor.
Next up was a pretty and unexpected plaice.
The ferry came in and that seemed to drive off the the bream, BOOOOOOO! It was also getting near to pier kick off time and guys were arriving for a pier comp so we left.
I still needed a shanny for a different comp, so we went to the the quay wall and set up dropping straight down. We were getting wrasse and a better stamp of fish than we were on the pier certainly for Haddock anyway. Lots of people eating chips around us and the smell was making me hungry! I decided no chips till I got my shanny. It did not take long!
Shanny challenge done, we had celebratory fish and chips and they were goood!
Spoke with some locals and helped them with smelly bait for crab catching and casting practice for a lad with a 3ft rod!
So a good trip all round, good kip, great sunrise, barely endurable company! One new fish for my main species hunts giving me 37 in total, less on this hunt, and a total of 11 species of fish caught on the day. Don't know how many fish I caught, but lots and lots. No road diversions there or back.
Need to target rays (only got a small eye so far) cod and mullet now.
Species caught this trip.
Baillons wrasse
Ballan wrasse.
Corkwing wrasse.
Pollock.
Tompot blenny.
Pilchard.
Sand smelt.
Dragonet.
Black bream.
Plaice.
Shanny.
Last edited:
