Trying to do something without the right tool for the job can be frustrating. But you might not always be aware that such a tool is available. With the risk of preaching to the choir with some of these, here are the 10 sea fishing tools I couldn’t do without. 1. Head torch This one is so obvious I was hesitating about including it. If you go fishing in the dark you need a head torch. Period. If you happen…
Fishing for pollock (sometimes spelled pollack) is one of my favourite calm weather activities. With its stunning dark colours, the pollock is one of the prettiest looking sea fish. But looks are not the end of it, compared to species like cod, pollock fight incredibly hard. When they’re feeding, pollock are not hard to catch, but there are ways to improve your catch rates dramatically. I’ll get into pollock fishing methods later, first some general tips. 1. Choose the right…
Sea fishing weights are nearly as essential as line and hooks when it comes to sea fishing. Using the right type of weight can improve your catch rates dramatically. In this post I describe the different types of sea fishing weights I use. Grip lead weights Grip weights have wires that help to nail the rig to the seabed. Plain weights are moved about by the tide, making fishing in some conditions near impossible. Unless you’re fishing clean ground, a…
You finally have the time to go on your well deserved sea fishing trip. The conditions are right, you’ve got your gear sorted. So what sea fishing bait should you take? I know a lot of anglers who would answer this question with ‘anything I can lay my hands on’. After waiting for so long to go fishing you don’t want to risk not bringing the right, or not enough bait. While I understand the ‘better safe than sorry’ approach,…
Fishing for mackerel is one of the most enjoyable summer pastimes. Ounce for ounce the mackerel is one of the hardest fighting saltwater species. Targeting mackerel with feathers is probably the most well-known method but other methods can be very effective too. It all depends on the conditions and what you want to achieve. Do you want to stock up your freezer quickly or do you want to have some fun? In this blog post I describe 5 methods I…
Wouldn’t it be good to have just one cod fishing rig that works everywhere any time? Unfortunately almost every mark I fish asks for a different approach. The following 3 rigs are the ones I use most often when fishing for cod, and they’re all incredibly simple. 1. Super basic rough ground cod rig This is probably the rig I use most often, because I use it all year round and not just for cod. It’s the perfect rig for…
Winter cod fishing is not for everyone. The more unpleasant the weather is for the angler, the better it is for fishing. Catches are often best when most sane people are in their beds, dreaming of spring. I used to think that camping days on end at the waterside hoping to catch a specimen carp was a kind of madness, now I look back to those carp fishing days and think: luxury. You can’t set up a bivvy on top…
You can buy the fanciest tackle and invent the most sophisticated rigs , but that’s all pretty useless if you can’t source the right bait. The ‘right bait’ in my neck of the woods, especially when I’m after winter cod in rough seas, is fresh lugworm. Digging your own lugworm is not always a matter of choice like ‘making your own bread’, it’s often the only choice you have. It’s either digging or blanking. Digging lugworm in winter without any…
If it wasn’t for the humble flounder, big parts of my fishing year would be fish-less. After the mackerel have left and before the cod arrive you can always count on the flounder to provide some sport. Don’t expect screaming runs, but on the right tackle flounder fishing can be a lot of fun. Fish as light as you can To enjoy flounder fishing to the most you have to accept the fish’ limitations. Like most smaller flat fish, flounder…
I’ve been a coarse angler since I was a kid, but only started sea fishing when I was already in my thirties. I have always loved the sea but I guess I felt too overwhelmed by the vastness of it. With all that water, where the hell do you start? I only gave sea fishing a serious chance when I moved within walking distance of the sea – and I haven’t looked back since. Here are some sea fishing tips…