Plaicehunter

Although it was probably six weeks too soon, I had a go for an early gilt in the Tamar today.
Every spot I tried I was plagued with schoolies, and must have had a couple of dozen to 1.5lb, with one nearer 2lb.
I fished three rods, one with rag, one with lug, one with crab, but the only three good bites were on peeler.
The first looked very much like a gilt bite - several sharp knocks and a pull-round, but unaccountably I missed it.
The second was the biggest bass of the day.
The third was a heavy fish which banged about down deep but came off the 3/0 crab hook just as I thought I had it beaten. It was probably either a decent gilt or a big wrasse.
A rather disappointing day, but the gilts don't usually turn up here in force till May or even June, depending on water temperature.
Pray for a warm spring!
 

Although it was probably six weeks too soon, I had a go for an early gilt in the Tamar today.
Every spot I tried I was plagued with schoolies, and must have had a couple of dozen to 1.5lb, with one nearer 2lb.
I fished three rods, one with rag, one with lug, one with crab, but the only three good bites were on peeler.
The first looked very much like a gilt bite - several sharp knocks and a pull-round, but unaccountably I missed it.
The second was the biggest bass of the day.
The third was a heavy fish which banged about down deep but came off the 3/0 crab hook just as I thought I had it beaten. It was probably either a decent gilt or a big wrasse.
A rather disappointing day, but the gilts don't usually turn up here in force till May or even June, depending on water temperature.
Pray for a warm spring!
 

Although it was probably six weeks too soon, I had a go for an early gilt in the Tamar today.
Every spot I tried I was plagued with schoolies, and must have had a couple of dozen to 1.5lb, with one nearer 2lb.
I fished three rods, one with rag, one with lug, one with crab, but the only three good bites were on peeler.
The first looked very much like a gilt bite - several sharp knocks and a pull-round, but unaccountably I missed it.
The second was the biggest bass of the day.
The third was a heavy fish which banged about down deep but came off the 3/0 crab hook just as I thought I had it beaten. It was probably either a decent gilt or a big wrasse.
A rather disappointing day, but the gilts don't usually turn up here in force till May or even June, depending on water temperature.
Pray for a warm spring!
 

Just had my auxiliary serviced and my inflatable tender is in for repair. Hope to have both back in action late next week. The Tamar looks like milky coffee after lots of rain and never fishes well when coloured up. There have been a few cod caught, some whiting are still about and there are resident conger and the chance of a thornback, so hopefully something will pull my string until the bass and gilts return. I don't like fishing for very early plaice as they are so thin after spawning. PH

Just had my auxiliary serviced and my inflatable tender is in for repair. Hope to have both back in action late next week. The Tamar looks like milky coffee after lots of rain and never fishes well when coloured up. There have been a few cod caught, some whiting are still about and there are resident conger and the chance of a thornback, so hopefully something will pull my string until the bass and gilts return. I don't like fishing for very early plaice as they are so thin after spawning. PH

I agree with most of the above, though the best two from my boat last year (6lb and 7lb) fell to king rag on pennell rigs. In 2019 I also witnessed a bigger one caught on lugworm and lost a monster on lugworm myself.
I check stomach contents of the few gilts I catch, and they always include crab remains, so I plan to fish live hardback crabs up to 50p size on one rod this year. 
Although they make very good eating, may I please ask for restraint? I personally fish to a slot size of 2lb-3lb, returning all larger and smaller gilts. It's particularly important to return the larger ones to preserve the prime breeding stock. PH

A big cat at Dartmouth for offshore and the Skerries and a little one with a cuddy in Plymouth for the Tamar. Love fishing Weymouth but the Shambles is too scary for me in my own boat! PH

I agree! I'm based in Plymouth where there is no effective rescue service except the RNLI. There are a tremendous amount of pot, net and wrasse trap buoys inshore, many of them just dark blue or black 5l oil drums which are impossible to see in a wave or bad light. Some of the buoys are inadequate when set in a fast tide run and just submerge. A couple of years ago I was coming round Rame Head on the plane when I hit a submerged buoy and came to an abrupt stop. Fortunately it cleared itself, but when I had the engine serviced the engineer said I was very lucky that it wasn't disabled. In that case I would have needed my 5hp auxiliary to limp home. I have also fouled the prop on a clear plastic bag which I didn't see and which stopped the engine dead, and on a mooring rope (my fault) which wrapped round the prop. My main engine is a 60hp Mariner regularly serviced from new, and the battery is used only for starting the engine, but things can still go wrong. If would feel less safe without my auxiliary, which runs on an integral tank. I also carry spare petrol at all times. PH

I agree! I'm based in Plymouth where there is no effective rescue service except the RNLI. There are a tremendous amount of pot, net and wrasse trap buoys inshore, many of them just dark blue or black 5l oil drums which are impossible to see in a wave or bad light. Some of the buoys are inadequate when set in a fast tide run and just submerge. A couple of years ago I was coming round Rame Head on the plane when I hit a submerged buoy and came to an abrupt stop. Fortunately it cleared itself, but when I had the engine serviced the engineer said I was very lucky that it wasn't disabled. In that case I would have needed my 5hp auxiliary to limp home. I have also fouled the prop on a clear plastic bag which I didn't see and which stopped the engine dead, and on a mooring rope (my fault) which wrapped round the prop. My main engine is a 60hp Mariner regularly serviced from new, and the battery is used only for starting the engine, but things can still go wrong. If would feel less safe without my auxiliary, which runs on an integral tank. I also carry spare petrol at all times. PH

I agree with most of the above, though the best two from my boat last year (6lb and 7lb) fell to king rag on pennell rigs. In 2019 I also witnessed a bigger one caught on lugworm and lost a monster on lugworm myself.
I check stomach contents of the few gilts I catch, and they always include crab remains, so I plan to fish live hardback crabs up to 50p size on one rod this year. 
Although they make very good eating, may I please ask for restraint? I personally fish to a slot size of 2lb-3lb, returning all larger and smaller gilts. It's particularly important to return the larger ones to preserve the prime breeding stock. PH

I agree with most of the above, though the best two from my boat last year (6lb and 7lb) fell to king rag on pennell rigs. In 2019 I also witnessed a bigger one caught on lugworm and lost a monster on lugworm myself.
I check stomach contents of the few gilts I catch, and they always include crab remains, so I plan to fish live hardback crabs up to 50p size on one rod this year. 
Although they make very good eating, may I please ask for restraint? I personally fish to a slot size of 2lb-3lb, returning all larger and smaller gilts. It's particularly important to return the larger ones to preserve the prime breeding stock. PH

My best advice about fishing Lanzarote is to contact Pete Berry - blumeeni on another popular sea fishing forum. Pete is an expat Welshman who lives near Playa Blanca and is the local expert. He has helped literally dozens of visitors to catch memorable fish from the shore, thankfully including me. The result is a WhatsApp group called Lanza Louts, guys from all over Europe with one thing in common: they have all fished with Pete. While he enjoys lure fishing from the shore (Pete doesn't do boats, though he has friends in Lanzarote who do), he catches most of his big fish on boga livebait. They include bluefish, bonito and barracuda, as well as predatory bream and dorado. I spent a week shore fishing in PB last February/March and caught lots of fish, including bonito of 11lb and 9lb on livebait. I hope to go again once Covid permits. And yes, do get a licence - best to buy online to save a lot of hassle! Hope this helps. PH

....if I'd know it was going to rain so hard, but I'm glad I did! Tonight I walked to a local pier for a short two-hour session after whiting. Bait was mackerel caught by me from the same pier last week, so no bait bill! I used two carp rods for more sport and had a great time despite getting thoroughly wet from the hem of my coat down. Here in Plymouth, whiting used to disappear after Christmas, but there are still plenty around of a good size. It's just good to catch decent fish at a traditionally slow time of year. PH

...with hungry Tamar conger around? This one around 1.5lb was nailed by a big eel before I could retrieve it. Unfortunately it attacked the end without the hooks! One huge wrench and it let go. I did land two straps and a conger of around 10lb, plus loads of whiting, mostly returned. A fun day with lots of action. PH

Hi, Andy! The whiting I kept will go down the throat of my ever-hungry fox terrier. I don't eat fish and my wife likes cod, plaice and gilts! PH

...with hungry Tamar conger around? This one around 1.5lb was nailed by a big eel before I could retrieve it. Unfortunately it attacked the end without the hooks! One huge wrench and it let go. I did land two straps and a conger of around 10lb, plus loads of whiting, mostly returned. A fun day with lots of action. PH

...with hungry Tamar conger around? This one around 1.5lb was nailed by a big eel before I could retrieve it. Unfortunately it attacked the end without the hooks! One huge wrench and it let go. I did land two straps and a conger of around 10lb, plus loads of whiting, mostly returned. A fun day with lots of action. PH

...with hungry Tamar conger around? This one around 1.5lb was nailed by a big eel before I could retrieve it. Unfortunately it attacked the end without the hooks! One huge wrench and it let go. I did land two straps and a conger of around 10lb, plus loads of whiting, mostly returned. A fun day with lots of action. PH

....if I'd know it was going to rain so hard, but I'm glad I did! Tonight I walked to a local pier for a short two-hour session after whiting. Bait was mackerel caught by me from the same pier last week, so no bait bill! I used two carp rods for more sport and had a great time despite getting thoroughly wet from the hem of my coat down. Here in Plymouth, whiting used to disappear after Christmas, but there are still plenty around of a good size. It's just good to catch decent fish at a traditionally slow time of year. PH

Instead of obsessing about surface lures, I am going to fish with a range of diving lures this year when the bass won't come up. When the tide is running fast, I'm going to try Flying C's and use bombardas and Red Gill Rascals more. Last year I spent much of my time hunting gilts and didn't really go hard for the bass till autumn. This year I'll mix it up a bit. Target for this year: a 10-pounder of each species! PH

....if I'd know it was going to rain so hard, but I'm glad I did! Tonight I walked to a local pier for a short two-hour session after whiting. Bait was mackerel caught by me from the same pier last week, so no bait bill! I used two carp rods for more sport and had a great time despite getting thoroughly wet from the hem of my coat down. Here in Plymouth, whiting used to disappear after Christmas, but there are still plenty around of a good size. It's just good to catch decent fish at a traditionally slow time of year. PH

....if I'd know it was going to rain so hard, but I'm glad I did! Tonight I walked to a local pier for a short two-hour session after whiting. Bait was mackerel caught by me from the same pier last week, so no bait bill! I used two carp rods for more sport and had a great time despite getting thoroughly wet from the hem of my coat down. Here in Plymouth, whiting used to disappear after Christmas, but there are still plenty around of a good size. It's just good to catch decent fish at a traditionally slow time of year. PH

Instead of obsessing about surface lures, I am going to fish with a range of diving lures this year when the bass won't come up. When the tide is running fast, I'm going to try Flying C's and use bombardas and Red Gill Rascals more. Last year I spent much of my time hunting gilts and didn't really go hard for the bass till autumn. This year I'll mix it up a bit. Target for this year: a 10-pounder of each species! PH

....if I'd know it was going to rain so hard, but I'm glad I did! Tonight I walked to a local pier for a short two-hour session after whiting. Bait was mackerel caught by me from the same pier last week, so no bait bill! I used two carp rods for more sport and had a great time despite getting thoroughly wet from the hem of my coat down. Here in Plymouth, whiting used to disappear after Christmas, but there are still plenty around of a good size. It's just good to catch decent fish at a traditionally slow time of year. PH