Bideford 24 hour results
1st Andrew Clements small-eyed Ray 9lb 6 3/4oz 104.687%
2nd Julien Stainer Dogfish 3lb 1 1/2oz 103.125%
3rd Andrew Clements smalleyed Ray 8lb 11 1/4oz 96.701%
Combe Martin SAC Early Autumn Rover
Kevin Legge won Combe Martin SAC early autumn river with a bull Huss scaling 7lb 9oz
September is one of my favourite months for fishing and grey mullet are high on the agenda though they can often live up to their difficult to tempt reputation. This has certainly been the case over the past week with three sessions bringing little success. The first session saw me spend three hours in a favoured spot at the right state of tide. Not a bite but the fish and chips were good as was the sunset.
The next trip saw me visit a local harbour that gave shelter from the strong North East Wind. It was one of the biggest tides of the year and I arrived a couple of hours before the top of the tide and started getting rattles on the rod tip straight away. I assumed the fish were mostly small mullet. As darkness fell I missed the bite of the night prompting a couple more last casts.
Two days later I was back at first light and enjoyed two hours of the flood tide with barely a rattle on the rod tip. The morning sun lit up the bay and boats bobbed upon moorings illuminated by the light. A North East wind is seldom good and was my excuse as passing walkers enquired if I had caught.
As the tide began to ebb the fish switched on and the tip began to rattle frantically as soon as the bait touched down. A tiny mullet was swung to hand could this be classed a saving a blank? Next cast the tip thumped round with a proper bite. A decent mullet of perhaps three pounds gave a spirited tussle before throwing the hook! “”******************
Small mullet swarmed in the shallow water but no more decent fish could be seen. I packed away twenty minutes later reflecting on the frustrations of wily mullet.
Bass are top of the agenda for many anglers at this time of year. Kody Chugg employed big mackerel to tempt several bass between 4lb and 6lb during recent sessions. Calm seas and easterly winds are not ideal for seeking bass but the clearly water may well make lure fishing very worthwhile. Get ready with the baits when the winds turns SW and embrace those darker evenings.
As autumn descends upon us the evenings draw in and it seems essential to try and fit in those short evening sessions with the lure rod before darkness descends and many of us turn to bait fishing. There is of course the opportunity to catch bass after dark with the lure but this is something I always intend to try but tend to shy away from as I feel slightly uncomfortable wading the boulder strewn marks I prefer whilst fishing alone.
This season I have fished far more using weedless soft plastics and have enjoyed some success using the Megabass spindle worms. This 5.5 inch lure gives me confidence as it is retrieved sending a pleasing pulsing action back through the light braid to the rod. I love fishing really shallow water as the tide floods in and have discovered that the bass will move into water less than a foot deep.
Whilst I carry a selection of lures I only tend to alternate between half a dozen patterns.
I arrived at my chosen mark as the tide was starting to flood and searched the shallow boulder strewn foreshore after ten minutes a flash of silver appeared just a few feet from where I stood slamming into the lure with ferocity. After a spirited battle at close range the bass of around 3lb 8oz was beached.
I fished on confident of further success and twenty minutes later the lure was hit by a far bigger fish that made an impressive reel screaming dash for freedom in the shallow water. A handsome bass of around 6lb was admired and its image captured before release.
The autumn months can offer the best chance of the year to catch that elusive double figure bass. At one time I believed the best chance of a double lay with a big bait. Now I am not so sure and feel confident that persistence with the lure will pay dividends eventually.
Combe Martin Sea Angling Club Member Rob Scoines has enjoyed considerable success over the past few weeks landing several quality fish from the North Devon shoreline and from his friends boat.
Daniel Welch won Combe Martin Sea Angling Clubs weekend Species competition securing eleven species using a variety of tactics. The event was concluded on Ilfracombe Pier where plenty of species where caught including an octopus that did not count in the competition. Dans species included thick lipped grey mullet, shanny, pouting, smelt, conger, poor cod, corkwing wrasse, ballan wrasse, pollock, tompot, rock goby. Runner up in the species competition was Ross Stanway with 8 species.
1st Andrew Clements thick lipped mullet 4lb 5 3/4oz 108.904%
2nd Antony Smith wrasse 3lb 1/2oz 60.625%
Ross Stanway (Right) has won this years Combe Martin SAC Lure Fishing Competition sponsored by Ilfracombe’s High Street Tackle. Ross takes away a top of the range N- One lure fishing rod from Major Craft. The winning bass neared 70 cm and was calculated to weigh over 9lb. Wayne Thomas was Runner who won an impressive bundle of quality lures. (Middle) with a bass of 62cm estimated at 6lb.
Combe Martin SAC member David Jenkins enjoyed an action packed session at a North Devon Beach
“So what a night. Trip to a local beach a packet of 10 large sandeel and 5 joey mackeral in my bucket resulted in 14 fish. Non stop done right in now. 13 small eyed ray 8lb 1oz new pb from shore 7lb 14oz 6.3 6.1 5.14 5.13 5.10 the best plus an autumn codling fantastic trip local in north Devon. Between 3 of us 20 ray 5 bass and a sole. “
Two North Devon Anglers set significant personal miles stones this week in different angling disciplines.
Dedicated mullet angler John Shapland spends many frustrating hours targeting grey mullet a species with a reputation for being difficult to tempt. John landed his 100th mullet of 2020 this week!
Ian Blewett is a keen all-round angler with salmon top of his agenda for much of the year. Ian took advantage of perfect conditions on the Taw to land the 100th Atlantic salmon of his angling career. He followed the feat up during the same session with his 101st!
Bank Holiday Festival results (members only)
1st Stephen Found Thornback Ray 13lb 15 1/4 160.509%
2nd Andrew Clements Thornback Ray 11lb 5 1/2 126.041%
3rd Stephen Found Thornback Ray 10lb 7 1/4 116.145%
4th Andrew Clements Bass 7lb 8 1/2 107.589%
Well done guys its been really hard work, congratulations to Steve on a new club record Thornback. Other fish caught Andrew Clements thornback 9lb 7 1/2 Jon Stevens Bull Huss 8lb 7oz and a smooth hound 8lb 2 1/2oz Antony Smith Bass 5lb 4oz.
