Kevin Waddham landed this fine 13lb 13oz cod whilst fishing on Watchet based boat Reel Deal skippered by Daniel Hawkins.
Its getting to feel like real winter now time for the cod!
Sea Angling Weekend Round Up!
Bideford Angling Clubs twenty four Hour Rover was won by Nathan Clements with a fine conger of 28lb 3.5oz.(Pictured above) In second place was Lee Watts with a spotted ray of 3lb 6.5oz and in third Lee Watts with a dogfish of 2lb 2oz.
Appledore Shipbuilders 24 hour Rover was won by Josh Atkinson with a small-eyed-ray of 5lb 15oz(Below). Runner up was Graham Snow with a thick lipped grey mullet of 2lb 12oz.
Ross Stanway took the top two places Combe Martin SAC’s Lee to Lee Competition with conger of 16lb 12oz and 14lb 8oz.
In third place was James Thomas with a dogfish of 1lb 13oz. Jack Phillips took forth place with a smoothound of 5lb 4oz a surprise catch from Combe Martin’s Bottom Deck probably the first of this species ever landed from this mark. (Below)
Several quality fish were also landed over the weekend by anglers not fishing in club competitions. Dale Kiff landed a fine conger of 19lb 14oz.
Kody Chugg Fished an up channel mark to land a personal best small eyed ray of 7lb 10oz. (Below)
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Mixed bags for sea anglers
Ian Laird landed this 9lb 15oz bull huss whilst fishing a local rock mark. The fish was part of a haul that consisted of smoothound, dogfish and pollock.
(Above) This 3lb 6oz codling was tempted by Chay Boggis from a local beach whilst targetting bass.
Ali Laird fished the estuary to land nine flounder to 1lb 9oz. Flounder fishing should be good for the next few weeks with heavy rain flushing out the river.
(Above) Ollie Passmore with a grey mullet of almost 3lb.
(Above) Ollie Passmore with a bull huss of 10lb 4oz.
November can be an exciting time for sea anglers with a vast range of species to target. A big squid or mackerel bait presented on a pennel rig is likely to bring rewards from deep water marks all along the coast. Make sure you use a substantial hook length to withstand sharp teeth. I use a minimum of 80lb b.s mono or fluorocarbon for my shore fishing with a heavy wire trace if tope are a possibility, contrary to popular opinion.
Sea Angling – Results round up.
Jazza John secured the top spots in Appledore Shipbuilders monthly rover with flounder scaling 1lb 105/8oz and 1lb 93/4oz. In third was James Atkinson with a whiting scaling 157/8oz. Jack Pike took first and second in the junior section with flounder of 1lb and 157/8oz.
Antony Smith weighed in a thick-lipped grey mullet of 3lb 2 1/2oz that was the only fish weighed into Bideford Angling Clubs Monthly Sea Rover. The fish was tempted on a half a side of mackerel. Grey Mullet were once considered a summer species but recent seasons have seen the species caught all year round from marks along the North Devon Coast.
Large numbers of small conger and dogfish are proving a nuisance out on the open coast with baits devoured before larger specimens get a chance,
Some of this weeks Sea Angling Highlights
Autumn is a prime time for the sea angler with a wide variety of species to target. The past week has seen local anglers enjoy success along North Devon’s rocky coast. Dan Spearman (Below) was among these anglers landing a bull huss of 9lb 3oz and a conger of 18lb.
Fellow Combe Martin SAC member James Thomas landed good pollock of 2lb 13oz along with numerous conger whilst fishing a rock mark near Ilfracombe. (Below)
Kody Chugg landed a small eyed ray (Below)
I targetted grey mullet that are one of my favourite sea fish and tempted a specimen of 4lb 13oz using quiver-tipped bread flake.
Bass on Bluefin
Anglers enjoyed a top day out of Ilfracombe aboard charter Boat Bluefin skippered by John Barbeary. Several bass were landed including this beauty to the rod of Toby Bassett. Lures accounted for several of the bass and were supplied by High Street Tackle Ilfracombe.
Sea Anglers enjoy sport with lingering summer species.
Sea anglers are enjoying sport with lingering summer species with several good smoothound brought to the shore. Rob Scoines enjoyed two successful session from a local rock mark with three hounds topped by a fine specimen of 12lb 6oz.
I would expect sport to continue especially if this mild weather continues. Big bass are high on many anglers wish list and I am sure someone will hook into big double in the next two months. Whilst the open coast is probably the best chance don’t ignore the estuary as big bass are undoubtedly hunting the estuary and could fall to anglers willing to experiment with lure tactics after dark.
Ollie Passmore enjoyed some late estuary sport with thin lipped mullet landing several to 4lb 1oz in recent sessions.
Big bull huss
Combe Martin SAC Dan Miles Redmore landed this fine bull huss scaling 12lb 10oz whilst fishing a Somerset shore mark.
Sea Angling round up and prospects
Combe Martin SAC member Ali Laird fished a local rock mark and was rewarded with a fine 11lb3oz smoothound and a 10lb 5oz Bull Huss.
October and November are in my view the best two months of the sea angling year with a wealth of species to target before the real chill of winter descends. Smoothound have been a welcome addition to autumn sport in recent seasons with specimens showing right up until Christmas and beyond.
Paul Lorrimore had a short session after work hoping for a bass and hooked a hard fighting smoothound of around 5lb. It was his first of the species and put a good bend in his light weight bass rod.
Grey mullet are one of my favourite species and provide some exciting sport. I used to think that after dark mullet fishing was unproductive but I have learned this to be untrue with several sessions in recent seasons proving this to be wrong. This hard fighting 2lb + mullet was tempted from an Ilfracombe mark two hours after high water. Many marks produce their best results on the ebbing tide well after many have packed away their rods believing the water to be too shallow. Bass and mullet will feed in very shallow water.
(Above) Even small mullet can give a good account on light tackle. (CMSAC member James Thomas)
The estuary will soon start to come into form for flounder fishing though there is also every chance of a big bass. The lower estuary could also throw up a surprise gilthead bream if any is prepared to try something different.
Rob Wheaton has just landed a potential British Record gilthead bream of 12lb 3oz whilst fishing a South Coast Mark.
Sea Angling News round up!
Autumn is one of the best months for the shore angler with plenty of species to target from both the open coast and estuary. Several ray have been landed from Ilfracombe Pier so I suspect local beaches could bring excellent results. Big bass and conger could also show on many beaches at this time of year with the outside chance of a tope. Below are a few recent catches from the North Devon Coast.
(Above) Ollie Passmore landed this fine small eyed ray of 9lb 13oz whilst fishing from Ilfracombe Pier a mark that can throw up a wide variety of species during the Autumn months.
(Above) James Thomas with a small eyed ray of 6lb 15oz also caught from Ilfracombe Pier.
Above – Brad Munden landed this small eyed ray of 10lb 8oz.
Above -John Shapland landed this stunning red mullet from a local shore mark.
Above -Rob Scoines fished the Taw estuary and found the flounder on the feed landing several to 1lb 6oz.
Graham Snow won Appledore Shipbuilders Monthly Rover with a thick lipped grey mullet of 3lb 6oz. Jazza John was runner up with a flounder weighing 1lb 107/8oz and Graham Snow third with a thin lipped mullet of 3lb 51/4oz. This success for Graham Snow seals victory for him as this years club shore champion with 46 points. James Atkinson and Andrew Atkinson are runners up with 24 points each.
Graham Snow also dominated Bideford Angling Clubs monthly sea match landing thick lipped mullet of 3lb 6oz and 3lb 5/7oz to take first and second and thin lips of 3lb 51/4oz and 3lb 5oz for third and forth. Dick Talbot took fifth with whiting of 1lb 3oz.