Ali Laird followed up his recent success with this fine specimen smoothound weighing 13lb 1oz he also landed a bull huss of 8lb 14oz. The next couple of months are potentially the best of the year for a wide range of species. Fishing can be excellent after the storm but take care as there are going to be some big seas over the next few days.
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.
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.
Stuart Taylor was targetting bass when this specimen Smoothound weighing 11lb 12ozs Saved a blank session.
Graham Snow won Bideford Angling Clubs 24 hour rover with a thin-lipped grey mullet of 3lb 151/4oz. Antony Smith was runner up with a mackerel scaling 1lb 21/2oz and third Andy Clements with a wrasse of 3lb 103/4oz.
Graham followed this win up landing a brace of thin lipped mullet weighing 4lb 7oz and 3lb 81/2oz.
Sea Anglers have been enjoying varied sport along the coast with thin lipped mullet providing top sport in the estuaries. On the open coast bass and smoothound are giving good sport with spider crab among the best baits. Ali Laird landed a bass of 7lb 10oz and Ross Stanway a bass of 7lb 12oz.
Paul Hutchings landed a brace of smoothound on dirty squid from a local beach the best 10lb 3oz.
Thick Lipped grey mullet can offer superb sport for specialist anglers in local harbours and rock marks.
Shore fishers have been enjoying some great sport with smoothound from many marks. Combe Martin SAC member Dan Spearman landed a fine hound of 12lb 14oz. Fellow club member Ollie Passmore landed a hound of 12lb 6oz.
Dan West also enjoyed a hectic session with smoothound landing several fish to double figures from his mate Keith Bullards boat whilst fishing in Bideford Bay.
Cameron Atkinson won Appledore Shipbuilders monthly Rover with a specimen smoothound of 12lb 111/4oz. In runner up spot was David Langbridge with a fine gilthead bream of 4lb 2oz and in third was James Mayhew with a smoothound of 9lb 71/2oz.
Shore sport is starting to take off as summer sweeps in with the first really warm days of the year. Numerous smoothound have been caught from regular shore marks and from boats in Bideford Bay. Bideford Club members weighed some fine specimens into their 24 hour rover.
Bideford 24hr rover May results
1st Nathan clements bull Huss 11lb 15 3/4 119.844%
2nd taz wotton smoothound 11lb 8 115%
3rd Antony smith bull Huss 10lb 12 1/2 107.812%
Great fish tonight 5 fish all over 100%
(Above) Smoothound 13lbs 1/2 oz caught from a boat by Jack Pike.
(Above) Ross Stanway and Lee Holden enjoyed sport at Ilfracombe landing a brace of spotted ray each along with the inevitable dogfish.
The coming week should see mackerel shoals all along the coast with big tides and improved water clarity. Mullet will be present in harbours and from rock marks. Bass will also be well worth targetting with both lures and bait. There is the chance of gilthead bream in the estuary with crab and lugworm the favoured baits. After dark the beaches will produce ray and the rock marks bull huss.
Many thanks to Ian Laird for allowing to post his images of a night on the beach.
It will be no surprise if an early tope shows up, a whole mackerel presented on a wire trace could well bring a screaming reel!
Anglers fishing on Reel Deal off Ilfracombe have enjoyed some top rate pollock sport.
Combe Martin SAC member Guy Spriggs landed a fine smoothound of 11lb 4oz on his latest visit to the coast.
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