8.30am until 4.30pm
Today I left dry land behind and was on board 'Big Elbow' with Ellis for our first lure session for predators.
Meeting at 8am, it was nice to have a lie in, on what was going to be a hot day!
We had lure rods, drop shot rods, light float for catching live bait rods and heavier float for fishing live bait rods!! We had enough rods!
Now to reels. I have been chatting alot recently about these closed faced reels and their drag system. Really not suited to bigger fish, I am sure they are in the right hands. In my hands, not!
My second reel thought and is also a 2020 Target of mine, is to catch on my multiplier reel. I was using this today with the live bait, so fingers crossed.
We set aboard and got ready. With plenty of liquid refreshment in the cool box, we set off. Stopping first to " get a quick perch", we stopped in a shady bend. All we did was annoy rowers here, I lost tackle and no perch were caught!
We headed to our usual spot, and soon enough Ellis was into a perch.
I on the other hand, was trying to not loose a new soft lure that I had. I won it along with three others a few years ago, and have only just got round to rigging it up with hooks. I wanted to catch on it as I had put effort into it, plus using the multiplier reel. It was going to be good.
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| With tail |
A few casts whilst drifting and nothing was happening, so we tied up to catch live baits or perch on lures. Ellis started catching small fish straight away, but we were right in the Sun and it was too hot, we moved to a shady spot and tried again.
I cast my new lure set up along the bank and started a retrieve. Suddenly a swirl on my lure, a fish took it. I struck but the fish was not attached, and neither was my new lures tail!!
I quickly cast again, this time the pike grabbed the half lure near the boat and I played it for about 10 seconds. Sadly it came off. My lure showing clear damage from teeth!
 |
| No tail! |
We carried on fishing, Ellis catching more bait, a gudgeon and the occasional perch. Me not catching a thing. Eventually, I caught a little silver fish and the blank was avoided.
Soon, it was time for lunch. We were both starving. We decided to set up the live bait rods and cast them out while we ate. We were chatting about last time when Ellis's live bait was taken and how it could be pike or perch. Ellis saying " something is worrying your live bait"
As I said "perch can take live bait too" my float shot away and I struck. Ellis could see the fish and declared it a perch. I quickly brought it to the net and my first ever perch on live bait was my first multiplier reel caught fish! Target achieved!!
We both thought it was about a pound, but on the scales it went 12oz. A great 30cm perch though, and we were both happy.
I put on another bait and waited. After a good 20 minutes, I was thinking nothing was happening so started to wind in my bait. I did this slowly, just in case. I saw a pike come out from near the bank and follow my bait. I was bringing the bait closer to the boat and the pike followed. I was trying to get it to take the bait and as Ellis filmed, the pike opened its mouth and engulfed my bait! A great fight followed, the drag on the multiplier was working fine and I soon brought the fish to the net. Ellis quickly un hooked it and we rested it back in the net.
A few pics and it was back in the water. At 70cm and 5lb, it was a long lean fish. Maybe it only eats fish tails!
We decided to move on. Deciding to fish spots that were shady as the Sun was stronger now. We caught a few more fish, I also caught a gudgeon. Not that common in the Tees, but we have caught 3 between us in recent memory. I caught some sticks too, alot more common!
As the Sun got warmer, and the profanities from kids playing in the water turned from s to f to c we started heading back towards the marina. There was just time for me to loose some more tackle as we tried our usual spots but no fish were caught.
Not strictly speaking the last place we fished, but I will end the blog here. Thanks Ellis, if Carlsberg did fishing trips.......
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