Brixham Bass ?

S-Kippy · Jul 25, 2011

I'm not a sea angler but I'm off to Brixham for a week and I wondered if it was worth taking a spinning rod with me. I've never caught a bass and would dearly love to break that duck though a bit of "sportfishing" for mackerel would do too.The Breakwater at Brixham sounds as good as anywhere.

Am I wasting my time or should I try to smuggle the rod and a few lures in in when Mrs S isn't looking ?

Skippy

peter crabtree · Jul 25, 2011

just googled brixham fishing and it seems you can catch loads of different species from the breakwater. I would definitely take some tackle with me if it was me.....

S-Kippy · Jul 25, 2011

Yes it sounds good but there is no chance whatsoever of taking "some tackle " with me. The best I can hope to do is smuggle a spinning rod,reel and a small bag of lures in. She'll be watching me like a hawk until we leave now....not without good reason too ! I'll get 'em in somehow.

peter crabtree · Jul 25, 2011

reminds me of my first ever fishing experience on the quay at Looe aged about 7. A wooden spool of line or brown braid? and a big coffin lead with lugworm or peeler crab on a wire paternoster double hook rig. Never caught anything but crabs (throws himself wide open) Seriously I would love to have a go .

S-Kippy · Jul 25, 2011

I'm not a sea angler,never have been and never will be but I do fancy having a go spinning for bass. I have suitable gear/lures because when I'm sea trouting in Wales we are not far from a very well known bass mark. Typically...whenever we are there the conditions and/or tides are never right for the bass and despite trying I've never caught one.

I've been on beaches with the family and seen the damn things cutting through the surface. Whenever I take a rod though the blooming things seem to vanish.

cg74 · Jul 25, 2011

S-Kippy said:
I'm not a sea angler but I'm off to Brixham for a week and I wondered if it was worth taking a spinning rod with me. I've never caught a bass and would dearly love to break that duck though a bit of "sportfishing" for mackerel would do too.The Breakwater at Brixham sounds as good as anywhere.

Am I wasting my time or should I try to smuggle the rod and a few lures in in when Mrs S isn't looking ?

Skippy

It's most definitely IS worth taking a rod; for bass live bait prawns or small bait fish up in the water, alternatively fish a lure, again up in the water.
If it is bright and the wind is slack, stalking them is great fun, albeit bloody infuriating.
Best areas IMO is half way along on harbour side of the breakwater, especially around the military mooring bay (can't miss it).

Mackerel are very abundant and offer reliable sport, a preference for float fishing for them is evident though feathers, lures etc all work well.
Also worth a bash for at dusk is the pollock, lure fish right at the end of the breakwater but be prepared to lose lots of lures as you need to fish them just above the kelp.
If all else fails the wrasse are an easy target but the bigger ones are very 'cute' for them just fish a pulley rig with a 3-4oz lead, a size 1 or 2 Aberdeen hook baited with rag worm at about 40-50 yards out on the open coast side.

All that said, if you were an experienced sea angler I'd say fish up at Berry Head for a better stamp of fish.

Whatever you go for, if seeking info from the tackle shop in the town; take everything you're told with a 25kg sack of salt and it was always fishing better a week or two earlier.....

S-Kippy · Jul 25, 2011

Thank you,sir. I shall definately smuggle the rod in though I think it will be lures,lures or lures for me.That said I have a "holiday" box somewhere with a few bits & pieces in that might make the trip. To even contemplate Berry Head is a bit too ambitious for me. I shall give the breakwater a go and if the bass wont play then hope there are some mackerel about.Great fun on light gear.

cg74 · Jul 25, 2011

If you are after real heart stopping lure slamming action and if the bass aren't having it, I strongly recommend having a bash at the pollock, as if you get a 6lb+ fish whack into your lure on a soft rod, you'll know why I say to try it...... Come to think about a 2-3lb hits hard enough.

barbelboi · Jul 25, 2011

Best of luck Skippy, probably got more chance there than a tinca at SP at the moment

.
Jerry

S-Kippy · Jul 26, 2011

cg74 said:
If you are after real heart stopping lure slamming action and if the bass aren't having it, I strongly recommend having a bash at the pollock, as if you get a 6lb+ fish whack into your lure on a soft rod, you'll know why I say to try it...... Come to think about a 2-3lb hits hard enough.

That would do very nicely.TBH I'd be happy just to catch a fish or two on spinning gear.I've read up loads but I've not had much practical experience and even less success.

---------- Post added at 07:28 ---------- Previous post was at 07:26 ----------

barbelboi said:
Best of luck Skippy, probably got more chance there than a tinca at SP at the moment.
Jerry

No good Jerry ? I was thinking of an evening session.

chav professor · Aug 28, 2011

cg74 said:
If you are after real heart stopping lure slamming action and if the bass aren't having it, I strongly recommend having a bash at the pollock, as if you get a 6lb+ fish whack into your lure on a soft rod, you'll know why I say to try it...... Come to think about a 2-3lb hits hard enough.

Colin, this is getting very scary......... Sharing an interest in chub 'voyeurism' and bass/sea fishing........

cg74 · Aug 28, 2011

chav professor said:
Colin, this is getting very scary......... Sharing an interest in chub 'voyeurism' and bass/sea fishing........

No harm in onlooking, eh?

mg:

Worrying would be; next you telling me you enjoy doing 72 to 96hr sessions for gravel pit carp, or overnighters barbel fishing using bite alarms.....And sleeping with your lineS in the water.

That said about fish "voyeurism", after having a week at Brixham, I saw only a few bass show and they were to bottom fished prawns, certainly no "voyeurism" involved there, more's the pity.

Mackerel were conspicuous by there lowly numbers, a few good wrasse and pollock ensured a bit of sport, with my 10yr old lad taking a 2.5lber that pulled hard on light tackle.

chav professor · Aug 28, 2011

cg74 said:
No harm in onlooking, eh?mg:

Worrying would be; next you telling me you enjoy doing 72 to 96hr sessions for gravel pit carp, or overnighters barbel fishing using bite alarms.....And sleeping with your lineS in the water.

That said about fish "voyeurism", after having a week at Brixham, I saw only a few bass show and they were to bottom fished prawns, certainly no "voyeurism" involved there, more's the pity.

Mackerel were conspicuous by there lowly numbers, a few good wrasse and pollock ensured a bit of sport, with my 10yr old lad taking a 2.5lber that pulled hard on light tackle.

Gosh, havent had the time to do anything more than 1 night for years what with a young family.... pretty much the same for barbel as I have to travel a fair distance to find some!! I am going up to fish the swale for barbel and chub for 3 days in october though, which should be fun.

MarkTheSpark · Sep 5, 2011

S-Kippy said:
Thank you,sir. I shall definately smuggle the rod in though I think it will be lures,lures or lures for me.That said I have a "holiday" box somewhere with a few bits & pieces in that might make the trip. To even contemplate Berry Head is a bit too ambitious for me. I shall give the breakwater a go and if the bass wont play then hope there are some mackerel about.Great fun on light gear.

If you're taking lures, couldn't you squeeze in a pike float and a drilled bullet? As a previous poster said, if you can catch a few livebaits on slivers of mackerel in the harbour, your chances of a bass increase, same as they do with piking (except you won't need a wire trace, and can use a big single hook through the dorsal.)

S-Kippy · Sep 5, 2011

Well...I took the spinning rod and managed one evening session during which I had not the slightest bit of interest...not even from a mackie. I did see a couple of very small pollack caught on bait but on gear that to my untrained eye looked more suitable for skate.

I learned enough to know that sea fishing is not for me....not from the shore anyway.

Brixham Bass ?

S-Kippy

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peter crabtree

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