Southend Beach 15-05-08

Wattsy · Member Joined: Aug 21, 2007 Posts: 92

So, after the worst night's sleep (I didn't) I decided at about 05:30 I might as well get up have some breakfast and go fishing.

This is a Google map of where I was fishing - about halfway between the two inner markers (round things). LINK

There was very little wind, mostly from the North with probably not much East.

There was less water than I'd expected, which is to say I could still see the top of one of the outlet pipes on the beach (you can see the shadow on the left of the map) and further East I could see water lapping over some kind of bank near where the gasworks-jetty used to be. I was very flat and calm and the sky was overcast.

I put my first cast at around 07:30ish - just about in line with the furthest marker, put my rod on the tripod scratched my head and the rod-tip started rattling! There were more times than I'd like to count when I got bites as soon as I'd put the rod down (and I was standing next to the tripod!). There must have been a lot of fish out there albeit tiny ones and I was dropping the lead on top of them. happy

The first bite came to nothing but I soon pulled this in:

Nowhere near sizeable but certainly not what I'd called tiny (I do have big hands happy

).

This is all a bit hazy 'cause I've been up for over 24 hours now suprise

I also caught this:

Not sizeable but over 30cm (well, bigger than my size 11 boot anyway).

In between those two I did catch a tiny one. I was using crab on size 2 hooks by the way - daylight made me baulk at the idea of going for biggies.

The reason that little one was interesting is that I'd found a lot of oysters washed up on the beach and decided to use one as a bait and it was oyster that it went for!

I had some better bites (not hit) on the oyster. I only wish I'd taken some elastic as it was getting ripped off easily and I think I could have connected to more if the bait had survived the initial attacks.

As the tide got higher there was a good swell which increased with the ebb.

Things were pretty constant (which is to say constantly missing bites) until about 30 minutes before HT when slack water made it quiet.

At about 30 minutes after HT there was a small rattling bite of the tiny bass type which I missed. It was then pretty quiet again for a while until I got a good drop back bite (tripped both wires on the lead) so I think that was my good one that got away 'cause I didn't connect with it smug

Then it started raining (properly) so I put on the last of the crab and cast out level with the furthest marker on the above map. I held out the temptation to reel in straight away as it started raining more and more (I left my waterproofs at home).

I couldn't work out if I'd had a bite or if it was the swell with weed hitting the line as I saw a series of solid thumps on the rod tip that pulled it quite a way down but could have been in time with the waves so I waited to see what would happen.

What happened was that I felt the rain dripping down my neck so I decided to reel in. There was some dead weight but I'd pulled a few crabs in already so that was what I was expecting and then I felt a thump which was quite shocking and then this appeared in the surf:

What good Southend Beach session doesn't end on a flounder? happy

Which brings me to a couple of observations I've made and I'd like to see what other people think.

The first is that flounder put up a surprisingly strong fight but only when they realise they really are in trouble and it doesn't last long either happy

The second isn't maybe an observation but the text-books will tell you that flounder leave the beach before bass when the tide goes out. The logic being that bass can swim faster and so can hang around for longer. (I'm sure I've read this somewhere and not got it the wrong way around.)

Whenever I fish the beach at Southend it's usually the other way around - my last fish is more likely to be a flounder than a bass. Has anyone else noticed this (or the text book case) at Southend or anywhere else?

Cheers,

Wattsy

yungteddy · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 1:08 pm Post subject: well done

well done wattsy doesnt look like a bad session best ive caught was a 12cm pollock sad

leggyman · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 1:28 pm Post subject:

I thought bait was dear enough anyway and now oysters come into the fray crying

You're lucky they wash up on the beach round your way I probably see 1 a year washed up on my beaches! have always wondered if they'd make good bait since I hate eating them. I think flounder come closer in shallow water like mudflats, but bass come closer in deeper water like a shingle beach. Keep going with the oysters though and let us all know what happens big grin

Wattsy · Member Joined: Aug 21, 2007 Posts: 92

Rockeelbalboa · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 1:39 pm Post subject:

Great report Wattsy - had me riveted! big grin

Sounds a good session.

Wattsy · Member Joined: Aug 21, 2007 Posts: 92

leggyman · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 1:52 pm Post subject:

I have collected them at low tide from the crouch which is the next estuary up, am assuming this is ok since they are wild ones?? I hate the things but an ex-girlfriend loved them and i always loved what happened next devil

thebigbassman · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 2:24 pm Post subject:

well done wattsy

shannock · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 7:30 pm Post subject:

well done excellent report mate , enjoyed reading it even better with the added photos but remember YOUR WATERPROOFS

will expect more riviting reports now you've started

how do you get the pics so big i cant get them big also what site do you use

Wattsy · Member Joined: Aug 21, 2007 Posts: 92

4CodsSake · Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 12:02 am Post subject:

Nice report happy