Mumbles Pier Report.

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:21 pm

Hi all. I'm new here, so thought I'd write a new topic on my most recently visited local mark.

In the past week, the pier end has been producing bass to 3lb, plaice to 2lb, mackerel (although not in the great numbers I've been expecting. Mostly single mackerel taken on bait) small pollock on feathers, wrasse, a small lobster (taken on a size 2 hook!!!!!) and surprisingly, many many black bream. Bream have always been available here, but I have never seen them taken in the numbers or to the sizes that I have seen recently. I'm slightly chuffed to say that I appear to have taken the pier record for black bream with a beautiful 3.2lb example (ok, ok, you've got me. This post is really just a chance for me to try and show off big grin

) I've fished there each day for the past four days and have seen more bream being caught than anything else. Mackerel is the killer bait right now. Fish on the flood though, as the ebb tide is producing very little. [img]

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Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:11 pm

hi m8 u live around corner from me im in westcross,i fish from the boat around lighthouse,mumbles fishing well at moment ive had gurnard,smoothhounds,tope,maccky in the last couple of weeks all on the flood tide yet to get into the bream yet.looking 4ward to ur reports all the best phil big grin

Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:02 pm

Hello and welcome happy

thanks for the report and pic happy

nice bream happy

cheers
mrix

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 5:46 am

Hi Mate,

Thanks very much for the report including picture.... that is a really nice bream.

What tactics were you using for it (complete novice at BB fishing) and does the pier get really full as I was thinking of fishing it but that fact puts me off. I live in Ebbw Vale so a long journey to stand shoulder to shoulder with folks and cross lines is not too appealing.

Any part of the pier better or just as good all round.

Thanks

mac

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 6:19 am

I visited Mumbles a couple of times and what a great area it is. I met shorty down there and he was very helpful.

I will visit there again but its a hell of a drive,

Thanks for the report
cheers keith big grin

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 9:18 am

Hi all and thanks for the warm welcome.

I've fished for bream off the pier for a long time, and I've generally found the best technique is to bait up small hooked feathers (any smelly bait seems to work, e.g. squid, cut up rag, mackerel), I generally use hokai shrimps, and drop straight off the very end of pier with no more than a 2oz lead. The bream are usually in the mid water, so the strong currents hold the lighter weights at around the correct area. If nothings happening, I change weight and try deeper. However, right now all the above is true yet there appear to be so many bream about they are taking baits placed anywhere in the water and at any distance out from the pier end. My 3 pounder took quite a large mackerel bait on a one hook clip down, dropped directly below my feet.

Macthemullet - the best place to fish the pier IMO is at the landing platform at the pier end, and the secret trick is to just drop your bait off the side whilst making sure you take currents into account. It's very easy to get sucked under and lose tackle on the barnacled pier legs and disused platforms. I never used to be that productive on the pier until I read an article by Alan Yates in Sea Angler, and he suggested not casting. Although old fashioned, boom rigs are VERY effective doing this. They allow you to fish various depths and with various baits and hook sizes. I've had, or seen, black bream, gilthead bream, bass, wrasse, pollock, mackerel, garfish, red mullet, pouting, and trigger fish caught this way. Hooning a 6oz break away 200 yrds from the end onto the sandbanks can land you smoothhound, bull huss, rays, and even small tope but only at certain times and at certain tides, and then you still need to get very lucky. It's something of a joke now with me and my friends. Every trip to the pier we witness countless people with 14-16ft beachcasters, casting 6oz leads on distance multipliers, on 18lb+ line. If the cast doesn't break the 200 yard mark, they will never pick up anything that cannot be caught directly below their feet, and they will invariably cross the lines of at least three other guys next to them. Yesterday, I saw a guy bring in a bream, and he didn't even know he had it on because his gear was so heavy. For summer fishing, I believe a bass rod with 12lb line and no more than a 3oz weight is the way to go for ease of use and enjoyable sport.

To answer your other question, mactthemullet, yes, the pier can get very very busy. If the weather is fine, the pier end will be full from opening until close. However, if you're not casting, you will only need a space as wide as your shoulders, and if you do feel the need to cast, a space will invariably open up when a few disgruntled "all-the-gear and no-idea" types leave. Alternatively, another little known fact is that the best bass are caught just as you walk onto the pier at the right hand side (facing the lighthouse). Putting a big bait out here a few hours before high seems a very successful approach, although I rarely try this (I prefer the sport of bream. Saying that, I'm starting to get a bit of a bass twitch so I may give it a go soon). A 6lb bass was caught here the day before yesterday and if you go into the pier fishing shop, Basstastic, you'll see a load of large bass photos and I believe the majority were caught at this mark.

I hope this helps happy

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:12 pm

hi guys, what are the opening times to the pier? how much isit to fish there?

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:36 pm

opening times are 9am-8pm ish ,price is £3 per rod

Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 6:43 pm

Hi Mate,

Thanks again for the very comprehensive info... much appreciated.

I think I may give it a go next week sometime.

I did visit Basstastic a few weeks back and the club sounds very good value for money. They have a fantastic boat that goes out regularly and you can fish on the pier at night...??

Are the bream around at night..??

Rgds

Mac

Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 10:44 am

TBH I've never fished the pier at night so I can't comment on the bream activity, but I can imagine it being quite productive for bigger species. Smoothhound, ray, and conger are all caught occasionally during daylight hours so at night I'd probably expect the chances of landing one of these to increase.