The day began with just a single sailing. The weekends gale forecast to begin to show itself at around midday. But the conditions awaiting returnee's Mark, Bill, Mark D and newcomer Will, were most excellent. Very calm seas, coinciding with a very firm plan. Fish the bass with the last trickle of ebb, and focus on the cod and squid over the low water slack.
The bassing actually seemed a little slow. We managed ten bass, and just two for the table, before the tide meant a change of tactics and venue. Except... Disaster. I reached for the squid jigs to find... I was almost out... Well, on board anyhow. I carry minimal stock on board, in case of thievery, which is not unheard of within the marina. But, with no 2nd sailing, I came back in, sent the guys off for coffee, and popped home to replenish stocks. Back out, and out to the cod and squid spot.
A couple of other boats out there squidding. And they were catching nicely. And yet, we struggled. I surmised that it might be because I was keeping the boat on a very tight area that I have noted for being most likely to hold cod. And squid are most definitely one of the cods main foods, so it makes sense they would avoid this area. Further evidence presented itself in the form of four cod. And, something that hasnt happened for a long while, three of them were to one rod. Bill's rod. Something of the golden nads about Bill, as regular readers might recall, it was he that had BIF1's only lure caught conger to date.
As the session came towards the close, I was thinking out loud. "Shame I have cancelled the next sailing, Just doesnt feel like the wind is going to show". It had remained very light indeed all session, and now had dropped to a slightly clammy calm. "I'll go out again" said Mark. I offered the same to the others but they were all committed in the afternoon. However I knew one of the cancelled crew, Nick, was fishing in Brighton, as he was determined to fish the salt. A quick text confirmed he could still make it. Too late for the rest of the original crew, who were travelling from the kentish borders. I chanced a text to regular Max, who had fallen foul of the weather also. He too was game. At a slightly later start of 1230, the four of us headed out.
Into... breeze. That was quickly increasing. The session was planned to be a mirror of the morning, with perhaps better bass fishing on the stronger early flood tide. We splashed our way to the mark. Except, half way to the mark, the seas flattened out again. The wind simply had not reached there. Very strange day. The bassing was pretty good at first as predicted, but as the tide eased back, so did they. I chanced a drift along some deep scrub I had noticed recently.
Three cod later, it was time to go to the cod and squid mark. Where, we managed just a single squid!! And by then, the wind had properly arrived. Big swells. full works. We had no choice but to abandon. Seven cod on the day, but who knows how many might have been, if we could have enjoyed that last hour over high water. Thirty three bass, just four from those for the table. A single squid, and a gurnard. And it would seem we are actually having a very good cod season. I think I have been a little blinded by the bass. Please speak out when boarding if cod float your boat.
