16th May

Southwick beaches

Now that's a Surf!!

Woken this morning by lovely southerly winds, despite the tiny tides I took some crab out from the fridge and headed back to Southwick. I didn't expect too much, but with a perfect surf, I felt a table fish was on the cards. As predicted, the fishing was very slow indeed, but what was encouraging was I kept reeling in clusters of pea mussel, broken from somewhere by the gale, and washing along the sands. A very nice food source, and something likely to bring the bass in for. I missed one bite quite early on. Phil (aka HOUNDCATCHER on Worldseafishing.com) came down with his lad.

2lb 4oz Surf bass

It was while I was chatting to Phil that I got my second bite, and a fish on. I could feel it wasn't a schoolie, as it made a few little pulls in the heavy surf. But it didn't do anything too exciting, and pretty soon I slid the 2lb 4oz fish pictured above up the shingle.

I have been having dilemmas this year about which bass to take for the table, and which ones to release. I have had 2.5lb fish that have been developing roe, and the bigger fish recently have either been solid with roe, or in poor condition from spawning. So, I decided to kill this fish, as I was particularly fishing for the table. If you think the fish is a little small to be taken, (although way above the MLS) which I guess would have been my opinion a year ago, I would ask you to consider this. Is it better to take a fish that is obviously not spawning, and runs the risk of another year or two of predation and commercial fishing before it does so, or a bigger fish, laden with spawn, that it is imminently about to drop, creating another generation of tiny basslets? I think I will be taking the 2-3lb fish, and returning the bigger ones all the time in the future, for the better of basskind!!

Stomach contents of surf bass

I guess I am a bit of an anorak when it comes to fish guts. I cant help myself poking around the stomach contents. But it also provides very useful information about what's going on in the water in front of you. In this case, you can clearly see four masked spider crabs, a black lugworm and very interesting indeed, a single squid tentacle. I should imagine that if you cant get any fresh out lug or crabs, squid might well be worth a try down there in coloured water with good surf.