Long-time no blog and to be honest there has not been a lot for me to blog about. Yes, I’ve managed the odd foray to the coast with mixed results but fishing has very much had to play second fiddle to house renovation work over the past 12 months. That said I just had to write about what was a first for me yesterday…. no your eyes do not deceive you that is an August, south coast, Megabass Zonk caught codling in the photo above!
I’d started fishing just as the light was coming up, pretty flat seas, second or third cast and “thump, thump” – couldn’t work out what I’d hooked to start with – it didn’t feel like a bass but I certainly was not expecting a prime codling to surface! If I looked weirdly pleased but perplexed then that was nothing compared to the head scratching from a couple of the bait lads who witnessed it! They were fishing lug and hadn’t had a sniff! It made much more sense though when I left them and walked on along the shore and saw literally thousands of sprats washed up where they’d been herded in by the plague of small mackerel that were working the beach…. the codling that were there, fairly obviously, were also gorging themselves on the sprats and the Zonk obviously looked the part for one to take it.
As soon as the light came up it was mackies all the way, lost count the amount but they were having a go at pretty much every lure I was throwing out there. Certainly couldn’t get past them to get to the bass. At least with the codling there was a fish supper to be had… filleting it showed just how many sprats it had gorged itself on – it was completely rammed full of them!
Anyhow, should be a bit more from me over the autumn including an Ireland trip in October….. really can’t wait!
Until next time….
Hooks, Lines & Sinkers 