August started really slow, it’s often a month of two halves with the Jersey Open the final week a lot of the earlier part of the month is spent sorting gear, collecting bait and generally spending some time at home.
First trip of the month was a predictable poor Stingray session that only produced the normal small Black Bream and Bass. Next up was a light beach session which produced some small Bass and my first Golden Grey Mullet of the year for my species hunt albeit not very big.
Next up was a St Catherine’s session with dad, dad wanted to try for Wrasse so I chucked a Tope rod out and took a scratching rod to try and add a few new species for the hunt and finished with a mixed bag of Tompot Blenny, Black Bream, Red Mullet, Goldsinny Wrasse, Dogfish, Corkwing Wrasse, Ballan Wrasse and this chunky Baillons Wrasse the biggest one I’ve seen.
Then it was time for the first Sinkers Sea Fishing Club Thicklipped Mullet competition. This is a catch and release event with the longest fish winning. I fished with dad at St Aubins Harbour on the Friday evening but we blanked. I was unable to fish on the Saturday so did a rockmark Sunday morning and managed 2, the biggest going 52cm caught 2nd drop when I had only been chervying about 5 minutes. Not a monster but big enough for 3rd place with Sam Bennie taking the honours with a 56cm fish just ahead of Steve Mullins 55cm.
The next couple of weeks I only did a couple of short trips trying a few things before the open that produced my first Thin Lipped of the year of around 2lb and a Gilthead just over 1lb.
Then it was time for the open. For anyone not familiar with the format this is a week long festival with 9 different sections, the objective being to weigh in to as many different sections as possible. Your fish has to be over some very high minimum sizes and also beat the 5th place weight in that section. If at the conclusion of the competition there is a tie, the angler who got to that number of species first wins.
My week rather unusually started a couple hours after the midday start as I didn’t want to start fishing until the tide had turned. First up was a Black Bream session, minimum weight for these is 1-8 which is a lot tougher than it sounds. I lost count of how many Bream I caught on the first day, I would estimate more than 50 with the biggest just short at 1-7. I take a disgorger with me and managed to release all but 1 of them.
Then it was off to the beach for a short Gilthead session, these don’t have their own section so are in the “any other” section with a minimum weight of 1-8. The session started well with a Gilthead of 1-4 but sadly it was the only one together with a few Bass around 2lb and a small Conger.
So that was day 1 over for me and no weighers as yet.
Day 2 started at first light and a change of targets to Wrasse which have to be 50cm and are catch and release. 4th cast and I have a lovely slack line bite that must of swam in 15 yards before I caught up with it, the rod doubled over and I knew I had a reasonable fish. A quick scramble down with the net and I had a possible weigher. Out with the ruler and it just made 51cm, I was on the board which is always a relief.
So that was me heading off back up the cliff not long after climbing down to go home and grab some different gear and head off in search of a Mullet or Black Bream. 8am and second mark of the day I had some reasonable looking mullet feeding with the biggest looking like it could possibly just make the 54cm minimum. Unfortunately he wasn’t the one that got to my bread first and the one that did was only 50cm a little over 3lb. That spooked the shoal so it was a switch back to Breaming and after plenty to around 1-5 it didn’t look like it was going to happen. I left my rod out while I sorted all my gear out to pack up at the end of the session and when I turned around the rod was bent over and I had the biggest of the day, just big enough and finally went 1-9-4 when weighed in and my second fish on the board.
So another climb back up the cliff and another change of gear and I’m off to try for a Bass over the low tide. Conditions are terrible, bright sunny day flat calm crystal clear water but at this particular venue I have caught when it’s like this so I felt it was worth a shot. As it happens it wasn’t and I never had a bite.
The start of the competition had seen several Snipe (Garfish) over the 1lb minimum weight weighed in from the town harbour and with 1 space left on the board I opted to start Monday early trying for one of these, I think possibly the first time I have ever fished the harbour in the open! Weigh-in was at 7:30am so I started about 6 and had a couple of possibles by the weigh-in time, the first fell agonisingly short at 0-15-14 but the second just made it at 1-0-10, it wouldn’t last long but it was a 3rd weigher and it was only Monday morning. I also had a chunky Scad of 13ozs for the club.
Another quick pack up and gear change and it’s back down the cliffs to try again for the mullet I saw yesterday. Sadly they didn’t show up and I just added yet more Black Bream.
I then decided to go and dig some fresh bait to get up early and try for a Bass. I find bait digging has got a lot harder in recent years especially red cat and rock worm and it was a struggle until I found one little spot right at the end. I had enough for what I needed and decided to go and have a couple of casts for a Stingray since I had fresh bait. Not long after setting up another club angler set up alongside me and had a nice little Stingray just over 6lb. That was promising, a few minutes later my rod screams off and I have a ray on together with a fair amount of weed making it difficult to judge how big it is but in the net it looked likely to make the 10lb minimum. Sure enough it was comfortably big enough at 14-9 and a 4th fish by the end of Monday meaning another angler would need 5 to beat me, a tall order indeed.
At this point I had a 2 fish lead over everyone else and I felt one more would seal it but a 5th fish is really tough and has only been done a couple of times before. At this point as well the weather had completely changed from flat calm, hot and sunny to windy with a huge swell, the result of a far away storm. To me my obvious next target was a Bass, at 60cm not easy but possible.
My first attempt was an early morning session at a mark I haven’t fished for some time but used to be very productive. Sadly not anymore and apart from a few Dogfish it was very slow. Then it was another low water wading session, I was hopeful the changing conditions might improve the area I was fishing but it was still really slow and I only had 1 Black Bream & 1 small Bass.
Wednesday now and a couple of other anglers have moved onto 3 fish so I feel I will need to find a 5th. I decided on another wading session but a change of venue. The conditions were pretty wild so I opted for absolute minimum gear just a rod with a bait bucket clipped to my dry bag which just had my ruler and a few essentials in. I made the fatal decision not to take a net as it can be a nightmare when wading in a big surf. I had a few smaller bass to about 2lb before a much better bite and I’m into what feels like a better fish but will it be big enough. After taking my time I have the fish alongside me and it’s around 6lb and a definite weigher. I lost one in similar conditions a couple of years ago in the open by trying to lift it out so I decided the best option was to slowly walk it back to the beach. I had the trace in my hand and the fish was right alongside me so I could have netted it easily if I would have had a net! I was about half way to the beach when the hook pulled out and off it swam in about a foot of water. It’s amazing the emotions this comp can give you, from the elation of getting a Stingray to the despair in that moment. I wondered if that mistake would cost me.
I decided to return on the early morning tide and try again, 2nd cast and I have a cracking bite and can feel some real head shaking. After a decent scrap I turn my headlamp on low to be greeted by a Conger about 4lb! Not what I wanted and a nightmare to deal with in the waves. After having to walk most way back to the beach to sort it out I waded back out only to catch another one, fortunately this time lip hooked. I then finally managed to start catching Bass, mainly small stuff but I did have a slightly better one of 55cm, not big enough but at least I was catching.
I went back for the afternoon tide but it was really slow with just 1 small Bass, time to move on and try somewhere else.
The board was also changing fast and Sam Bennie was on a run, now also on 4 fish making that lost Bass looking like it could be costly.
I decided to go and try a high water beach Thursday night but after moving 3 times I abandoned it as just to rough or weedy for the areas I wanted to fish.
Friday morning and Sam has caught a 5th weigher, a truly outstanding achievement. It also meant I would need 2 more fish otherwise known as a miracle! And that’s if Sam doesn’t continue the charge and get a 6th!
I opted to follow the tide up on the beach, if by some miracle I managed a Bass I would push on through the night and try and find a 6th fish. I never had a bite for the first 2 hours of the flood, hard going when you’re holding the rod in the surf but then a cracking pull down and I strike to nothing. I wound in to see my entire snood is gone. I think it’s gonna be one of them days. I fished on and about half hour later a similar bite, this time the fish is on and despite a decent scrap it’s only about 3lb. As the tide got higher the tiny schoolies moved in on mass and I decided to call it a day. It had been a brilliant week, weighers in 4 sections would normally be enough but the last couple of years the bar has been raised and you have needed 5. The decision to leave the net at home turned out to be decisive, fine margins indeed.
Congratulations to Sam who fished brilliantly and quite honestly caught better fish and is this years worthy winner.
You can view a full list of results on the J.O.S.A.F Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/476672935758797
September see’s the competition season continue with the next round of the Bass on measure followed by the shore Conger festival.
On another note I want this blog to be about shore fishing in Jersey, not just about me. If you catch a nice fish and you are happy for me to share it please send me a photo and details.
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