Kayak Fishing - A Great Day Fishing at Anchor

November and December are usually great months to fish with plenty of fish around. I head out on the kayak for a full day’s fishing at anchor with a mix of bait fishing and lure fishing.

 



A calm sea, great weather, and plenty of fish, made it a great day to be out on the water as shown in the video below. The video includes tips on anchoring a kayak at sea and reading a fish finder. 

 



A Gift of Lures from Norway

A Norwegian angler very kindly sent me a box of his favourite lures to try, a mix of metal lures and soft lures.

 



 

In the video below, I go through them with thoughts of how I may use them in my own shore and kayak fishing. The lures include a Rapala Deep Tail Dancer, Stingsilda Jigs, Jensen Pirken Jigs, Hand Made Jigs, Kopyto Shads, Other Shads, and some Hand Made Sabiki’s. Included are outtakes from a couple of difficulties when filming.

 



Beach Fishing for Bass Series - Episode 1 - Bait Fishing a Rocky Beach

When targeting Bass, rocky beaches are usually fished with lures however, if there are some clear areas they can be fished with bait close to the rocks.

The video below, is the first video of a series targeting Sea Bass from beaches in Cornwall using either bait or lures. In this episode, I bait fish a rocky beach and in addition to the fishing talk about tackle, rigs, and bait.



Catch and Cook Fish and Shellfish - GARFISH - I See No Green Bones!

Many people that catch Garfish (Needlefish) are put off at the thought of eating them because of their green bones and scales. However, if you like eating fish, Garfish are good to eat with a sweet meat and a good texture.

In the video below, I show the preparation of the Garfish, which includes filleting that virtually, removes the green bones. The fillets are then marinated, coated, and pan-fried.

 



Surf Fishing for Sea Bass with Metal Lures

When targeting Bass from the beach metal lures can be very useful particularly when the conditions make it difficult to use plugs and soft plastics for example, when there are strong winds and heavy seas.

In the video below, I talk about the use of metal lures (jigs and casting jigs) and fish a surf beach on a very windy day.

 



Float Fishing for Garfish - Tips and Tactics

Float fishing is a great and relaxing way of targeting a variety of species and a great way for beginners to get an introduction to sea fishing.



In the video below, I spend a relaxing few hours targeting Garfish (Needlefish) a fish that is abundant in Cornwall at this time of year. They offer good sport and fun fishing with their occasional acrobatic display when hooked. The video has tips and tactics for beginners.

 



Contributing to a TV Fishing Programme (Part 1)

I was recently contacted by a TV production company who asked if I would be interested in contributing to part of an episode of a fishing programme for a national TV channel. My contribution was to help them to catch Squid from a kayak and fish with the presenter.

 

 

The video below shows meeting the crew on the day and discussing the plan etc. I was not allowed to show any shots of the fishing but more shots will be available in part 2 next year.

 



The Sea Float Fishing Anti Tangle Rig

Have any of you ever had the annoying problem of tangles when you cast out a standard sea float-fishing rig, such as the hook caught on top of the float?

 

 

 

In the video below, I look at a sea float fishing anti tangle rig. A brilliant rig that cuts right down on tangles when casting your float from venues such as harbour walls, rocky outcrops, and beaches for species such as Mackerel, Garfish, Pollack, and Wrasse.

  



Rock Fishing for Wrasse with Slug-Go Soft Plastic Lures

Wrasse are abundant in our waters and offer the shore lure angler great sport on light tackle. In this video, I head for a rough ground rock mark to target Wrasse using 3” Slug-Go soft plastic lures rigged weedless on a Texas Rig and non-weedless on a jig head.

 

 

The Wrasse oblige giving great sport and fun on a beautiful Cornish morning. Video below:

 



Catching and Cooking Fish and Shellfish - Grilled Lobster Halves

Putting a couple of collapsible pots out at the start of a days kayak fishing can enhance the day with the anticipation of what might be in the pots. Most times the catch is crab but occasionally there is a real treat, a Lobster.

 

 

In the video below, I catch a Lobster from one of the pots then prepare it by splitting and grilling the halves. The Lobster is served with a delicious and simple to make Pernod and olive oil dressing along with new potatoes from the vegetable garden. Bon-Appétit!

 



Shore Fishing - Bubble Float Fishing for Sea Bass with Shrimp

Float fishing can be a great and productive way to target Bass. It is also relaxing, exciting, and fun and live shrimp/prawn is a great bait to use.

In the video below, I collect the shrimp using a push net and fish with a bubble float in shallow water over rough weedy ground.

 



Catching and Cooking Fish and Shellfish - Smoking Mackerel Fillets

There is nothing quite like eating the fish or shellfish that you have caught yourself. The flavours are superb. There are many ways to cook Mackerel and smoking is one of them. I have a small home smoker and smoking a few Mackerel occasionally is a lot of fun.

 

 

 The following video shows the preparation, the smoking, and the final result. 

 



Planning a Kayak Fishing Trip - The Weather and Sea Conditions

Safety is paramount when going out to sea kayak fishing and the weather and sea conditions play a big part in the planning of a trip.

 

 

In the video below, I look at how I plan a trip as regards checking forecasts to make sure the best I can that that trip will be safe and comfortable for fishing. I look at the various forecasters I use and discuss the conditions I am looking for at the mark I intend to fish and why. 

 



Into the Fishing Shed - Rig Making - Sea Bass and Multi Species Lure Rig - Joining Braid to Fluorocarbon

I am about to start lure fishing from the shore mainly for Bass but also other species. The rig I use is a multi species rig used for casting a variety of lures but occasionally used for vertical jigging from the kayak.

 

 





In the video below, I talk about the rig and show the tying of a rubbing leader by joining braid to fluorocarbon using a uni to uni knot otherwise known as a double uni knot.

 

 



Shore Fishing - Pontoon Fishing for Grey Mullet

Areas of still calm waters and structure such as harbour walls, marinas, jetties, piers, and pontoons attract Grey Mullet. They love the shelter that these areas provide, and the abundance of the food they feed on such as crustaceans in the sand and mud they filter and the algae that grows on the structure.

 

 

In the video below, I try to catch the frustratingly difficult to catch Mullet from a pontoon using bread as bait. 

 



Kayak Fishing - Fishing for Food Using Mixed Methods

If you enjoy eating fish and shellfish there is something special about sitting down to the dinner table to have a meal from something you have caught yourself.

 



In the video below, I set out to catch fish for the dinner table using mixed methods to catch a variety of fish such as Plaice, Mackerel, Herring Pollack, and Spider Crabs using collapsible pots.

 



How to Dig Sand Gaper Clams by Hand - A Great Bait for Gilthead Bream and Bass

I am starting to prepare for my Gilthead Bream fishing and bait collecting is one of those preparations. I am a great fan of using clams as bait for the following reasons one, because they are very much a natural bait for Gilthead Bream and any bream I have caught in the past had its stomach contents full of crushed clam shells. Two, because they work well from frozen therefore, it is very convenient just to go to the freezer and take the bait I need for the session and three, they re-freeze well making it economical as regards the effort needed to collect them. Apart from that you can eat them as well.

 

Razor Clams have proven to be a great clam to use however, there are other clams that are equally as good and one of those is the Sand Gaper Clam. It is good to have an alternative to Razor Clams and  Sand Gaper Clams are easy to dig up once you have mastered to technique of locating the burrows.

 



 

The video below shows how I locate the burrows and collect the clams digging by hand.

 



Kayak Fishing - Drifting for Spring Plaice - Using a Drift Chute in Flat Calm Conditions

The spring is a great time of year to target Plaice. I headed out on the kayak to do just that target Plaice by drift fishing with a couple of rods out using various baits such as Squid, Peeler Crab, Sandeel Fillets, and Razor Clam.

In the video below, I look at the various baits and the method used plus a way of using a drift chute otherwise known as a drogue in flat calm conditions.

 



Catching a Cuckoo Wrasse

I was drift fishing for Plaice a couple of days and part of the drift took me over rough ground and of course, I had to bring the bait rods in until I cleared the rough ground.  However, rather than stop fishing I had a lure rod made up to see if I could pick up some Pollack or Cod then continue with the Plaice fishing once clear of the rough ground.  An unexpected catch turned up when I hooked a stunning looking male Cuckoo Wrasse. Male Cuckoo Wrasse only grow to about 40cm and tend to stay in deeper water than Ballan Wrasse.  Although I had caught a male Cuckoo Wrasse before not one of this size therefore, a personal best.  They are a wonderful tropical looking fish and a pleasure to catch.  The fish was returned.

 

 



Into the Fishing Shed - Rig Making - Drifting for Plaice Rig

March is the time of year for me to think about drift fishing for Plaice. I needed to make up some rigs ready to catch some of those beautiful spotted tasty flat fish.

I heading into the fishing shed to make up some rigs in preparation and made the video below to share the rig that has been successful for me in the past particularly for those of you new to Plaice fishing.

 



Winter Kayak Fishing - How to Keep Warm Using the Layered Clothing System

I like to fish all year round including the winter months. To be able to fish in the colder months, I need to stay as warm as possible and to achieve that I use the layered clothing system.



In the video below, I look at the clothing I wear along with an additional way of keeping the feet warm.

Kayak Fishing - How to Catch Herring - The Silver Darlings

Fishing for Atlantic Herring the Silver Darlings of the sea makes a change from fishing for Mackerel. Apart from being good to eat, they make good bait for a variety of species.

 

  

In the video below, I look at the tackle and methods used to catch them.



 

Winter Kayak Fishing - Reef Fishing for Pollack - A Look at Safety Equipment

A long awaited winter weather window enabled me to get out a do some reef fishing for Pollack and I was greeted with some stunning Cornish scenery and a few fish as a bonus.

 

 

In the video below, I look at some of the safety equipment I have on board for those worst-case scenarios. There are also tips and pointers about tackle and methods used.