Shore fishing down south?

[Jords]

Is dieing to go sea fishing for the first time off of a shore but could do with knowing some good places to go down south?! And preffarabley what is known for its big fish!

Cheers, Jords

[weedcatcher]

exactly where in the south are you thinking? pretty big shoreline, long way to come for starting out.
My advice would be get yourself practicing closer to home before ventureing 100 miles for a blank. May not want to end up doing it again. Bit like Marmite. Im from the solent and theres been a few good stories latley. people should be catching something with little effort at Night to be honest. Summer yields well for fish.

[Jords]

I totally agree mate thats exactly what i dont want the closest beach is probably just under a 2 hour drive! Im from St. Neots its a town literally 20 mins outside of Cambridge! I mean i have family in Lowestoft that i sometimes visit but have never considered fishing it and its an extremely public beach it would be nice to find a quiet little stretch somewhere, maybe 10-20 foot max at 50 yards from shore? The thing is i dont have the foggiest on sea depths from the shore and how deep they get at what distances!?
So basically i dont have a clue! All i will know is what baits to use!

Cheers mate message back when possible

[scottish_and_mental]

The depth of the beach doesnt really matter except in calm clear weather during the day when you will find fish in deeper water .. Most of the famous Irish surf beaches that hold the bass can be only waist deep 100 yards out but hold tons of fish !
I wouldnt worry about the blank - christ i been at it 20 years and have been known to struggle
There are plenty piers from Weymouth to Dover that are also worth trying, as well as endless shingle beaches so its better to decide where you fancy going and then get advice suitable for that area mate ..

[Jords]

okay cheers mate! Il have a search over the internet and see what beach comes up!
Il message you straight after to ask for advice!

[weedcatcher]

your earlier statement jords of family in Lowestoft sounds like a great idea maybe have a weekend stab at it get a night tide in aswell as a day. Get google maps up see what reports have been down that coast of the north sea, never fished the North sea would love to have a pop at it myself. Heard Cod are good there in winte

Finding a nice little beach of your own to fish with good results is what i love about fishing, little bit of adventure.
So you know what Baits to use, what else do you need to know. i would like to help someone get into sea fishing/angling it can be daunting at first.

[Jords]

Good news il have to get down their and try it! Il check up on google maps tonight! I honestly need to know the in's and out's of it mate i wouldnt have a clue where to start from line stength to baits! Be grateful for every last bit of advice

Cheers, Jords

[weedcatcher]

ok Jords im no master at it in comparison to some but il give it my best shot for you.
Budget is going to be an important factor if you want to do it.
What previous experience do you have?
If zero get you self a fixed spool rod and reel + rod rest nif you intend to carry on this great sport i would suggest getting the best you can for your budget!
You will also require line and shockleader i use Berkley 15lb mono main line and 60lb shockleader drennan's Greased weasel.
when you load your reel with main line fill it to the brim. when you tie in shock leader you need enough on that covers rod length+2 feet on reel+ a couple more feet minimum extra that you clip on rig.
i would suggest buying some rigs or looking on this forum for rigs or google shore rigs. Greys make some nice rigs.

looking at rods, check out whats about i would suggest mixed ground rod to begin with. maybe start with a shakespeare surf 12 or 13 footer. shakespeare do some nice useable rods and there not budget busters.
Terminal tackle- weights finding out before hand what sort of ground and tidal current determine the need for what weight/sinker to use, if its a nice clean beach ie sand/shingle with a gentle current a simple weight of 2-8 ounce "depending on rods limited weight. if its rough seas and the weight/line is wandering down the beach then a breakout weight will be required to hold it to the bottom. try and start out with clean ground to fish.

Night fishes better than day normaly so you will require lighting and warm/dry clothing or a shelter if it gets nasty.

Baits.....yeah baits lug worm fishes well all year round getting it fresh can be a nightmare if you dont go digging for bait. but most tackle shops do it frozen.
worms are a beginers best friend. ragworm/lugworm.
peeling shore crabs are a top bait but will require bait elastic to strap on the hook.

look around the forum for baits and prepartion and presentation.

[Jords]

Nice one mate great post ive writ it down on paper so i can search it all up after! I think before i go buying all the gear im gonna go to the closest beaches possible and look for a spot id love to fish! Is there any feature i can look for where fish will sit? Piers or cliffs?

[weedcatcher]

i always try to fish when theres a bit of a surf. rolling waves tend to turf the bottom up a bit and bring the fish food up, bass like to hunt in these conditions but at night they will come near the shore line.
Casting 15 meters is all it can take at night. Day time i have to look at casting 150 yards depending on venue to get to deeper water as the fish get spooked by to much light in the shallows.

Fishing next to groyens always yeilds fish here in the south. what venue you will choose and weather/visibility and tide can all be factors.

i would look for cleanish ground for a begining with a bit of a surf with maybe a few rocks or structures, but dont go lobbing your gear in somewhere you cant get out of.

i would try to fish with a bit of a wind coming from the west. i have fished in force 5 with rain and had some cracking sessions. questioned my sanity but stuck it out and had a great time.

so it all comes down to how far your willing to push your self to get a just reward!

clean ground at present is smoothhound territory. pulley rig or running ledger with peeler crab strapped on with elastic should bag a fish at presesnt. leave clutch loose on fixed spool reels when smoothies smash into it! they will grab the bait run with it whilst jugling it to get a good crush on it in the mouth. if not they are known to pull the rod of its stand and down the beach! and probably pull the hook and bait from its mouth.

fish dont really sit in one area so maximise you fishing time by baiting two rigs from start hang 1 on rod rest, use other to soak, then when you pull it in to see for bites or loss of bait or to long. you can clip the next rig on and cast straight out again and re-bait the previous.

got to go speak laters