Re: Fish of the month awards...?

[Greenheart]

Originally Posted by upnorth1

Just a quickie...

Now I know carp anglers normally use up to 3 rods when fishing, sometimes 4.
The humble sea angler may use 2 at best....my point is, when deciding a fish of the month, wouldn't a sea fish be a better achievement, than say someone who was using four rods?

After all, the sea anglers' chances may be halved than say that of a carp angler....

I know it's a bit of fun, and not serious, but still, this could be took into consideration....although on reflection, just forget that comment - it's the fish that counts!........Sorry for bringing it up....

I'm keeping out of this, although I am eagerly awaiting Paul doing an article in Sea Angler mag on advanced fluff flinging for those hard to catch Mackerel. Can't see many Carp being fooled by a string of six feathers....

[FlyingFox]

Originally Posted by Twiddler

I disagree with you FF, only a few weeks ago I fished an 80 acres lake and by all means it was tough going, I fished the lake for 48 hrs and had not as much as a nibble.

Yes it is easy to catch on a well stocked lake but fishing reservoirs for example is a different matter.
You will have to use all your watercraft skills, as you are fighting against a huge amount of natural food and very wary fish which are very hard to tempt even when using natural bait like worms, maggots, snails, slugs etc as hook bait.
Even if you manage to hook one, it's hard work to land it, as they dive in to the nearest snag and you just can't stop them, don't ask me how but they seem to have a nack to shed the hook or dig themselves so deep in to the snag that you don't stand a chance to get them out and the line snaps.

But I also sea fish boat and shore, trying to reel in a 7lb cod out of 180ft deep water, with a 1lb led attached to your rig is not easy neither....I hate to see what it would be like to have a ...say 70lb eel on your hook

Fished a local river over 10 times a few years back after thick lip mullet, see quite a few but never managed to temp one......same year decided to move further up the river to catch bream and carp.....one trip only landed a few bream a couple of carp and my mate landed a carp of well over 15lb?.....same year went back to thick lip mullet......blanked for them that year!! is it possible to target any freshwater fish for a season and not get one?

[fishypaul]

Originally Posted by FlyingFox

is it possible to target any freshwater fish for a season and not get one?

ask ian about the ruffe !!!!

[Twiddler]

Originally Posted by fishypaul

ask ian about the ruffe !!!!

[Portland Pirate]

Ah Paul, you are a naughty boy! You must have known what sort of reaction an offhand comment like yours would cause:-) I love it.
Being an international angling journalist, working and fishing all over the world and having listened to the various arguments from both sides, I thought I would add my comments to the fray:
With the correct technique, freshwater fish are easier to attract and hold into an area. Yes they can be more difficult to capture if they have been caught many times before. As Twiddler commented, they do have a better ability to shed a hook than salt water fish, but that has more to do with hook choice and end tackle, than their fighting abilities.
Salt water fish need to be presented with the correct bait in a better manner and at the right time and place. Pre-baiting and ground baiting are rarely successful for sea fish, with a few exceptions such as Shark fishing or Bream fishing from a boat. Like all types of fishing luck has a part to play, but luck normally only sorts out the exceptional fish, the fish of a lifetime that just happens to be in the area when you are fishing. With Sea fishing, it is all about taking many factors into consideration, tide, lunar cycle, water temperature, time of day and most of all bait. With the possible exception of Mullet and one or two more resident species, you will not be able to get sea fish on to an artificial feeding routine. Purely because of the volume of water and the migrative behaviour of sea fish.

This does not mean that a sea fish is a better candidate for fish of the month. Far from it.
I run a fish of the month competition for one of the newspapers I write for. When I look at the fish of the month I take many factors into consideration. Where and when it was caught, the experience of the angler, The bait and rig it was caught on and quite importantly in my mind the size of the fish in comparison to both the national record and the regional record. A 5lb Bass caught from a mark in the south coast of England would be nothing special compared to a 3lb one caught of Peterhead in the north east of Scotland, subsequently a 3lb haddock caught at the same Scottish mark would raise no more than an eyebrow, whilst the same fish would make headlines in Weymouth.

[pingu]

I have to say i always, always look at the reports before doing FOTM
infact if no report i wouldnt vote for it at all
as that is waht helps me sum up the fishes worth to the angler

I:E

how much they tried( that trip or many)

how difficult was that capture

specimin size

conditions( weather/sea etc)

was the fish targeted or a rougue???( this i find most important especially for sea)



I would not neccesarrily give a person whos first post is a 100lb skate a point if have no idea how long targetting etc


but someone who had judged conditions to fish/weatherfeeding habits/time of year to target I:e cod winter, makkie summer etc/ tide/ etc,etc,etc to either fresh or sea and caught the target means alot to me

for instance this month although I know how hard Rich has been trying for that PB smoothy Neils fish wins as is an absolute belter and he has put in several days /weeks of effort to achieve, and one which he is going to struggle to beat(although i hope he does) . Whereas Riches fish is a pb but beatable( hopefully at smut meet if not locally)

just my penneth worth

and its not as though you win anything for it, just a good thing to do and enjoy

dave

[John Marshall]

Hey Upnorth, I think you got the desired response.

[upnorth1]

....Brilliant replys....

[scottish_and_mental]

beat it monkey boy !

[Greenheart]

Originally Posted by fishypaul

ask ian about the ruffe !!!!

Still trying or one of the elusive little beasties ....