Gone to the DOGS – Budleigh 25/09/06

[BaggieRich]

Warning :- I've just read this back and it's long. God I can ramble at times!

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“There’s something strange going on here and I’m not sure I like it.”

By the time I packed up my gear and went home last night, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I suppose I should have read the signs a bit earlier really. Tonight was going to be an odd one all round.

It started off in a fairly unusual fashion when I came home from work to find that the wife and kids were full of laughs, jokes and smiles instead of the usual chaos that greets me each evening upon my return.

Hmmm.

Having had an aborted session on Sunday, the missus was bending over backwards to make sure I got out on time, even offering to do my chores for me so I could go fishing. (Of course, I didn’t manage it, but it’s the thought that counts.)

Hmmm…

And the clincher: the weather. It had conspired to look absolutely spot on; a bit of cloud cover, but not too much. A bit of a S/W breeze, but not too blowy. No chance of rain what-so-ever, and best of all a couple of days after howling winds and massive seas.

Strange….

So foolishly ignoring the signs, I packed my gear into the car and set off for the beach full of hope and expectation. Could this be it? Could a Budleigh Bass finally be coaxed from its hiding place and tempted into taking my bait?

What do you reckon?

After having absolutely no joy at all fishing at the Otter mouth, I decided that I’d fish the other end of the beach 200 yards down from Steamer steps. It’s a dark, secluded part of the beach, with massive sandstone cliffs behind you and the only source of light being the lamp at the end of the steps themselves.

I got to my mark at about 8:20pm. I noticed instantly that this was not a night for Bass fishing. The sea was as flat as a mill pond, with tiny waves lapping the high water line, but with Pingu’s advice ringing in my ears, I put a whole squid bait on a 3/0 pulley rig and lobbed it 30 yards out anyway. With this, I started to set up my second rod, but before I could even get the next rig out of my box my first rod started nodding and I pulled a decent doggie onto the beach.

I finished setting up the second rod and lobbed that out before returning to the first rod to re-bait. Before I got chance to put the first rod back in the water, my second rod started to go and I’d put another doggie on the beach!

And so it went on, the first 5 casts produced 5 doggies before things started to calm down a bit and I had chance to have a ciggie and a beer!

All in all the 2 ½ hours that I fished produced 12 doggies, to any bait that I cared to put in front of them. Whole sand eel, whole squid and mackerel baits were taken with gusto, both at range (Ha! My range = 100 yards!) and close in.

The only thing that broke the sequence of dogs was the most ambitious pouting I’ve ever seen in my life. No more than 3” long, he’d taken a 3/0 hook in a piece of mackerel which was actually longer than he was. Fair play son, back you go with my respect!

All in all, a very strange session. Strange in that I caught a lot of fish, which is unusual in itself, but strange also in that I felt extremely disappointed when I got back to the car. Maybe it’s because I’m getting tired of dog fish. More likely it’s because I want a Bass more than ever.

One day, one day……

Rich.

[Twiddler]

What are you complaining about mate, wish I'd catch a doggy....or anything, not had the pleasure of a single bite when I've done shore fishing, would like to know what it is like to have a fish rather than 5lb weed on the end of the line.

The bass will come in time, when least expected, just enjoy

[Ben]

keep putting in the hard work and 1 will come your way when you least expect it
have you thought about fihsing an estury or something, usualy full of bass and you can use light gear

[bassbandit]

NICE ONE RICH. I THINK THE DOGS HAVE ARRIVED I WAS OVER AT STEAMER STEPS LAST WEEK WITH MY SON, NOTHING DURING DAYLIGHT, BUT AS SOON AS THE SUN WENT DOWN HE HAD A DOGGIE. I WAS FISHING TEIGNMOUTH POINT LAST NIGHT WITH SOME FRIENDS AND OUR REG LADY ANGLER PULLED IN A COUPLE OF WOOFERS AND WE WERE BLANKING, PETE AND I SAID WE WILL HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE TOMOROW NIGHT SO IT WONT BE QUITE AS EMBARRISING (ONL FRIENDLY RIBBING I MIGHT ADD) ANYWAY A BIT LATER I DRAGGED IN A DOUBLE SHOT OF RATHER LARGE DOGGIES ( HER REPLY WAS "YOU JUST HAD TO GO ONE BETTER" ) YEP (SNIGGER) PETE WENT GREAT REPUTATION STILL INTACT. AFTER A FEW MORE WOOFERS WE PACKED UP AND WENT HOME. THAT WAS ALL THAT WAS CAUGHT LAST NIGHT "DOGGIES". SO I THINK THERE WAS AN INVASION LAST NIGHT.

[tonybolton]

Originally Posted by BaggieRich

And so it went on, the first 5 casts produced 5 doggies before things started to calm down a bit and I had chance to have a ciggie and a beer!

I hate it when the fishing interferese with the planned smoking and drinking session!

[BaggieRich]

Cheers guys.

Don't get me wrong, I'll take a doggie bashing session over a blank any day of the week, it's just that they're all I seem to be catching lately.

I really want a Bass now as well. I've been targeting them all summer and nada, even though I saw a 3 1/2 pounder pulled in on the same beach about a month back and just before that there were reports of a double figure fish.

I know they are there, and I'm using the right baits and fishing at the right distance. It must be down to the wrong tides or the wrong conditions. I've tried the big springs and the neaps. All states of the tide and zilch. Grrrr.

It'll come, I know. It's just just getting a touch frustrating in the mean time!



Rich.

[steve devon]

Cant expect fish like bass every time you go fishin they aint the easiest of fish to catch, they will leave a bait if it has a coloured trace attached, float near it that they can see etc

Have you tried worm baits instead of fishy baits?

Wont get so many dogs on that but usualy catches the smaller bass

[Norfolkboy]

Keep at it Rich, you'll get one soon

[gullyworm]

Originally Posted by tonybolton

I hate it when the fishing interferese with the planned smoking and drinking session!

LMAO

Have you thought about getting yourself down hampshire way?

I was in my local tackle shop the other day and Allan told me that a match gosport side had caught red mullet,coddling,bream etc.
When he asked where i was going i told him down Eastney after Bass he said "you get bored of catching bass tho dont you."ER NO!
Its been one of those bass seasons down here ,there everywhere.
No doggies tho

[pingu]

great report there rich

sure you will get one soon
mm maybe branscombe tommorrow night