Growing up next to the Norfolk broads and by the sea I did a lot of fresh water and sea fishing when I was younger. Alas, no trout or salmon, for fresh water fishing mostly Roach, Rudd, Bream, Eel and Pike. For sea fishing, whiting, flounder and dabs. Note, in normal situations you should NOT use some of these techniques in the UK as they are illegal and others require the correct permits or licenses.
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Figure 8.3.0 : Flounder and Dab
Figure 8.3.0.1 : Mackerel and Whiting
Sea fishing has a lot of similarities with fresh water fishing but a there are a couple of major differences. The first of these is distance, unlike freshwater fishing were you can catch fish just a few metres from the bank, when shoring fishing you normally need to get the bait beyond the breakers. Therefore, casting distance is substantially increased. One trick to overcome this problem is to stake out a long line at low tied i.e. a strong main line secured at each end to a stake driven well into the sand, with baited hooks at regular intervals. However, unless you have a good rod it will be impossible to cast the required distance. As a result you have a limited range of fish that can targeted. The most common fish that come close inshore are flounders, dabs, mackerel and whiting, as shown in figures 8.3.0 8.3.0.1. Caught using a running ledger or multiple hook paternoster rig. Dabs can be found on smooth sandy ground, mud or fine shingle but not rocks. Flounders are distributed all around the coast where the ground is clear of rocks, particularly in muddy and brackish waters found in estuaries. A common method for attracting flatfish is to use a small spoon or bright beads just above the bait as shown in figure 8.3.1.2. Mackerel come inshore during the summer and early autumn preferring warm, clear water, can be caught using small spinners. Whiting can be found on all types of ground from rocky edges to smooth sand but not in brackish estuaries, preferring colder water.
To improve casting distance when a rod and reel are not available a casting stick can be used (not sure of its original name, but was a technique used on the east coast), as shown in figure 8.3.1. What you need is a stick the length and thickness of a broom handle, approximately 1.5m long and 2.5cm wide (can be longer). The top is thinned down a little and a V notch cut. This notch holds a cross bar secured to the main line when casting (clove hitch). The bar needs to be quite strong so should be split out of a suitable piece of wood. Also significant loading will be placed on the line at this point, so a strong leader must be used e.g. a couple of metres of paracord. At the end of this cord tie a suitably sized stone, 2 4oz (can be heavier up to 8 10oz), one with a natural hole is best (more common than you would think) or tie on using a bag. Lay out the main line down the beach in a Z shape with the spool pointing in the direction of the cast tethered to a good stake. Note, make sure you have more line laid out than the cast requires as if the line is pulled tight during the cast there is a high probability that it will snap. Finally holding the stick in both hands, use a twisting motion about your waste, pulling in with the bottom arm and pushing out with the top arm to cast out the bait. When using a proper sea fishing rod bite detection is achieved by looking at the rods tip, very difficult i.e. differentiating a bite from the normal rod tip movement caused by waves. Therefore, I just pull in the line every 15 20 minutes, check the bait to see if its still securely attached and recast.
Figure 8.3.1 : Casting stick
Figure 8.3.1.1 : Sea fishing hooks
Figure 8.3.1.2 : Flat fish hook traces
The second difference is hook size. When sea fishing you need a larger hook than for fresh water fishing i.e. you are targeting larger fish therefore you need larger baits, as shown in figure 8.3.1.1. This is because the sea supports a larger ecosystem than that found in a section of river or lake, allowing a greater number of larger fish to inhabit any given area, increasing the probability of their capture, compared to freshwater fish of an equivalent size i.e. these freshwater fish would be classified as rare specimen fish. For large whiting choose a hook with a 15 20mm gape i.e. a size 2/0 6/0 hook. For smaller fish such as flatfish, eels and any fish under about 4 pounds require a gape between 5 15mm i.e. a size 4 2/0 hook. The best baits to use are rag and lug worms, however, these can be difficult to find. The most commonly available baits that can be found on most beaches are shellfish e.g. mussels, razorfish, limpets, cockles etc. Mussels can be found on most sea defences e.g. groynes, open and thread 2 4 mussels onto the hook, as this is a soft bait, they need to be secured to the hook with a few turns of cotton, tied off at the eye. Other baits include small strips of fish, peeler crabs (crabs that have shed their shells), these crabs can sometimes be found buried in the soft sand around groynes.
Figure 8.3.2 : Easily found bait
Figure 8.3.2.1 : Crabs, prawns and shrimps
Figure 8.3.2.2 : Beach food