So close I can taste it !

Been out for a couple of practise sessions recently, no fish were caught and we never expected to catch any. The sessions were really just kit testing missions to make sure all was in order and iron out any teething problems. I took delivery of some Needlefish lures from the states about a week or so ago and the first session involved testing these great lures and finding out how they cast and fish. I'm pleased to report they do both very well ! I know they'll catch fish having fished soft needle very successfully in the past and these are pretty much the same but in a 'hard' version that will cast much further than the soft versions opening up new ground when the Bass are holding just that bit further out. More on these as and when I have some catches to report on them.

The second session was LRF based and though the day was warm the sea temperature still hasn't reached the magic number yet...
Still we hoped there might be a possibility of a few twinky Bass but it wasn't to be, however some other new items of kit were tested out successfully and again I'll review these in the near future once I've had a bit more time with them.

Despite the lack of any early fish I sense we are really close now, Sea temperatures are rising day on day and we're now close to the magic number and by next weekend we should be there...fingers crossed ! I think the whole Lure scene in this country is buzzing with anticipation right now with anglers desperate to start catching after having to wait for so long due to the extended winter we've had. Hopefully we will all make up for the late start with a bumper season ahead ;)

Tight lines everyone !

On the up?

There's a hint of change here at the moment, a small rise in temperatures has raised my hopes of making a start in the next couple of weeks. The air temperature outside today is getting up toward 9 or 10 degrees and there has been a slight rise in sea surface temperature over night of almost half a degree...
Winds are supposed to finally switch from the seemingly endless easterlies and north easterlies that we have had for the last few months to a warmer but wetter south westerly direction. The Jetstream looks set to move northwards slightly pushing those cold arctic winds upwards and bringing this damper weather with it. I don't mind wetter as long as it's warmer and the sea temps continue to rise, and hopefully quite quickly, triggering our fishy friends interest in venturing inshore.

 The plan is to try for a few twinky Bass to start with either on the Lrf gear or maybe the Fly which would be a nice way to get things going. I love fishing the fly for saltwater species but the last couple of years conditions just haven't been conducive to pursuing this method. We've got a couple of nice venues lined up should we happen to get some perfect conditions for the fly where we would expect a reasonable stamp of fish which would provide some great sport on the gear...

I'm still waiting for my Needlefish order from the states at the moment but once they arrive I'll post a few pics and there's a new Lrf bag somewhere in transit as well which I'll review once it arrives.

We're close now so fingers crossed.....

On another note, you may notice that I have published a basic but hopefully helpful guide to getting started in LRF in the right hand sidebar next to this post. I hope anyone interested in trying the method finds it a useful starting point. If it has been of use to you please let me know, you can rate it on Yudu or let me know in the comments box if you like. Thanks.