Whiting, whiting and yet more whiting.

It’s that time of year.. Most of the winter species have gone and the summer ones haven’t arrived yet so I’m a bit in limbo. I have to take advantage of the weather and get on the water but in my heart I know the fishing will be poor.

I should be targeting plaice but the water clarity is terrible, the same with the herring so the only real option is to go out and try to catch whatever is there hoping to add something to the species tally for the year.

I launched from Meadfoot, one of my favourite venues and headed straight for the headland at Hopes Nose. An hour drifting with the sabikis would usually produce endless fish here but not today. There was nothing showing on the finders and my confidence was low. I planned to drift back into the bay with bait on the bottom and this soon started to produce the same small whiting as yesterday. The bay is alive with them and every bait was getting taken as soon as it hit bottom. I tried the sabikis again and had the same result; I was pulling up whiting three at a time.

Half the beauty of this launch site is the scenery so I spent more time paddling around the rocks and islands watching the birdlife than fishing. The Shags were busy building their nests and catching a lot more fish than me. I did eventually find a Pollack just for a change and that gives me species number eight for the year- only another thirty two to go before I hit my target.

Despite the poor fishing another great day on the water and I can’t wait to return to the venue in six weeks’ time when it will be alive with fish.