... JBG's Extreme Fishing

It's great to be in good, skilled company whilst out fishing.

3 of us met up to fish a variation on a mark we did in the last blog article but I'd done a few times alone and not been able to get photo's etc. This was a mark more exposed to the swells but not so much running water. However, based upon the last few successful trips, it made sense to be here.

I started on the semi-sink bomabarda at 15g with a 13ft leader on the Century 11ft lure special that is pretty much rated 7 - 45g. It's a progressive sweet animal but with teeth should you need it. Very in balance and protects lighter lines down to PE 0.6.

On this occasion, I was using PE 0.8 on a new reel by Sakura I picked up from Tom Newbald at Monster Tackle. Comes with a spare spool and actually, it's pretty damn smooth and lays line perfectly fine. The thing with slow contact fishing and braid is that if the reel is a dog, you WILL, at some point, suffer horrendous braid knots. I've been hammering this reel and it's great.

So, I started on the pollack and the bombarda. I reckon I had about 35 fish.

About average stamp.

The biscuitman has been busy developing a new wired stinger concept for the soft needle which allows him/us to catch pollack, bass and yet, still skin up for the rough weedy shallow ground.

It's pretty clever.

Clearly successful. Biscuit had multiple pollack too. Over 20 I'd bet.

And so it began...

I like to keep my hand in with all methods but, the hard needle and soft needle are like brother and sister. Sometimes squabbling but always family. Hard needle was around way before I developed the soft variation for reasons that have been discussed in depth many times on blog and forum.

I started on a smaller lure to search for active fish.

Another night lure bass. Not black magic but almost.

After finding the fish and Stephen getting solid hookups to the soft-needle, I went on the hard 3/4oz hard wad needle.

Boom! Fish On.

Water on the camera from the splash of the swells on the rocks. Lucky we spotted it really cause this was the 'best' shot of this fish. All the others are super blurry.

Longer casts now and again... SLAM, Fish On! Bass love needlefish hard, soft and even par boiled... LOL They are a recipe for some great fishing but, they take resolve, time and confidence to fish. They don't do anything but cast sink and perhaps, slide a bit but in general, they are about the most 'boring' lure you could envisage. Boring that is until you start crushing bass on em.

Another good nights fishing over but again, we walked off fish as daylight loomed. It burns...

Until next time then.

This blog article will discuss both the bombarda and the soft needle.

Don't know what the soft needle is ? See HERE

Loads of stuff been going on despite crap weather and my knee giving way AGAIN !

Been out rolling the yaks in sea, doing some kayak fishing and, earlier in the week, some bassing and working for pollack with both soft needle and bombarda.

A 15g semi-sink and an 11ft leader to a size 6 salmon single took care of the business end.

Yea, that is IT. In pitch black, fished at ranges upto about 70 meters in windy conditions in the runs. BOOM, fish on, fish on, fish on...

They  just keep on coming.

On the other hand, we had 6 bass too in a trip of 2 hours  with me using the bombarda and fly above but, Biscuitman 'Stephen Olsen' using 5 and ultimately 4" senko's soft needle style.

Here he is with one of the bass. They were pretty much all this kinda size on the night. Lure is a 4" blue senko rigged and fished in the slow contact style of soft needlefish.

And one on the 5" senko but watermelon this time.

The method simply catches fish IF you are on fish and, know what you are doing.

We continue to catch fish in multiple trips almost daily and nightly. Almost impossible to keep track. We've done some LRF, tons of HRF from shore and kayak. Sometimes good numbers but, recently, with the weather being awkward, fishing has sadly been far from easy. Still getting the results so the methods and techniques are still as good as ever.

So, this method has eluded Biscuit for a while from the shore. Now he has it. Like riding a bike but takes alot longer to learn. However, like a bike, once learnt, you just ride further. He'll be getting in amongst em now.

A bit of a mixture this blog article.

Anyway, lets start.

We met up and started to get ready. All morning it had been like a lake out there. It was a bit breezy as we unloaded the boats but, the VHF forecast on CH18 suggested the wind swinging North and then North West but, only gusting to 9 knots. That's about 10 -- 11 MPH in normal numbers so, nothing to worry about. At first, yes, there was wind against tide as we headed out but, it certainly wasn't backing down and we paddled way out and beyond Seymour Tower. In the end, we were perhaps a mile futher out and the wind started to become a constant F3/4 before then going North 4 and maybe even 5 at times during the day. As it got to near 9pm, that wind was COLD too and not like a typical May evening at all.

Kevin was moaning about something again so I gave the 'International MEOW' signal.

At the waters edge and almost ready.

Right, lets go. 4 prowlers head seaward. Me, Biscuit, Kev and Koneko Dave.

Nothing too bad as we head towards the tower. The chop here is just NE wind against an opposite tide. Vis above and below water level was simply incredible.

Ok, wind was now with current and picking up. Time to try the drogue.

This worked well for a while but slowly, the relentless wind started to drive the first few feet of water faster and faster. I added some line to the drogue and a mid drogue weight to sink it to a level where it slowed the boat down. Fish came back. I also worked with 2 systems of line and lure control we haven't as yet discussed on blog. We shall cover these at a later date maybe.

It was tough though and not everyone did well. Biscuit and I did the best but in effect, that may be because we fish in conditions like this far more than Kev and Dave. In the end, I had 22 wrasse and 7 pollack. Stephen 'Biscuitman' Olsen about a dozen wrasse and the same in pollack but, trust me, these were hard won over fish.

These were worth catching though and at times, drifting broadside on to the wind waves, quite the challenge to stay upright.

Earlier in the day, Biscuit had paddled another one of our marks and had some nice Pollack.

OTD and lift and drop methods again. Is there another way ?

Good stamp fish and great fun.

They were on these. This was coughed up from one of those fish.

Wind was swinging NW now and moderating a little but there had been some wind swell generated.

Tubes were again, order of the day for me.

The fishing then almost died. It was tough anyway but it got REALLY HARD, really fast.

Then, I was playing a pollack of about 1.5lb and out of nowhere, a dark shape flashed under yak and i was almost yanked over the side. The boat swung 90 degree's and the drag on my VS100 was burning. Out of braid and onto the backing...

Then, nothing. PHEW.

Out in the distance and at times, all around us...

Dolphins are here and playing. I had a few dart right under boat.

I was 200 meters from Biscuit and Kevin at the time and I tried to get photo's of the group near me but, I was fishing a split current where boat control was pretty much essential. Every time I saw them, I had the camera but missed them coming up. Sometimes just mere yards from my kayak. These are Biscuits Dolphin shots.

There must have been at least 2 groups. I saw 9 I think in my group but it's hard to tell at times.

Even though they destroyed the fishing, encounters like this are magical.

We headed in to chase the sunset.

On another note, Neil McFarlane, a guy who with Dan, his son, fishes with us whenever possible, finally got a photo of one of his fish taken using the HRF methods we've taught him.

So, there you go, he does catch fish ! LOL

Loads to do this week so until next time...

Thanks for reading.

This isn't something we talk alot about but we have done quite a bit of work in the sea with japanese hera, tenkara, super game and even ayu type poles.

This one is a 6.3 meter pole, through actioned and being used with a small texas rig on 8 lb co-polymer/6lb leader of fluorocarbon at the length of the pole. When fishing, we often change the length of line to suit the style of what we are doing. This time, it was lifting and vertically lowering small plastics up and down ledges in VERY clear water.

Size 6 hook and 3.25g sinker.

I just walk the ledges, lifting, twitching, lowering and even suspending at different holding depths. I can target the smallest gaps at close range with incredible accuracy and, control the fall rate almost at will.

With these soft, almost noodle like poles, you have to REALLY know how to use the rod to put the hurt on should you hook a good fish in tight close cover. It's almost a semi-circle power action but one that is really smooth and powerful. You cannot pussy fish with these sticks and if you do, you WILL LOSE. This is not something I would recommend for people to try unless they are already comfortable playing fish on tight drags in close cover and, have some sort of long rod or pole experience. I've got almost 4 decades of pole fishing skills to fall back on using take apart, telescopic, stiff, soft, 1 meter to 16.5 meters long and at world level so we do have some background. Again, this is something that we only recommend should you be confident in your skillset. But, it is likely, the purest form of the sport of man v's fish using a rod and line.

On this trip, the water was so, so clear and it was actually quite tough. I only took 10 wrasse.

The fish were there, but they were examining the lures closely. I know because we could see them looking. Vis was almost infinite where we were.

Just a beautiful day and sea conditions but not the best for productive fishing. Saying that, Koneko Dave stuck to the Texas rig and had 2 fish to my 10. Last year I would have simply put it down to the skill gap but on this day, NO. I just had a smaller, lighter, tighter presentation with a delicacy Dave couldn't match. Game over.

We fish 9 meter poles to hand and 4 to 6 meter テンカラte-n-ka-ra style in the runs and gutters too at night. This is almost primitive in that you only have yourself, a fixed line and pole. It is very intense and another multiple range of notches up from the fly casting we do on single and double handed rods. But, the control is simply second to none. I drift fish with the 6, 8 and 9 meter poles too and we've considered using upto 14 meters but, as yet, we haven't much needed to exceed 9. Believe me, a 4lb bass on the 9 meter pole to hand in a fast run is something that certainly sets the heart racing and it's real hook and hold but with a difference. There is a balance, a feel not felt on rods with running lines. I can't explain it, you just need to experience it.

I hope these recent blogs have got you thinking. Many think they have the measure of fishing and methods but, in reality, it's a never ending lesson. We love the variation in our fishing and this is why, slowly, we are opening up the full range of methods and styles that we use and writing about them.

We hope you find this stuff refreshing, different and inspiring enough for you to not follow suit, but to find new ways to enjoy your own fishing.

Anyway, must dash again, fish to catch.

I headed to a mark alone to fish a few methods I enjoy and continue testing certain 'prototypes'.

2 rods. 11 and 9ft. Both Century.

The 9 set up with a float jig and centre pin.

Running small bucktails under the float.

Kingpin reel, 8lb co-polymer.

The 11 is rigged with a 20g bombarda. I have semi-sink and sinkers today. This is a sink. Fly is a clouser minnow that sits on a leader 10ft away from the bombarda. Yes, 10ft. There is a special casting method we use with bombarda's wherever possible.

The 11 under load. This is a water anchored cast hence the 'out the side' look to the cast.

On board is one of my VS100B's. This time loaded with PE#1.o YGK 8 strand.

I carry a range of flies.

For bass and, at night, I'd almost always choose one of these babies. The 'Flatwing'.

Yes, it really is that long. Bass LOVE em. It's lightweight enough to be cast crazy distances with the bombarda.

I work with about 3 - 4ft of drop to the rod tip. Add that 10ft of leader and fly and, as you may assume, it requires a thoughtful cast. You load and fire but, about 2/3rd's of the way through the flight, we feather it at the reel or, sink the rod top to slow the line coming off the spool. We want the fly to have enough intertia to 'Turn Over'.

FISH ON.

Actually, I had...

36 mackerel, 42 pollack and 4 snipe.

Mackerel to Bombarda. Great sport.

One after another. Superb sport.

Like speed fishing at times.

I then tried fishing the lipless crankbait as I'd pretty much took the cream of the crop from the eddy line using the bombarda and float jig.

Great lures that are largely ignored by the masses. Their loss. NOTE: De-barbed trebles.

Some fine pollack came to the lipless crank fished JERK and drop style.

The mackerel were still banging this. In the end, I walked off the mark whilst it was still HOT. I like finishing on a high when I'm forced to stop. I hate stopping though.

So, open your eyes to alternate methods. There is more to this than meets the eye but hey, there you go, there is your heads up and reason to get that old plug rod gathering dust in action again. A long rod isn't a must but, having one sure means you are equipped to be versatile over a range of methods. Will never replace the shorter 7 - 8ft rods for HRF so don't try. You'll have far less control at short range and big wrasse will likely take no mercy as they double a longer, more forgiving blank over.

So, until next time then...