A bit of rock fishing too!

Getting towards Christmas now and fishing time has been limited, plus the weather hasn't really helped... Saying that, the other day I went on a rock session in what was probably the wettest day of the year! Typically I forgot to take my waterproof trousers but the fishing more than made up for getting soaked!
 I found the fish stacked in shallow water (still) among the kelp. Casts in deeper water only provided smaller fish... Its still 9.5C so it's not surprising that the fish are shallow yet their density leaves me wondering what they're feeding on...
Sizes were respectable yet no monsters. Soft plastics were winners again, especially 5"-6" slim paddletails and curlytails on 28g jigheads.

Below some pics and a video of the day.

Had a couple more boat fishing sessions with good results, though I've yet to find fish as stacked as from the shore... That's probably because I'm not fishing close enough to the kelp or I'm a far better shore angler than a boat one!

30g Salty Bait Inchiku does the damage.

When you hit the right spot...

Similar stamp...

I'll be getting some more free time soon and I'm really looking forward to some settled weather as its time for the big mamas now!

Tight Lines!

Gear from the shore.

Rod: MajorCraft Solpara SPS-1002LSJ, 3.05m. max 50g
Reel: Daiwa Ballistic LT 6000
Mainline: Seaknight Monster W8 PE2 (Aliexpress)
Leader: Daiwa Tournament FC fluorocarbon 25lbs, Duel Hardcore fluoro 30lbs
Lures: slim softplastics on 28g jigheads

Gear used on the boat.
Rod: Tailwalk Saltyshape Dash Power Rock S90H,
Reel: Shimano Stradic FK 3000c
Mainline: PE1.2
Leader: Daiwa Tournament FC fluorocarbon 25lbs
Lures:30g inchiku jigs

More boat fishing and flatties on LRF.

Had another trip out on the inflatable, with my fiance this time and we managed to find some good fish yet unfortunately in an area full of seals. Again most fish were shallow (10-20m) and very aggressive, hitting on straight retrieve near the surface. Had a couple boils on a topwater but the most effective lures were 20-30g inchiku like the Duel Salty bait and Hayabusa Kick tail. She also managed a codling on handlined feathers.

Lovely pollock on a lovely day!

Claire's codling..

Hanging by a thread...

Nice bend...

Bingo!

Here's the video.

The good weather has continued and I had a go at LRFing for some flatties down the harbour. They were very keen on the isome baited cheburashkas and I enjoyed their spirited fights on 3lbs fluorocarbon straight through.

Full of character!

Average size.

Unusual colouration on the underside.

There are a couple more nice days on the forecast and I'm planning to go out again before the usual order resumes. This has been a very enjoyable week for sure!

Tight Lines!

Gear used on the boat.
Rod: Tailwalk Saltyshape Dash Power Rock S90H,
Reel: Shimano Stradic Ci4 2500f
Mainline: PE1
Leader: Daiwa Tournament FC fluorocarbon 20lbs
Lures: 20- 30g inchiku jigs

LRF setup
Rod: MajorCraft Solpara SPS-S792M
Reel: Shimano Stradic 1000Fc
Mainline: Toray BAWO superhard upgrade Fluorocarbon 3.9lbs
Lures: mainly Isome on 3g cheburashka and #8 hooks.

New spot in the wind!

The other day I had a half day off and thought it was a good opportunity to check out a spot that I've been wanting to fish for ages... Its very close to one of my favourite shallow water marks that I favour when there are strong Southerlies (as it has been lately).
I had my Apia with me and also wanted to get some footage of it in action and was thinking that Id soon have it in my sheltered spot..
After going through various lures I managed to get two pollock on a metal and softplastic but the bites were few and far between.
I thought it might be worth checking out the aforementioned spot even though it was exposed to the wind. A short walk later I arrived to the ledge and the sea here was much rougher with plenty of whitewater close in. The kelp was almost up to the surface close in but further out the bottom was cleaner and the depth grew abruptly though still only 10m or so..
I decided to stick to lures that would swim through the kelp without snagging and thus the two most effective presentations were: a 20g Salty Bait baited with a slim sp, and a slim jerkbait style sp on a 30g Crazyg offset jighead.
After a few casts I started getting some serious takes and fish in quick succession. They were clearly there in numbers and were staging just in front and to the side of a rocky spit where the wind and current 'broke'. These were good 4-5lbs fish and this signifies a good mark in my book!
The only problem is that this spot is tidal and thus I had to leave after a while as the water was rising..
Definitely going there again!
Below some pics and a video of the session.

A hard fighter!

Salty Bait slays...

A bruiser...

Tight lines!

Gear used.
Rod: APIA Foojin'R Best Bower 96 MLX
Reel: Shimano Stradic FK C3000
Mainline: Unitika Shore Game X8 PE 1.2
Leader: Daiwa Tournament FC fluorocarbon 18lbs
Lures: 20g Duel Salty bait with sandeel sp, 30g Ocean Ruler offset Crazyg jighead with 5" jerkbait style sp.

Keeping it varied!

As per the title, the fishing on my days off has been a mixture of salt and freshwater with relatively good results..
On Wednesday I decided to hit a new spot as I'm looking for sheltered areas that can offer fish in the strongest winds that we get so often up here.. This means that somewhere in the central complex of lochs (Bracadale, Harport etc) would be my best bet and thus I gave it a go...
I visited a point with easy access to deeper water though with much less kelp and structure than I would've liked... Moreover the inner lochs along with Neist tend to get the first of the mackerel and having this in mind I added a sabiki teaser along with my lure.
I started with 28g metal jigs but got absolutely nothing on them. After a while I decided to try some Gulp jerk shads that Ive recently got in mainly for night fishing.. I rigged it on a 30g Duel Salty Bait and worked it slowly on the bottom. I soon started getting bites and it wasn't long till I had a fish on! The telltale rhythmic beating of the fish's tail let me know that mackerel were here and I managed to see the fish before it got unhooked. I wasn't too worried though as wherever there is one there are usually more! Thus after a while I started getting some fish in.
They weren't caught on the main lure just the teaser, but I think that the bulky presentation along with the slower working and maybe the scent of gulp attracted the fish.. All of them were skinny even though of a good size and I suppose they need some more time and the waters to warm up a bit to start feeding more aggressively.

A new mark..

Summer-bringer!

I had different plans for later in the day... For a while I have been wanting to do a night fishing session from the rocks just to see whats out there and the conditions seemed passable on the day.
Thus around 21:00 I was on the mark and decided to play with the LRF setup while waiting to get darker. I also used the heads of the previously caught mackerel (bodies obviously eaten 😁) to chum and also baited a bucktail on the heavier rod. Its been a long time since I've last bait fished but thought to do so out of curiosity...
The fish were feeding well and I had great fun catching some good pollock on the LRF gear but at some point saw the line on the heavier rod move and picked it up. I struck and felt something heavy thrashing in the deep.. After a while I got it up and was very pleased to see a nice ling on the surface! Got it up, unhooked and sent it straight back. A few more pollock were caught later and I decided that it was a productive wee session anyway and I didnt need to spend more time there. Moreover there was an annoying swell by that time and it reinforced my decision to call it a night.
I'm not gonna be rushing to buy bait-fishing gear any time soon but the catch was cool so I might actually do it again!

Sunset...

A proper scrap on LRF gear...

A nice pollock later on.

 The video of the session.

The next day I had arranged with my girl on a day out with a boat in Loch Morar for fishing and a picnic. It was a wet start to the day but it got better afterwards. Being unfamiliar with the Loch, the fishing wasn't record breaking stuff but we caught some lovely brownies and its definitely something I'm keen on doing again. Possibly supplied with a sounder and targeting some char and/or ferox...

Not bad!

Love brownies!

A nice one.

Beauty.

Cant beat a good picnic!

A very enjoyable and productive couple days.. Hopefully I'll be able to replicate them next week...

Tight Lines!

Found a wrasse-hole in November!

Its been months now that I had my eyes set on a sheltered northern mark that is near some fish farm cages. I went to check it out last week but the weather was horrid and chose a different mark instead. Today after going to Neist and finding it too rough, I decided to try the new mark. The weather was largely dry but there was a persistent S/SW wind that made fishing uncomfortable. Nevertheless I got down to the rocks and started fishing opposite the cages (a good spot to fish in any area that has cages). I begun with a 30g Salty Bait tipped with a Gulp Sandeel. The casts weren't very far because of the wind and the depth there wasn't massive (15m approx). The ground was kelpy close in but after the first few meters the bottom dropped into broken reef.
After a few casts, I started getting sharp bites. I struck and felt the thumpy headshakes typical of a wrasse. Soon enough I had it on the rocks and then proceeded in catching a few more. Not something I expected on a windy afternoon in the middle of November! They were fairly concentrated but after getting a few and having a few shed the hook, the spot quietened down.
I decided to move to another rocky outcrop but this made getting fish up a bit tricky as access to the water was limited. Undeterred I kept fishing and caught another wrasse and some pollock. The latter were a pain to get in as I had to scramble down to the only access point to the water and in the process a few fish shed the hook or got me kelped...

Oh hello!

Pollock on heavy Texas rig..

A good presentation.

On the day I tested some new 28g tungsten weights that were just the ticket for tackling the wind...
I was also getting a lot of coalie-bumps on my lures and after a while I decided to play with them on the LRF gear and light metals. The mark seemed to hold a good head of them and soon I had some on the rocks intended for the pan..!

Scottish Aji!

Recently I purchased a Savagear Black Savage (what a name!) waterproof suit and also a Stormr Strykr jacket, so I'm now hoping to be well protected for my winter's fishing. Initial vibes from both items are very good and I will come back to them once Ive spent more time in them!😊

Savagear Black Savage.

Stormr Strykr.

Tight lines.


Gear used.
Rod: MajorCraft Solpara SPS-1002LSJ, 3.05m. max 50g. Majorcraft Crostage CRK-T782AJI
Reel: Shimano SW Biomaster 4000XG. Shimano Stradic 1000fc
Mainline: YGK G-Soul WX8 PE1.2.Ygk G-Soul x3 0.3PE
Leader: Duel Hardcore Powerleader fluorocarbon 20lbs, 25lbs. YGK Nitlon DFC fluorocarbon 8lbs.
Lures: Various

My first boat fishing session on Skye!

Last week I had the rare opportunity to go on a boat with my mate Dylan. He had just bought a boat in Lochmaddy and was meant to get there by ferry and then return with the boat to Skye.
Without a second thought I agreed to go with him (obviously with fishing-stops included) and we were very lucky to have very good weather.
On reaching Lochmaddy (North Uist), the first thing that struck me, were the cliffs surrounding the inlet and the many rocks in the bay on the way to the harbour. I now knew where my first fish-stop would be later on...
After waiting for a while for the boat to arrive and getting it in the water, we jumped in and set off. The outboard was only a small one, and the trip across would take most of the day but we were well provisioned and enjoying the fine weather.
We had a sounder on board and it was my first time trying out such equipment. It was only a basic one but it clearly showed the depth and bottom contours and proved to be extremely useful..
We stopped on the first fishy looking rock and I told Dylan to get close enough so that I could let a few casts. I tied on a 30g Salty bait with a 4.5" Sluggo for a trailer and cast near the rock. The current was strong but the lure didn't have time to sink for more than a few seconds before it was intercepted by a fish! A short fight later and a pollock was on the deck. This fish was followed by many more in varying sizes. They were practically stacked around the rock and feeding actively. I couldn't believe how easy it was and to be honest I now realise the great benefits of having a boat... I do love my rock fishing but this was just pure fun and no effort!

One of many from the rocks at Lochmaddy.

Salty bait and Sluggo. lethal combination.

So much fun!

Decent scrapper!

Fish on!

Go back!

 After spending about 20mins on the rock, we decided to move as there were too many areas on the way that I wanted to cast a line at!
It took us a few hours to make the crossing and we then hit Waternish Point. This is an area Ive yet to fish, but with clear potential (as so many other similar areas on Skye!) that I just haven't gotten around it yet. We noticed large shoals of sandeels in the sonar and I started picking up some fish. The usual pollock but also s few mackerel and coalies that were trailing the sandeel shoals.

Waternish Point..

A very welcome mackerel..

..and a nice coalie!

Again we didn't spend too much time there as it was getting late by now. We headed towards Uig and after passing next to the cliffs, I identified a hump in about 30m depth and thought to make a couple casts. I had a 30g Hayabusa Kicktail on and casted out over the hump with the intention to bounce it on the bottom back towards me and over the hump. Soon after touchdown though I felt weight and habitually struck. The rod tip stayed down and after briefly thinking I was stuck, I felt the 'snag' move and heard the drag letting of line at a slow, constant pace. This was very similar to the 'thing' that took much of my line a few months ago but I thought now I had a good chance of seeing what it was..
I fought the fish for well over an hour and chased it with the boat a few times. I managed to get it off the bottom twice and on the second time I brought it to a depth of about 12m and we could clearly see it on the sonar. Moreover it seemed to have company as another shape followed it up!  The fish refused to come up though and made another near unstoppable and determined run, although it felt slower this time and seemed to spend more time in a single place on the bottom. Unfortunately we were loosing light and the wind was picking up. Unprepared for navigating at night (no lights) I tried to hurry the fish and tightened the drag more. This lead to the leader breaking at the knot and my second chance of landing the 'Skye monster' was lost...
After that I lost all appetite for fishing and we went straight to the harbour.
I'm now 99% sure it was a common Skate and I'm surprised it took the inchiku lure (there was no fish caught on this time). They are clearly more predatory than I thought. Alas it was the same setup I had as last time and its just not enough for fish of this size...
Below a little vid I took on my mobile as I'm experiencing problems with my action cam (one day I needed it!)

Regardless of the lost monster it was a great day afloat and it certainly opened up my eyes on the potential of boat fishing here on Skye. We are planning to make these outings more regular now as I'm now hooked!
Just when I though I had most of my gear sorted for my fishing here, I now realise I need more!

Tight Lines and more to come...

Rod:  MC KG Evolution KGS-902L, 2.7m, 7-23g.
Reel: Daiwa Freams 2500
Mainline: Duel Hardcore X4 PE 1.0
Leader: Duel Hardcore Powerleader fluorocarbon 20lbs
Lures: Various (mostly inchiku type metals)