Sea Fishing

My brother used to sea fish regularly and it looks really good on Extreme Fishing (the tv show)
Just wondering if anyone does this and what your experiences are?

I'm not a huge fan of it, Y I.

It doesn't have the same appeal to me as say river fishing...the sea is a vast open space and as such there is far less to do in terms of fishing. An example would be on a river there may be a reed bed, a feature which you know is attractive to fish, and somewhere where you can aim for (this takes skill, believe me). In the sea however, it is more often than not a case of chuck it out and hope, unless you have a fish finder (which then defeats the object entirely, for me).

This takes away from the experience in my eyes, as I enjoy the natural beauty of the river banks and the flora and fauna of the surrounding area, which is something that can rarely be experienced in the sea.

Ledgering is the predominant method of sea fishing, and that for me is the most boring method, I'm a man that much prefers float fishing.

Another thing I dislike about it is the attitude of many sea fishermen. There seems to be this prevailing belief that everything landed must be kept, and that isn't what it's all about for me. I enjoy catching fish, but I also enjoy the thought that after I have won our little battle that I can send them back in to fight another day. There are some beautiful, not to mention endangered fish in the oceans, why remove them? I've known cases of sea fishermen/skippers chucking everything caught into a tub, and most of the time these fish die and are then discarded when none of the crew want them after the trip.

In terms of my own experiences, by the way, I have had a couple of highly enjoyable hours fishing from some rocks with a float and a bit of bread catching mullet amongst others.

They're a very tentative fish and can be difficult to catch, but when you do hook one they ain't half strong, nothing but muscle so on some light gear they give you a great scrap.

Never enjoyed the fishing from a boat, though I daresay some of the fishing you see Robson Green doing would be fantastic, if it wasn't for the fact that you would be spending about 5k getting there.

Done a bit from the beach at southsea, but i dont have any friends that I can learn from, and i`m loathe to spend a fortune on tackle that i will only use a few times a year,,
Have to agree with the above I cant see the skill involved, just seems to be launch a weight and bait out and wait, i like stalking fish and trying to out think them,
Have to also agree with the taking of fish from the sea, have only taken mackeral before, I have signed the fishfight petition that hugh fernley set up and i think there is a chance the eu laws might change as a result, my local mp is the fisheries minister so I follow it closely

I hope they do sherm, as it is beyond ridiculous at the moment. Current methods and the sheer amount of fish that are being taken out of the sea is massively unsustainable.

Many fishermen argue that by only taking a few they're having little impact, but that isn't the point for me.

Don't get me wrong, I'd be against it anyway as I'm very much of the live and let live ilk, so much so that I won't even kill a woodlice that has invaded my house, I just end up chucking it out the window instead, but fish such as bass are wonderful specimens, and it's a massive shame to take them.

As for the fishing methods, I agree strongly about the stalking of fish, feeling that you have won the battle by using all of your stealth, trickery and know-how in order to land them. It brings a lot of satisfaction, something which I just can't get out of sea fishing.

I have never been sea fishing in this country ...should really give it ago .

I have been whilst on holidays and had great times , caught Baracuda in Peurto Rico which was a great experience .

I imagine that would have been fun Kenny, they're an immensely impressive fish.

It was a fantastic day , there were 4 of us out on the boat catching baracuda and dorados . I was really annoyed i hooked 2 dorados but they both got off they fight like hell .

sherm wrote:Done a bit from the beach at southsea, but i dont have any friends that I can learn from, and i`m loathe to spend a fortune on tackle that i will only use a few times a year,,
Have to agree with the above I cant see the skill involved, just seems to be launch a weight and bait out and wait, i like stalking fish and trying to out think them,
Have to also agree with the taking of fish from the sea, have only taken mackeral before, I have signed the fishfight petition that hugh fernley set up and i think there is a chance the eu laws might change as a result, my local mp is the fisheries minister so I follow it closely

I used to fish Southsea beach, preferred the pier for more fish, or behind the sea life centre for off the shore. Not fished there for years now. I only took decent fish I.E 3 lb plaice, everything else went back. I would fish more but I left all my gear in my mates car, not seen him for 10 years .

I'm a fly fisherman and most of my fishing is done in Rivers or on Lakes, and I agree with Fists that I prefer to have a few features and different bits to aim for (or avoid) or a known space that I can try to cover rather than endless space when you may be relying on luck, a fish detector, or a knowledgeable boatman.

However, if I'm lucky enough to be fishing for sea trout in a good wild place I love fishing where the fresh meets the sea, particularly over a series of days when you can see how different the conditions are at different heights of tide - the fish seem stronger in the sea and you might have the enjoyable distraction of a mullet too. There's also usually an abundance of wild life to watch and enjoy too - perhaps the greatest pleasure of fishing.

Agree 100%, Barrystar.

An interesting point that you make regarding the meeting point of the saltwater and freshwater, too. There is some cracking fishing to be done at such points.

All of the aforementioned are surely better than chucking out a big ledger on line that is effectively boat rope, fluking a catch and then saying right let's kill it and eat it.

Whilst I love the actual fishing itself, it wouldn't be the same without feeling part of nature and seeing all of the life around the riverbanks.

Fists of Fury wrote:All of the aforementioned are surely better than chucking out a big ledger on line that is effectively boat rope, fluking a catch and then saying right let's kill it and eat it.

That maybe how it looks to us, the uninitiated, but I'd be wary of dismissing any sort of fishing as easily. The better fishermen nearly always catch the most fish over a statistically relevant period and the fact that we can't necessarily see or appreciate what 'difference' they are putting into it may reflect more on us than on them. After all - filling your boots in well-stocked water during the Mayfly is hardly science, and I've seen plenty of clueless individuals haul out salmon after a swift current mends a bad cast.