Claxheugh: What's the bottom like

[Lynnzer]

I fancy trying some flounder lure fishing dragging slowly across the bottom on a jerky retrieve with light tackle.
I know Claxy's a bit of a hot spot, have fished it a few times myself but not really sure what the state of the bottoms like.

Is it snag free, no shopping trolleys or suchlike?
Is it likely to produce to lures anyway given that the water isn't really any clearer than oxtail soup.

Any other marks in clearer water and snag free spots known to anyone?

Also, Seaham harbour, the bit inside the north breakwater where there's a little beach by the car park. Any good for flatties guys?

[codcatcher3000]

member have met for lrf sessions there. snags can appear and disappear i guess but its not treacherous i would say no different to panns bank.
have u tried weedless hooks?

[GEORDIE H]

Alright Lynnzer seaham inner harbour can be good at times for flounders also plaice the club record plaice came out of there mate but most of the flatty's that are caught here is up past the knockle end oposit the steps inside the north break water + mainly on bait mate hope this helps.

[hughgee]

Had flounders and plaice from the beach at roker right in front of the car park next to the rat house on spoons quite often. Fish last two up one back- around high water you'll be fishing from the car park itself on a decent tide. It's clear sand / mud and I've had flounder and plaice even in dirty water there on spoons- think its more the vibration they go for. Trail a rag behind the spoon. Had a 2 and 1/2 plaice there 2 years ago and loads of flounder.

[Mogthemackem]

Why not give shields beach a try. I've caught flatties by just dragging bait back slowly. Going to give it a shot on the lrf gear myself this year

[Lynnzer]

I went down to Teesmouth yesterday afternoon, North Gare.
Looked OK on Google Maps to fish to the inside and plenty of sand giving what I thought would be good territory.

It's a nightmare getting from the car park to the Gare when you have a tackle box, a couple of rods and a rod rest with a flask of coffee, to say nowt about my knackered legs and advanced years

Must have lost a couple of pound weight in sweat. And when you get to the Gare the blastfurnace slag rocks are damned dangerous. Walking on them is impossible and broken ankles are certainly on the cards.

By the time I'd walked to the chosen area, struggled over the slag and set up, the tide was well on the turn and moving back had to be done quickly or be overtaken by the water. I ain't no King Canute.

Anyway bigger problem is that the car park and road leading to it is locked up at 6 pm. 8 pm from April onwards.
Quandary. Continue fishing at this location with maybe a 20 minute hobble back to the car when the tide still has another 45 minutes left to peak or just pack up and go somewhere I could fish right through the tide without interruption, and without the presence of the seals that had chosen to make themselves known.

Chose the latter and made my way back to Seaham. Not much happening there except fish finger size tommies and whities but at least the craic was good with the other lads.

Now, and I must say I didn't believe it at the time but I was told about sea pike being sighted around the pier area sometimes. I mean, Sea Pike?
They're creatures of the rivers and lakes.

So Google it and found there are indeed such creatures and not only that they can be bloody huge. BUT they are commonly found in the Baltic sea and top end of Sweden.
So, has anyone got any word on encounters with these beauts from our coastline?

[Bob C]

For the North Gare youre better parking at the Security Hut by the Works. Short walk onto the Beach from there & car is safe.

[Davey1970]

never herd of it, it's crasy, but the picture show's a beuty.

keep us informed m8.

[occasionalkevin]

sea pike

I went down to Teesmouth yesterday afternoon, North Gare.
Looked OK on Google Maps to fish to the inside and plenty of sand giving what I thought would be good territory.

It's a nightmare getting from the car park to the Gare when you have a tackle box, a couple of rods and a rod rest with a flask of coffee, to say nowt about my knackered legs and advanced years

Must have lost a couple of pound weight in sweat. And when you get to the Gare the blastfurnace slag rocks are damned dangerous. Walking on them is impossible and broken ankles are certainly on the cards.

By the time I'd walked to the chosen area, struggled over the slag and set up, the tide was well on the turn and moving back had to be done quickly or be overtaken by the water. I ain't no King Canute.

Anyway bigger problem is that the car park and road leading to it is locked up at 6 pm. 8 pm from April onwards.
Quandary. Continue fishing at this location with maybe a 20 minute hobble back to the car when the tide still has another 45 minutes left to peak or just pack up and go somewhere I could fish right through the tide without interruption, and without the presence of the seals that had chosen to make themselves known.

Chose the latter and made my way back to Seaham. Not much happening there except fish finger size tommies and whities but at least the craic was good with the other lads.

Now, and I must say I didn't believe it at the time but I was told about sea pike being sighted around the pier area sometimes. I mean, Sea Pike?
They're creatures of the rivers and lakes.

So Google it and found there are indeed such creatures and not only that they can be bloody huge. BUT they are commonly found in the Baltic sea and top end of Sweden.
So, has anyone got any word on encounters with these beauts from our coastline?

not a "sea pike" but good old ordinary pike. the further north you go in the Gulf of Bothnia the more brackish the water due to being surrounded by land and freshwater run off plus lack of currents bingeing in more salt water. You get bizarre mixture of sea and freshwater fish.

[DrGG]

Claxheugh relatively clean bottom and reasonably sheltered from the wind.
Unlike Seaham harbour spiles today, a boulder a cast committing more end tackle to
the sea than I wish to admit and winds strong enough to blow the car over the edge
never mind us poor anglers clinging onto them for stability.
But saying that a cracking day out with quality fresh air and good craic with the other
guys out practicing their blanking techniques lol (all bar one who had a few tiddlers).
For four of us it was our first time there, myself I'm looking forward to trying it again.
Enjoyed every minute and was a pleasure to have a chinwag with you Lynnzer.

[Lynnzer]

not a "sea pike" but good old ordinary pike. the further north you go in the Gulf of Bothnia the more brackish the water due to being surrounded by land and freshwater run off plus lack of currents bingeing in more salt water. You get bizarre mixture of sea and freshwater fish.

They're supposedly being caught around Sweden now. If so that's proper sea water and if they can evolve to live in brackish salty water then they must be able to manage proper salt.

I'm at a loss to understand why a fish couldn't do both sal****er and sea water anyway. I mean all they have to do is pass it through their gills to get the oxygen from it. Salmon and sea trout can do it well enough.

Another thing, something I didn't know previously until my son asked what the difference is between salmon and sea trout. I told him that a salmon leaves the river and goes to sea then returns to the river to breed then dies in it. A sea trout does the same but after breeding goes back to sea. I Googled it and found out that a sea trout is just a brown trout that chose to go to sea. In which case a normal brownie seems to be able do both fresh and salt so why not other species. Perhaps it's more down to the normal habitat.

An estuary is maybe the gateway to the transition. Leaving a freshwater river where the species would be well adapted to the feeding and environmental aspects would mean it having to get into an estuary. Since there wouldn't be any intention of migration as such, it would find life hard in the estuary so would naturally make its way back up the river. Most estuaries have a tidal flow several miles long so becoming a natural barrier to fish migration for non natural migratory fish.

However having got past the estuary into the sea proper it may be that most species could survive and adapt. So.. sea pike?
I guess we may well get some off the British coast.

Of course I ain't no expert so all this could be a load of old €rap.
_____________________________________
Seems bizarre why a sea fishing forum crosses out the middle of the word "salt-water" (spelt without the hyphen).
Oooohhhhh. Just got it. the middle rhymes with rat. Tw4t.
______________________________________
Good old Google again. Answer here

[safc]

Do you reckon a 20lb cod would knack a 20lb pike?

[Lynnzer]

For the North Gare youre better parking at the Security Hut by the Works. Short walk onto the Beach from there & car is safe.

It was a pleasure to meet you at Seaham today Bob.
Well done on the cod. All you need now is a barrow load of chips to go with them.

[Lynnzer]

For the North Gare youre better parking at the Security Hut by the Works. Short walk onto the Beach from there & car is safe.

Went there Saturday Bob. Dead easy. The road is the one marked for Fruitaroma.
Much better than the car park in the reserve.
Bit late when I got there so the tide was pretty well advanced so I didn't get to see the sandy shoreline to choose potential gulleys etc.
I just made my way straight to the shore in front of where the path comes onto the beach.

Now, seems shallow there though and in fact someone was kite surfing, walking about 50 yards offshore to get upwind and surf back down wind.

So casting was a problem into the headwind. Not much distance from me, as you know, so I wasn't hitting any depths.

I think I improved since our last meeting when big Ken stripped the Okuma down to the spool but it was hard to get out there with the wind blowing directly at me.

Anyway, one single bite then nothing.
A guy walking his dogs told me someone caught two decent haddock there earlier in the week. Like HADDOCK.....
Meant Whitey more than not. I guess flattie fishing would be OK here in the summer, wearing chest waders and getting in the surf a bit. Maybe also some decent bass there as well. Gotta try it find out.

I wasn't disappointed though. The beach here is amazingly clean, the water very clear and it was a pleasant afternoon.
I guess my next trip here will be further up to the point a few hundred yards further up the river. Seems a better sort of place where the water may well offer some depth.

Anyway, for those interested in new marks, I guess this one is well worth a go. Water clarity is really good compared to that a few miles along the coast and up to Tynemouth area.
It's clean ground fishing and you can have a 9iss without anyone seeing you.