Why so quiet ?

[Mozza]

We fished Whitley beach last night from 5:30 to 9:15 the sea was flat calm except for early on when the wind was whipping the top of the sea creating light spray.
Only caught one small pollock , which we returned but was wondering why it was so quiet? We expected a lot of folk out but could only see one person at very top of beach next to Spanish City end.
As a novice was wondering if the clever folk knew the wind direction was wrong producing a flat sea! Or was it something else? Once the breeze dropped off at low tide 7:40pm the stars were out, beautiful clear sky.
Bait- rag, muscle, frozen black. We were getting bites but still learning when to strike.
Enjoyed night just thought I'd ask.
Thanks in advance.

[regpude]

live @ learn mozza.yes your right conditions werent in your favour{small tides +flat seas}.least you enjoyed session,thanks for sharing.any tide can produce fish,but as a rule the bigger the tides aswell as seas,the better your chances.

[Mozza]

Thanks for info

Thanks for taking time to reply, much appreciated.
The other half was just looking for an excuse to try her new chest waders out. Got to stop her marching off to Norway When she casts!!
Like a sponge at the present time , trying to soak up as much info as we can.
Off to Turkey later I. Week for hol and already booked a days boat fishing which we are really looking forwards too.
Mr elusive cod ( keeper size) will just have to wait.
Cheers Alex & Sandra.

[robbo1530]

Generally yes, the wind direction will tell you what the sea's going to be like.

Westerley to South Westerley winds equals very flat seas, equals much reduced chance of fish in winter, unless its the first day or so after a bit of a storm. In those conditions find some rock edges or a pier to get on for the chance of the odd fish.

North Easterley or South Easterley winds lift the sea right up and are what you want to bring the codling in. Also makes a lot of the marks more difficult to fish as piers become awash and it can be a problem holding the bottom on the beaches. So ideally you're looking for the dying sea just as the winds shift round west.

Southerley and Easterlies also give a reasonable swell and can give some good options. For example Cresswell Carrs on a southerley.

[Mozza]

Creswell carrs

Great info thanks.
As I'm self employed get about a bit and working at creswell for about month in two wks time.
Is the carrs the rocks to the left of the cafe?!
Looked at the beach where small jetty/ concrete walkway is.
If I want to fish beach where's good as well. Seen some guys about half mile north in front of sailing club , lock up. Planning on grafting for day then head to fish for few hrs after work.
Thanks.

[robbo1530]

Great info thanks.
As I'm self employed get about a bit and working at creswell for about month in two wks time.
Is the carrs the rocks to the left of the cafe?!
Looked at the beach where small jetty/ concrete walkway is.
If I want to fish beach where's good as well. Seen some guys about half mile north in front of sailing club , lock up. Planning on grafting for day then head to fish for few hrs after work.
Thanks.

The Carrs is a good low water shot. Down the steps behind the ice cream shop and you'll see the pipe, basically a concrete walkway running out across the rocks. Walk along it as far as you can go and you can either fish straight out to sea or (as I always do on a southerley sea), head to the northern corner and cast out parallel with Druridge Bay. Night is better. You'll get say 4 hours on there (two hours of the drop and two hours of the flood) and then you need to get off. It can be slippy so nailed waders are a good bet.

In front of the sailing club you're on Druridge Bay - not a good winter shot in my opinion. Summer for flatties maybe. If you want to be on a beach you're better off heading down to the Alcan plant, parking up there and fishing Lynemouth. Again at night would be best and you want a bit of a sea on ideally. Another alternative would be the Beacons at Newbiggen (south end of Lynemouth beach). Good rock platforms for fishing and maybe a little more of a chance of a codling in the day time or if its flat than on the beach.

Check the Bing maps on here for how to find these marks and do a few searches for parking etc. I've only just moved up to Northumberland having fished Durham marks in the main in the past and have found that map invaluable, as has been some of the advice on here.

[Mozza]

Great info

Whow thanks for all that info. Just found the marks post you mentioned.
Much appreciated.

[bandit]

Great info thanks.
As I'm self employed get about a bit and working at creswell for about month in two wks time.
Is the carrs the rocks to the left of the cafe?!
Looked at the beach where small jetty/ concrete walkway is.
If I want to fish beach where's good as well. Seen some guys about half mile north in front of sailing club , lock up. Planning on grafting for day then head to fish for few hrs after work.
Thanks.

Straight across the pipe you can fish of the front all the way along to the north corner when it's calm or with a slight swell, the north end of the carrs fishes well with a good south easterly sea running casting north or back towards the boat station depending on the size of the sea.
The beach fishes well a couple of hours either side of both high and low water when there's a sea running, like any beach just look for the sandbars
and gullies

[broon shoe]

that's great info off the lads but be very careful on the carrs the tide can catch you out if your not careful I have fished on the carrs for over 20yrs and have had some scary moments so my advice would be to fish it when there are lads already on fishing and don't be to shy to have a bit crack and ask about the tides most anglers will be only to pleased to help the most important thing m8 is to be safe

[Mozza]

Carrs and slack lines!

So much helpful advice.
I know exactly what you mean about safety and the location your on about at the pipe. I had a walk along it at low tide few weeks back to check it out but only ventured to the end of the pipe. Think I will wait to I see others fishing from there and follow the advice leaving plenty of time to walk back.
Can I push my luck and ask about slack lines! . I've read posts on here where lads say they got a slack line, now excuse my ignorance but once you've cast out and taken up the slack is that when a fish bites and takes the line? So that's the time to strike?
Watched the tip of the rods nodding but thought it was the wind/ waves. Leaving bait in about 10 -15 mins the it's coming back cleaner than my decorating whites after a 60' wash!! The only time I'm sensing their is a fish on is when I start to reel in.
Relishing in the challenge of catching decent stuff and posting a "catch report with pic of me or Sandra grinning like a Cheshire Cat
Thanks again.

[broon shoe]

a slack line is where the fish takes the bait and swims towards you the key to this is to reel in the slack as quickly as you can if you have a fish on you will start to feel the weight then you can strike into the fish keeping every thing tight rod up high and keeping the pressure on the fish until landed and hopefully its a fish of a lifetime

[robbo1530]

All will move the tip but you'll know the difference between a bite or wave or wind action.

Wind is blowing the tip side to side, making it wobble/ shudder. Waves will pull the rod down slow until the wave passes and it jumps back up. Bites will rattle the rod tip, up and down fast. Best way to tell, when you're in the water, take hold of your line between a couple of the eyes. Tug it down sharpish 3 or 4 times and watch how your god tip behaves. That's what a bite will be like - could be a small tickle or a big knock but you'll see the difference between that and waves or wind.

Question for Broon Shoe if he's on. Between the steps down to the pipe and the private beach there's some rock platforms behind the houses, a few feet above the water. Walked along them at high tide yesterday and they looked as if they could fish, but never seen anyone there. Is that a shot anyone ever tries?

[broon shoe]

All will move the tip but you'll know the difference between a bite or wave or wind action.

Wind is blowing the tip side to side, making it wobble/ shudder. Waves will pull the rod down slow until the wave passes and it jumps back up. Bites will rattle the rod tip, up and down fast. Best way to tell, when you're in the water, take hold of your line between a couple of the eyes. Tug it down sharpish 3 or 4 times and watch how your god tip behaves. That's what a bite will be like - could be a small tickle or a big knock but you'll see the difference between that and waves or wind.

Question for Broon Shoe if he's on. Between the steps down to the pipe and the private beach there's some rock platforms behind the houses, a few feet above the water. Walked along them at high tide yesterday and they looked as if they could fish, but never seen anyone there. Is that a shot anyone ever tries?

aye its just off seal point have fished there before had the odd codling I know lads that have fished there when theirs been a canny sea on and had some decent sized fish the flat rock edges are great for fishing off not a long walk from the car the best thing to do m8 is give it a go when it gets a bit rough . the only downside is it empties pretty quick but theirs loads of low water marks in and around there so your spoilt for choice

[robbo1530]

aye its just off seal point have fished there before had the odd codling I know lads that have fished there when theirs been a canny sea on and had some decent sized fish the flat rock edges are great for fishing off not a long walk from the car the best thing to do m8 is give it a go when it gets a bit rough . the only downside is it empties pretty quick but theirs loads of low water marks in and around there so your spoilt for choice

Cheers marra.

[Mozza]

Bite

All will move the tip but you'll know the difference between a bite or wave or wind action.

Wind is blowing the tip side to side, making it wobble/ shudder. Waves will pull the rod down slow until the wave passes and it jumps back up. Bites will rattle n f rod tip, up and down fast. Best way to tell, when you're in the water, take hold of your line between a couple of the eyes. Tug it down sharpish 3 or 4 times and watch how your god tip behaves. That's what a bite will be like - could be a small tickle or a big knock but you'll see the difference between that and waves or wind.

Question for Broon Shoe if he's on. Between the steps down to the pipe and the private beach there's some rock platforms behind the houses, a few feet above the water. Walked along them at high tide yesterday and they looked as if they could fish, but never seen anyone there. Is that a shot anyone ever tries?

Thanks again lads great advice. Going to give it a shot on Thursday this week as finishing this job tom so day of Thursday then jolly's on fri to turkey.
Checking tides might fish Blyth in morn then Whitley beach on Thursday night or make an early start to Whitley maybe 6 ish am.
Trying to catch that keeper cod before my Hols !!!