Skegness Pier Angling Club fished their latest match on Saturday the 9th March at Sandilands. Conditions were very rough with a fresh south easterly wind and a big surf with breakers lifting 80 yards out at times on the shallower sections of the beach. The conditions backed most of the fish off into deeper water making it a difficult match, some fish where around but not in any numbers. Luckily no weed was present which made the beach just about fishable on 170g-200g leads with many anglers choosing to use uptide leads to hold bottom.
The rough conditions at todays match were a big leveller and made fish very hard to find
Karl Nangle was fishing at range using his AFAW match pro Mark 2 and Penn fathom 15 to find four whiting to win the match with 110cm. Best bait was yellowtail and squid tip. long range casting ability helped Karl sail three baits out to clear the waves and the fish in the flatter water behind the breakers.
Ian Nelson brought every bait in his freezer today plus a few fresh lug and tried combinations of black lug, mackerel, ragworm, squid and yellowtails at all ranges to buy a bite. After watching Chris next to him pick up some decent whiting close in he tried a few casts into the trough and caught two nice flounders and a 35 cm whiting to give him second place with 93cm and the longest flat prize for a 31cm flounder. Best baits for the flats where yellows tipped with squid and mackerel.
Highlight of the match; Tracey Cooper with her 52cm 3lb 12oz codling
Chris Allsopp has fished the last two matches using a simple consistent approach which is a three hook flapper with short snoods and 1/0 hooks. This paid off today with Chris catching three whiting for third place and 89cm. He was casting around 60 yards, with his simple rig which did not tangle in the rough water, presented his baits well and self-hooked the whiting.
Highlight of the day was Tracey’s longest round fish; Tracey started off her match with a miss cast and brought it in and recast to around 60 yards she put the rod back in the rest and went about baiting up her next rig. Minutes after she noticed her rod was disappearing around the side of the shelter, she quickly hit the bite and felt a good fish head shaking and fighting in the surf. She reeled in a nice codling of 3lb 12oz. The fish almost got away, falling off the size 2 match hook onto the sand, just as it was swept in by a large wave and gave Tracey the longest round fish prize at 52cm. The fish was caught on a small black lug and squid bait.
Match organiser Russ was delighted with his 44cm codling
The rest of the field struggled to find any fish at all with five blanks recorded. Several anglers missed massive bites fishing relatively close in near the start of the match. Tony Dunk fished rag and razor had two which almost pulled his rest over the suspects being codling or perhaps an early bass. Russ Parsons at this point landed a 44cm codling as the shoal moved through. The other anglers catching anything where Dave Shorthouse, Paul Denholm and Adie Cooper who managing only one or two whiting each showing just how hard todays match was.
Dave Shorthouse with a single small whiting as a blank saver
Sandilands was the first beach Adie had brought his late friend Frank Cribb to fish. Frank passed away last year, it was the also the first venue he had fished a match with the club, and he was using Franks’ AFAW Tourney match rod in memory of his friend and fishing partner who is sorely missed. Many thanks to Adie for pegging the beach out, to all those travelling up to two hours’ drive to fish with us today and to Russ Parson for running the match.
The next match is in two weeks at Trunch lane and unusually we have two day festival the Ray Torr Memorial Shield on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th for which invites will be going out this week and we are all looking forward to seeing you there.
