Skegness Pier Angling Club (SPAC) held their fourth match of the year last Saturday from Sandilands Golf Club. There was a reasonable turnout of 12 anglers (considering the match clashed with the Euros) consisting of 10 Club members and the welcome addition of SPAC first timers, Mark Bradbury and Frank Cribb. Both Mark and Frank paid their subs on the day; so a big welcome from SPAC, we hope you both enjoyed your first match with the Club and it will be great to see you again!
Sandilands is a shallow beach, which can fish superbly in the right conditions. But if the wind is strong northerly, the sea turns into a surfer’s paradise and we have actually had to move SPAC matches in the past to avoid the wet-suited wave catchers!
The match stretch at Sandilands looking south
There was a strong, bitingly cold northerly on Saturday and although it appeared relatively benign in the Golf Club car park, when anglers went over the top, the sea was like a scene from Hawaii 5-Oh, with white water as far as the eye could see. The match was also being fished three hours up, which didn’t help, with big waves rolling in over the shallow beach. It looked like it was going to be a grueller!!
But nil desperandum and soon our hardy anglers were trudging to their pegs, which were in place thanks to our chief pegger Adie Cooper. There were already three pleasure anglers on the beach directly in front of the access point, so Adie had put the pegs out south of them, heading towards the outfall.
A Nightmare Start
As expected, the first hour of the match was a nightmare, with the crashing waves and weed dragging end rigs southwards. There were plenty of crossed lines and tangles, with Mark Lawson for one, leaving his uncast rod on the tripod, waiting for conditions to improve with the advancing tide. There were no fish out there either, with those who were managing to hold out, bringing back untouched baits and tangled rigs. It was definitely not a day for fishing long snoods!!
The Eelman had a few dogs, but not of the lesser spotted variety
Two hours in and there had been no fish caught; although Adie on Peg 10 had missed a massive slack liner, which dropped his line onto the beach. When he pulled in, one of the baits on his small hooks had been smashed and we both suspected that a rogue bass would have been the culprit. Adie continued to blast his three hook clipped rigs to the horizon, then at 15:45 exactly (I was stood next to him!) his tactics paid off in the shape of a 26cm whiting. Eelman John Spalton on Peg 12 then spotted a tiny knock on his heavy backcasting rod, which resulted in a pretty little 21cm schoolie bass. So things were starting to look up!
Singles Are The Order Of The Day
By the end of the match, another three anglers had managed to card a single fish, so the match wasn’t a complete disaster. But once again, there was no stopping the hound magnet, whose superb technique in the challenging conditions gave him his second match win of 2023, with five fish measuring 124cm in total.
The dreaded blank has been well and truly avoided by Adie, with his second fish on his way to yet another SPAC match win
He also won the longest round fish prize with a 30cm whiting and shared the longest flatfish award with a 22cm dab. There was then a tie for second place, with Shaun Bullock catching a 22cm whiting and match organiser Russ Parsons conjuring up a 22cm dab, which also gave him a share of the longest flatfish prize.
Equal second placed Shaun Bullock with his very welcome 22cm whiting
The only other anglers to catch were John Spalton and Frank Cribb, both avoiding the dreaded blank with a tiny bass apiece.
Full result as follows:
1st Adie Cooper – 124cm – 4 whiting, 1 dab
2nd = Shaun Bullock – 22cm – 1 whiting
2nd = Russ Parsons – 22cm – 1 dab
4th John Spalton – 21cm – 1 bass
5th Frank Cribb – 20cm – 1 bass
Longest Round Fish – Adie – 30cm whiting
Longest Flatfish – Adie & Russ – both 22cm dabs
So the match was a real struggle, but I was pleased to see how everyone stuck it out till the end, with good humour and no moans.
The Eelman’s blank saving schoolie bass
Everyone gave it their best shot, in particular Tracy, who kept on trying for cast after cast, but sadly with no reward at the end. Well done all and I will post the League update, along with next match head’s up, once I can get round to it.
