Mumbles Pier Trigger Fish Hunt

I’ve just been down to Mumbles Pier near Swansea in search of my first trigger fish. A few good ones were coming off the pier in mid July, but I should have known better, the bad weather we’ve had over the past few weeks had really stirred up the water which was chocolate coloured and totally unsuitable for triggers which like clear water and calm conditions, but still it was worth a try.

I didn’t get my trigger then but will go back and try again sometime, but choose better conditions.

The fishing on the day was tough! I caught poor cod, pout, mackerel and gobies, plus lost a bass as I was lifting it up from the water. We saw a couple of small black bream taken, one corkwing wrasse, plus some lads had mackerel, one shad and couple of small bass from the front of the pier. Not great, but a fun day out!

I had to go down to size 16 hooks on 6lb Fluoro carbon fishing the two hooks close together off a single boom to get bites from the smaller fish. Top bait on the day were mussel tongues and small bits of ragworm.

What did impress me was the number of local kids off school for their holidays fishing on the pier with their mates, or a dad or grandad. It makes you question the statement that modern kids spend most of their time in front of the computer.

It was obvious that the kids on the pier where really in to their fishing in a big way and not just killing time. Neither where many of them just mackerel bashing, for the most part , they were ledger or float fishing looking for mullet, bass and bream working their gear in and around the pier pylons where the fish would be hunting. Several of the kids were there most of the day too!

It also goes to show how important the few piers we have left nationally are to our sport. They are natural attraction points for kids and newcomers as you’re bound to catch something whatever the weather or season.

BRAIDED LINE – LOAD IT TIGHT!
A common problem received from WSF readers this summer is that of braided lines cutting back in to themselves and dragging during the cast or when giving line to a fighting fish. This is caused mainly by the line being to slack on the spool.

The biggest mistake is trying to load braid like you would mono lines. Braid needs to be wound on to the spool under greater tension to form a tightly packed base. A good test, after loading, is to put your finger on the braid and press. If the line gives easily it’s not packed on tight enough. The braid should feel tight and hardly give at all under very heavy finger pressure.

The best way to load braid is to do so directly off the holding spool but under rotational tension. This is best done via a proper spool loading station. If you don’t have one of these, then get another person to hold the spool with a pencil or rod through the middle and apply pressure to the side of the spool with the fingers to give the required tension.

It also pays to pre load the fixed spool with low diameter stiffish mono such as 0.28mm which again forms a tight hard base for the top shot of braid to sit on. You can also use the mono to properly profile the spool if need be before loading the braid to give an even flow of braid off the spool. Load the braid right to the spool lip for maximum casting range.