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Kayak monday , Ardrossan .

3K views 27 replies 11 participants last post by  Warby72 
#1 ·
We always look forward to our next adventure , we check the weather and always try to enjoy the best Scotland has to offer . Ardrossan is good paddling wise , the sea wall offer some shelter and there is always the possibility to visit the island .
I retraced our trip using google maps , keeping those memories alive .
Enjoy the ride , it's fresh !


We started at low tide , a very long walk on the sandy beach .
Then paddled on , flat sea and some lovely scenery .

Fishing is improving slowly . Great fun on light tackle .

Stopping at the island .

More light fishing .
The wind increased , temperatures dropped it was time to head home .

Great paddle , cool company , 5 small pollock and one small sea scorpion . Can't be bad in February . Tight line all , thanks for watching .
 
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#3 ·
I don't have a fishfinder xflyman . Most of the fish I chase live close to the bottom of the sea in the kelp forest . I use different weighted soft lures , usually 5 to 10 gr . I fish different depth and from time to time I drop the lure down to the bottom and do a countdown . If the lure takes 20 second to hit the bottom , then the next cast will be between 18 to 20 second . Most lures have jigheads and don't get snagged . It's all about fishing the zone . If you get a nice slow drift you can fish the lure closer to the bottom , pollock usually follow the lure for a while before nailing it . I don't think i will ever get a fishfinder . I always use the drogue though !
 
#7 ·
I can see how handy navionics is from the shore as I’ve used it on a good few occasions.
It comes with a scale so you can work out roughly what distance is required with a cast to find your depth or drop off.
In the open sea, it’s a totally different story.
The fishfinder comes into its own, in that respect.

Cheers willie
 
#9 ·
Nic, I've no wish to knock a fellow yak angler or anyone else for that matter. But there are numerous spots with contours like that, some hold fish, some don't. It's not as if you looked at a chart and discovered Horse Island is it? I wouldn't fish without a fishfinder but I don't always have it switched on.

I tried one area with great contours, in the Clyde back in November , had two huge pollack. That spot will remain a mystery to most. The next time in December it was small fish. The last thing that spot needs is drones, and google images over layed on it. For someone who bangs on about the Clyde is this, that and the next thing you certainly know how to heap fishing pressure on a decent marks for a few YouTube hits. And I'm not talking about your crew. Anyone with a kayak, RIB or a boat will have a bit of that and put 20 pound of Pollack fillets in the freezer based on what you;re uploading.

In many ways Horse Island is an ideal venue for kayaks, I fish there myself occasionally. A bit like the other spot you fish up the Clyde, the bigger fish will dwindle, then the numbers. You can see it happening already. I'm surprised nobody has called you on it, maybe they have... You seem like a decent guy, super keen but if I were in the shop I wouldn't now tell you where a phone box was:)
 
#10 ·
I agree but there is 100 trawlers in the Clyde and next week I'll be fishing for roach . I certainly cannot stop people putting fish in the freezer , I certainly do not myself and my friends , I like the adventure , trusted friends and the great outdoor Scotland can provide . I might head to the east coast next month catching cod to be told by a local don't do that . Well , life's too short . And the kayak , exercises and wellbeing goes first . if you go out , share your adventures Martin . that is what the forums are all about . tight line . With hundreds of miles of coast line ride on , we are on an island , remember .
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the info as I wasn't sure as to what it was exactly that people were looking for being a shore angler. I would doubt very much if a guy in a kayak could do any real harm in the Clyde which is Europe's most heavily trawled stretch of water, and the Forth's not far behind. Keep up the good work, it's good to see someone out enjoying themselves.
 
#13 ·
I always enjoy Nicolas’s kayak reports and his updates on the state of the Clyde in particular. I can understand Martin’s concern about highlighting the potential of the area but I console myself with the fact that it isn’t accessible to those who would probably do the most damage. I have had my share of great sport on light tackle from my boat around Ardrossan with pollack into double figures and decent wrasse, and I always thought that it would make a great area for the guys on kayaks. My boat hasn’t gone into the marina for over two years because it all became a bit predictable and repetitive hammering the same species (and maybe even the same fish:() every time I managed to get out. The seal population on the island will probably remove more than the anglers that are afloat and yet there always seems to be plenty fish to go round. It verges on criminality what the Scottish government has allowed to happen to the Clyde and I certainly wouldn’t begrudge anyone their share of the sport wherever they can find it, as long as they’re not on a charter boat..:eek:
 
#14 ·
I agree but there is 100 trawlers in the Clyde and next week I'll be fishing for roach . I certainly cannot stop people putting fish in the freezer , I certainly do not myself and my friends , I like the adventure , trusted friends and the great outdoor Scotland can provide . I might head to the east coast next month catching cod to be told by a local don't do that . Well , life's too short . And the kayak , exercises and wellbeing goes first . if you go out , share your adventures Martin . that is what the forums are all about . tight line . With hundreds of miles of coast line ride on , we are on an island , remember .
The old trawler line getting trotted out as it suits the narrative. I'm not buying what you're selling Nic. I'm talking about an island/reef that's 500 yards long. It's got hee haw to do with trawling or what we had or did not have 40 years ago,my post is about what's here today. A decent couple of anglers with a mind to could take that reef apart in a week or less, fact.

I've made the odd mistake myself in my limited use of social media. I've learned. I don't have a commercial YouTube channel. The amount of fishing done that rarely gets reported on here is immense, because of things like this,.Plenty of people sharing information, me included. I was in a position to help three guys with their bass fishing last year, 2 caught for the first time and went on to do really well.
As it happens I'm not exactly a local but I'm near enough to see your point but where do I say don't fish it? It was there before I was born and enjoyed by lots of anglers before I picked up a rod, lets be crystal on that...

Valid points about exercise and spending time with your mates, totally agree. If you cannot see the point made in my original post I'm probably wasting my time.
 
#15 ·
Thanks for the info as I wasn't sure as to what it was exactly that people were looking for being a shore angler. I would doubt very much if a guy in a kayak could do any real harm in the Clyde which is Europe's most heavily trawled stretch of water, and the Forth's not far behind. Keep up the good work, it's good to see someone out enjoying themselves.
Try reading what I wrote that sometimes helps.
 
#19 ·
You said: For someone who bangs on about the Clyde is this, that and the next thing you certainly know how to heap fishing pressure on a decent marks for a few YouTube hits.

I would read this as one person can have a big effect on a particular mark. We may differ on opinions but try cutting out the patronising remarks and I'm sure more constructive discussions can follow.
 
#16 ·
I always enjoy Nicolas’s kayak reports and his updates on the state of the Clyde in particular. I can understand Martin’s concern about highlighting the potential of the area but I console myself with the fact that it isn’t accessible to those who would probably do the most damage. I have had my share of great sport on light tackle from my boat around Ardrossan with pollack into double figures and decent wrasse, and I always thought that it would make a great area for the guys on kayaks. My boat hasn’t gone into the marina for over two years because it all became a bit predictable and repetitive hammering the same species (and maybe even the same fish:() every time I managed to get out. The seal population on the island will probably remove more than the anglers that are afloat and yet there always seems to be plenty fish to go round. It verges on criminality what the Scottish government has allowed to happen to the Clyde and I certainly wouldn’t begrudge anyone their share of the sport wherever they can find it, as long as they’re not on a charter boat..:eek:
I agree with 99% of what you're saying however putting the blame on the Scottish government is pushing it mate.! It was actually the "Thatcher" government that removed the inshore no trawling zones.
Back onto the thread though, personally I really like and look forward to Nicolas's film reports.!
 
#17 ·
I agree with 99% of what you're saying however putting the blame on the Scottish government is pushing it mate.! It was actually the "Thatcher" government that removed the inshore no trawling zones.
Back onto the thread though, personally I really like and look forward to Nicolas's film reports.!
The Scottish government recently legalised electrofishing for razors after admitting that they couldn't police the ban on it. Their beloved EU condoned electric pulse fishing by Dutch commercials and now they are talking about banning it thank goodness (the voting takes place today). I hope that if the EU legislate to ban electrofishing that the SNP follow suit, although the commercial lobby is one of the strongest in all parliaments. Many people including myself reported illegal electrofishing to Marine Scotland and nothing was ever done about it. The Clyde is run as a prawn and razor farm by the commercials with Scottish government complicity.
 
#18 ·
Not going to wade into the punch up.

Fishfinders are excellent if you know how to use one and I don`t use it to spot fish. I fish one mark and the majority of fish are concentrated on rough reefs as inbetween them it is mud/sand and few fish. Another mark is slightly different and the fish hug the coast close to a small outcrop, and yet another is different again as the bottom is featureless but the creel boys know where the crabs etc are so it is best to fish close to them as the food is there and the pots also attract fish due to the smell of the bait and here a FF is absolutely neccessary as you will lose tackle hand over fist if you can`t spot the barnicle encrusted line below you. With a good card, you can sit yourself back on the mark the next time out or use a waterwolf to see exactly what is down there when the seabed rises up 8 feet and back down in a matter of a few yards ;)

Tight lines
 
#20 ·
Nic, I've no wish to knock a fellow yak angler or anyone else for that matter. But there are numerous spots with contours like that, some hold fish, some don't. It's not as if you looked at a chart and discovered Horse Island is it? I wouldn't fish without a fishfinder but I don't always have it switched on.

I tried one area with great contours, in the Clyde back in November , had two huge pollack. That spot will remain a mystery to most. The next time in December it was small fish. The last thing that spot needs is drones, and google images over layed on it. For someone who bangs on about the Clyde is this, that and the next thing you certainly know how to heap fishing pressure on a decent marks for a few YouTube hits. And I'm not talking about your crew. Anyone with a kayak, RIB or a boat will have a bit of that and put 20 pound of Pollack fillets in the freezer based on what you;re uploading.

In many ways Horse Island is an ideal venue for kayaks, I fish there myself occasionally. A bit like the other spot you fish up the Clyde, the bigger fish will dwindle, then the numbers. You can see it happening already. I'm surprised nobody has called you on it, maybe they have... You seem like a decent guy, super keen but if I were in the shop I wouldn't now tell you where a phone box was:)
You said: For someone who bangs on about the Clyde is this, that and the next thing you certainly know how to heap fishing pressure on a decent marks for a few YouTube hits.

I would read this as one person can have a big effect on a particular mark. We may differ on opinions but try cutting out the patronising remarks and I'm sure more constructive discussions can follow.
You're right about the patronising part, I take that back. I've also changed my laugh imoji to agree.

That's the last walking backwards I'll be doing. And no, you didn't read it correctly and did not quote what I said fully.

Just to be clear. If you think increasing angling pressure, from a variety of sources, massive amounts of social media on what is a small area, close to shore, for edible whitefish, in a system with proven lack of edible whitefish is a great idea, that's fine. I don't.

The irony of the above and the OP's previous comments about the Clyde don't stack up. I've called it as I see it. If you or anyone else thinks I'm wrong I'm totally fine with that. As Nic says life is too short, sometimes you need a bit of balance to the comments, here and on YouTube, otherwise it all gets a bit sycophantic.

As for the PM and the two text messages I received, I'm nobody's mouth piece and have zero interest in flaming a thread. Anybody who knows me will know that.
 
#22 ·
I understand that every time I catch a fish, or rather take it home (which is rarely) then I am impacting on that location and not in a particularly favourably way. I don't think that every time a video is posted that hundreds of kayaker's descend on that mark in a fishing frenzy leaving the area lifeless and devoid of all fish. The truth will probably lie somewhere between the two, but when I see the trawling map of our waters then at times I despair.
 
#21 ·
Well thank you for all those interesting comments . We all have opinions and it's fantastic . Starting with the fish finder . I do not use a fish finder while out fishing . To find out the depth where I am fishing I simply drop the lure down to the bottom . The lures have different weight and I can calculate the depth straight away . 20 seconds fishing close in is usually what I am aiming for , that applies for lure fishing only , I want the fish to be able to see the lure . For bait fishing , anchored or tied on , the depth won't matter , a fresh bait will . It's a waiting time , hoping for a fish to smell your bait , that can be done in 300 ft of water in total darkness . I am not sure if I will ever use a fish finder . Where I am fishing I can tell if it's sandy , rocky or kelpie just by dropping a lead down to the bottom .
The forum . A forum is a platform enabling you to share your adventures and it's instant . If no one share anything on the forum , the forum is dead . Simply as that . By sharing your experiences you keep the forum alive , if you don't the forum dies !
Maps and locations . No one fishes on the moon , there is no water on the moon . People from all over the world can enjoy this forum . I fish in Scotland and enjoy the wonderful sceneries , I enjoy the changing weather , the light and menacent clouds in the sky . I understand the water quality too , I thrive on clean water and respect the environment with passion . I hate litter louts , everything eventually ends up in the sea . Location , if one spot harvest fish , that is a good thing , it tells you , you are fishing in the right place at the right time . At the right time , remember fish migrates too , considerable distances .
The youtube channel . If you like to keep your adventures safe best use something reliable . The minute your computer dies , you lose all your memories . So youtube , flickr and facebook will keep all that safe for you and it's free .
Finally , ardrossan . Well it's a great little town with a great beach and some friendly locals . The sceneries are awesome and the sea wall is handy to , sheltering from the adverse weather .
I forgot to mention the trusted friends , the well being , the discovery aspect , the learning capacity , the cold fingers , the frill and shivering body ......
 
#24 ·
Well Martin it is absolutely none of your business trying to school another angler on whether to report or not. If you think his reports will adversely affect fishing stocks to any meaningful level, compared to other pressures, both natural or unnatural, you are deluded. I am always amazed at the arrogance of some fishermen who think a spot they fish is known only to them and is a "secret mark." Guaranteed if you know about it so do others. So get off that high horse of yours and either enjoy Nic's brilliant reports.
 
#25 ·
I could use the quote facility on here again to highlight the errors in your reply, having written it once and quoted it again , you've chosen to ignore it, twice. I'm certainly direct within the context of this thread, no getting away from that. I'm far from an arrogant person. Social media is here to stay, it's got many benefits, there are downsides.

Speaking of arrogance, and schooling, is it normal for you to tell people to “zip it” when you disagree with them on here? Maybe it was you or the mods with the edit? Thanks for the lesson, think I'll be dodging your tuition in the future squire...I also seem to remember you getting a few lessons on here, in the past, from very knowledgeable anglers. They certainly gave it a good effort...
 
#26 ·
I’m not trying to get into an argument or a disagreement on this thread, but I tend to agree with Martin. Anyone can go on social media and find the rough ground that’s holding the fish that the trawlers can’t get too.
I’ve fished the Clyde for years and by joining fishing clubs you’ll get to know the marks that can produce fish from both boat and shore.

Although in recent years there’s been clubs that just can’t wait to jump in their boats and speed of to their favourite marks, without giving you any tips or ideas of the area. But will a fishfinder and chart you’ll get a fair idea to where fish.

These clubs will predominantly fish the sea lochs and the mull/ solway area by boat . Fishing east coast and more locally from the shore autumn/ winter.

Most of fish in the rough ground will stay there all year round, wrasse, red cod, conger, mini species and pollack up to a certain size. Your bigger pollack may go into deeper water as the sea temperature gets lower. But the head of fish on these reefs will stay around the same.
The number of doubles around the island have certainly dropped big time.Years back there were countless stories of doubles taken from around the island.

There’s a good few marks very close to that area that will produce pollock to the size that the kayaks are catching. So no need to fish the one area.

I posted about the bigger kelpies ( red cod) that had been taken at Saltcoats. Year in year out, the head of fish will eventually be lost. These fish stay all year round.


It was always catch and release for us, especially if you had your boat in the marina.

You just have to look at the areas around the little Cumbria, pladda and Alisa Craig to see the effect of targeting the one species. The pollack are no longer there in size and numbers.

The area around the gamble step and ferry port is the rough ground required for the pollack, wrasse and conger.

With kayak fishing you can fish places like the ballast bank Troon, the lady isle, lappock rock and the countless reefs just off of girvan will produce pollack and wrasse.

Loads of marks down Dumfries and Galloway for pollack and wrasse.

Boat and shore anglers in clubs will target the rays, Spurs, tope, smoothies and bass during the summer and autumn months.

I can see why loads of anglers online try to hide the marks they fish, but also it’s good to catch regular too.

Cheers willie
 
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