[mark333]

Here end march you can pick up odd fish,, but last set spring Tides in April,, is
When I'll try 1st....
Most annoyed at myself last year,,
End Oct was last time I fished,, never gave Nov or Dec even a go......
Work, bills, football, life got in the way....
But won't be making same mistake this year......
Getting older now,, hopefully wiser,,, picking better Tides conditions,,,,,,,,

so with fuel prices still not properly
Lowered yet,,, (I said when all covid grants, loans were handed out, fuel duty would be there only way to get it back fast,,,,,,)
But its 15 to 20 quid a round trip now,, grab food drink, going straight from work,
It's 25,,,,,,, 3 times a week, it's 75 quid,,,
12 times month 300 quid ish,,, (easily with lures, braid, and I need a new reel)
8 months 2400, plus extras,
It's not the cheap hobby it once was,,,
So so so, would love to live near the sea,, but hour average to most marks,,
A 45 min trip, takes me to a poor mark......

Hence can't go on a whim like I used to...
Seem to not sleep as well as used to, and 3am or earlier starts are a lot harder than I ever remember them being,,, 4 hours fishing,,, then off to work,, 9 hour day,, (8 at least)
Then straight to lads football academy 3 times a week hour drive,, 2 half hours there,
Hour back......

Lots saying I didn't fish much last year,,,, its near impossible,, at times,,
You pray for great conditions on the couple evenings you can go,, and its blown out or north winds.......

Here's hoping to a better year,,,
I hope you all have a great one,,,

April, expect my 1st catch report,, better phone, better pictures....

When can we expect yours,, cheers

Mark...

 

[bigling]

We have just start in Angelsey first crabs peeling most fish for me on bait

 

[Vinny155]

I don't know alot of marks here in the UK and being based east London/Essex I've never went lure fishing here,however I'm originally from Co.Kerry and know a lifetimes worth of marks just in my bay region which I will be visiting from 1st of April for a week or two so hopefully a report or two to put up from there

 

[Reel Good Times]

Not sure when the season gets going where I’ve moved in west wales. But I’ll be trying to get out as soon as I’m back from Spain in a few weeks. Will be swinging by chesil bait n tackle before leaving Dorset as I’m currently rodless in the uk 🫠

 

[smart201]

As you say Mark, probably new moon late April is the normal time, into May. Strangely it goes quiet again for a 6 wk period before picking up again.
Biggest thing for me is the reduced stock of better sized fish available to the shore angler...they are there for sure, but in lot lower numbers. Factor in fuel and hours etc and catching a decent sized fish is even more of a prize and much less cost effective....certainly a passion driven rather than results driven hobby...
Mart.

 

[BassonFly]

Deader than a Dodo’s up along our n.coast this morning. Even our ever- reliable Rockies failed to make their acquaintance neither. Flat-lining and floundering for the foreseeable….

 

[fishlesswonder]

I get the odd schooling on lures in late April-May but it's hard work so I mostly target smooth hounds and huss unless conditions are good.
Come mid May I'll put more effort into the lures but it's not until June that I get that optimistic feeling.

 

[sergeï]

mid may for me will be good
will try 2 sessions/month , looking for the best times(around sunset/down with the flow coming ...)
2 1/2 up to 3 1/2 hours drive to get there , maybe will stay longer to make the most of it : time will tell

 

[Chrispy]

I got four fish last year in April on the IoW, but haven't caught from the mainland until May.
So my first blank report this year will be 3rd April, or the 8 th if the weather is poor in the 3rd.
I reckon SPs will catch me fish earlier than surface lures, but can't wait for the first surface fish if the year!
I've moved down to 4 days work a week this year, so there will be a lot more fishing!

 

[flatmatt]

Its funny. I don't think there are such things as marks or area's..thinking it will stop/slow the catch rate. A few years back, south hams mark, early season, me and a mate blanked spectacularly, put it down to too early..meanwhile, same tide, few miles on same coast...epic, red letter session. April..is like Anti December..best chance of a big fish of a life time..much more of a needle in hay stack, but effort or attempts might increase the chances.

 

[hammerntongues]

Just had a quick look in last years diary , my first fish in Essex was April 16th but it was my 5th attempt starting end March . Was catching most trips out after that but usually only a single a session as usually don’t let myself go home until I’ve caught , and schoolies . It didn’t pick up properly until end of May . Bearing in mind last year had a warm start I’m expecting things to be later this year . I just hope the quality of fish is better .

 

["The Devil"]

My First fish on my Local Marks was taken on 15th April in 2022,A further 30 Bass followed in April,I have caught Bass on Lures in March on my local Marks,But only when the Water temps were at 9 degrees,Unseasonly warm for the Time of year,ATM We are at 7 degrees,Hoping and praying for a rise in temps both Air and Water so the 2023 season can kick off.

 

[bass912]

There's usually an early run on the the North coast of Cornwall, from late March - early April. I'm having a look tomorrow 🤞

 

[Mike1923]

I only fish surface lures.
Bought another rod over the winter and took it out yesterday morning for an hour practice to see how it felt. Had a bass swipe at my lure 3 times.
Nearly jumped out of my skin, it was the last thing I expected while testing the rod on the small tides.

Thought I'd go out for a few hours this morning and try my luck properly but nothing.

 

[FeelingBassy]

Nothing firing on the coast here yet either by the looks of it, i was out last night for two hours on a local mark again for nothing, i might try again tomorrow at high tide if the winds stay moderate, this time last year was very quiet too until mid to end of April and it very slowly got increasingly better untill it got very good from early September to the end of October. The year before that it was different too so you'd never know until you give it a lot of hours.

 

[Ozi]

Maybe not much of help for majority of anglers here, but anyway, here on Adriatic coast season start from beginning of April and it last for a month. Second part of season is from late September to end of January.

Around december are biggest ones and maybe later depends of the season.

 

[andy1965]

The bass fishing has been crazy up here all winter, with plenty of fish being caught on bait all the way through. After last week's cold snap, the water is starting to show the first signs of warming up now, so I'll give the lures a go when we next get a spell of settled weather.

Though I've caught a few in late March and early April, it will be the spring tides in around the third week of April when the lure fishing kicks off properly though.

 

[Mukiwa]

Hi Mark,

it always saddens me when I look back, to how much fishing we used to do, especially someone like yourself that has so much knowledge to give.

Last year, I was in the same boat, hoping for a few sessions available that, contained some of the right conditions to have a half decent session, Which the few I did manage, where not bad at all, just not lures, catching a few other species i had never caught before.

Lures hardly featured for me, proberly 5 sessions at most, most were out of total desperation, fishing a neap tide, knowing I would blank totally. The sea, estuary is about 20 min walk, but working in london, made the time short.

The session on the rocks , featured better and with a 4 day session, camping and fishing on the rocks , moving locations every night, with a fish bbq every night, was Bloody awesome and now planning the same for May.

I totally agree, not getting out, since October........., for me it was september, and knowing I missed out on the big girls in the preceding months added to my frustration over the autumn. General mental wellbeing, like sleep and fitness ect, has affected me badly.

My only hope, is that this year, I can take more time out to be in my waders , clutching my rod , looking for those specail fish which you taught me to do so well over the years .

Bless merrylegs heart, she sees and feels my frustration, now that we are approaching spring already.

The costs of going fishing is crazy, totally, either bait or lures, mixed in with time to important matters, makes it very hard to do.

But for the sake of our own well being, i wish for us all , a chance to step back for a short while, even once or twice a month, grab our favourite rod, through caution to the wind, and get those much needed sessions in for our own well being .

Cheers mate and stay well.

 

[bass912]

There's usually an early run on the the North coast of Cornwall, from late March - early April. I'm having a look tomorrow 🤞

Looks like the early run has started...I've just seen this morning that a picture of a lure caught 62cm has been posted on the Penzance and Cornwall fishing site.

 

[Gazza1212121]

I normally start when the water temp is around 12 degrees (currently 7.5) so normally beginning of May for me.

However I have an itch to scratch this year, so probably in the next couple of weeks if the wind gods play ball.