Tandem Pollacking - 16th August 2015

I decided to get a new tandem kayak - the RTM Ocean Duo Angler in Grey Storm. Despite wanting to get out on it for several weeks then weather had other plans, but this gave me chance to rig it ready for fishing. Finally a weather window on a Sunday arrived which would give me and Holly a chance to try it out. The plan was to fish Sennen - the venue where the Penzance Kayak Fishing Meet would be taking place in two weeks time in similar tidal conditions. 

Overcast skies greeted us on arrival at the launch mark but the sea was calm and it was set to brighten up. The tide was tickling out and low was approaching. We set up and made our way to the waters edge. 

Time to launch. A few minutes of getting used to the new kayak on the water and we were off paddling to a reef mark that produced the goods last year. Baited hokkais were sent down to see if any pollack were obliging.....first drop....nailed!

Holly was also in with a Pollack, and then a few minutes later a Tub Gurnard and a Lesser Weever.....

Not a bad start. The ebbing tide had taken us quite a distance from the reef and in the opposite direction to what i was expecting. The tides can be strange around Lands End - some days the ebb will have you drifting towards Lands End and other days such as today you drift back into the bay. 10 minutes of hard paddling and we were back on the mark and i suggested tying up to a buoy to see if anything would take a bottom bait. 

The tide was roaring through! 

It was difficult to keep a bait down even with 8oz weights! We had a quite a few mackerel out and then untied from the buoy and drifted back into the bay where the tide is more benign. It wasn't long until the tide would be turning so we sat at anchor for an hour to see if anything could be tempted over clean ground. A few dogfish found the baits and then a Dab on a fillet of mackerel!

Things were fairly quiet as per normal over low water. We had a close pass by from a Porpoise no more than 30ft from the bow which was nice 

It was time to head back to fish over some reefs in the hope of some decent sized Pollack to take for tea. The tide had turned and it was as if someone had turned off the flow. We arrived back at the first mark and drifted very slowly on the incoming tide. Baited hokkais back down and the bites began. 3 male Cuckoo Wrasse came one ofter the other, topped off by this one at 1lb 4oz

Holly got stuck into another Gurnard, this time of the Grey variety 

We wanted Pollack so started fishing in midwater to avoid the wrasse and gurnards. I set up a Fiish Minnow and started to work that over the ground as we moved between different sections of reef and rough ground. Holly had a good fight with a 4lb pollack, a new PB for her. That was one for tea although another of that size would ensure there would be plenty for her family and grandparents who were visiting. We carried on and she soon had another of 3lb so that was tea sorted! The Fiish minnow wasn't getting much attention but i persisted. Holly found a snag and i popped my rod in the flush mount for a few sounds whilst i pulled out of the snag for her. I picked my rod back up, got two or three turns of the reel handle.......BANG!

My Ugly Stik 6-12lb rod hooped over and line started to peel off the reel.....This was bigger! I stopped it as i felt it getting towards the bottom, it shook its head in disagreement and i started to gain some line. Its in midwater and then it makes another powerful run to the bottom. This time its tiring and i eventually tease it towards the surface. Peering over the edge of the kayak waiting to see it appear from the blue, a dark golden shape appears. Its a decent Pollack, but it sees the surface getting ever closer and dives again but before long its back at the surface. Gilled first time and tea for Hollys family is now sorted for several days! 

It later weighed in at 9lb 6oz, my best of the year and my biggest kayak lure caught Pollack to date

More than content we called it a day and headed back in and showed off our catch to my brother and his girlfriend who were fishing on the pier. As usual the beach was busy with tourists who were keen to come and see what we had caught. Care must be taken when landing here as children are often playing in the water or on the waters edge. 

The new tandem had done us well and caught us plenty of fish. I can see it finding us plenty more fish in the future too! We had a good few species between us and we hadn't really touched the clean ground on the flood we more could be had. Fingers crossed for good weather for the Penzance Meet, all is looking good for plenty of fish!