April creek catch

[Tracina]

Hi guys! Nice Sargo in front of the Yacht Yard!!!
As a beginner, I always ask expert local fishermen when the best times to go fishing are. They will often tell you that the weather and sea conditions can make the difference between catching or coming home empty-handed. For example some common myths include:
- low atmospheric pressure stimulates fish, high tide is better than low tide, moon needs to be close to full (exerts a stronger pull on the tides), the sea should not be calm, wind known as "Maestrale" is also better.... Hmmm well, to be honest I have often found these conditions perfect just to catch a cold.

I went this morning at 4:30 am just to verify......
Conditions were:  low atmospheric pressure (1009hPa), high tide around 3 am, crescent moon (full on the 18th of April), weak wind (5-7 knots) blowing towards SE. Showers. Setup two ledgering rods with "running ledger" with 0.28 main line and 0.22 fluoro final part. Bait: "U-wishh" 

Results: one very nice Sargo!!!, 1 medium and 1 small Sparlo (by the time I took the hook out it was dead, otherwise I would have released it just like the other small ones).

Attaching picture as .doc.

Conclusions: the Sargo made up for the terrible conditions, otherwise, not much action. Got drenched! Definitely caught the cold...

Met an old friendly fisherman and I can only refer the comments:

"The creek is not what it used to be; ten years ago you would fill a bucket in an hour!!!"
Why is that? Barracuda?
"They fish with nets in the creek! No more fish"


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[Jonathan]

A very interesting write-up! Prosit & thanks for sharing

[Swordfish]

Same here mate. Went yesterday from 19:00hrs till 07:00hrs this morning. Same conditions, same fishing methods and same bait. I only caught a pagella and one nice fish caught lose... The creek is death, our hobby is death and i only do this to relax these days... The authorities needs to do something, so as we if we need to enjoy our hobby. I will try again tonight.

Nuff said

Peace all

[Tracina]

Hi Nuff,

       might be going again tonight too  That's if I can keep my eyes open. I usually only go if I can give my equipment a good straightening up! (New hook lengths, spare rigs etc.) Maybe we'll bump into each other (I always wear a red classic "tourist" cap saying "malta").

       Tonight I would like to try something new, maybe on the side. I wil keep my regular 2 rods ledgering as usual. But another rod using the technique known as "Teleferica". It's basically a type of live-bait setup. Not simple, and I've never tried it, but as you probably have noticed, we definetly have some time to spend between one bite and the other... I've noticed the "Cudas" have already started patrolling the pier...   

       There are lots of suspicious activities going on in the creek when the sun goes down (nets, longlines aaaaand spearfishing with scuba gear!!! Seen that with my own eyes). I spearfish in the summer too, but I have a regular license AND I definetly don't use scuba gear. It's tough; I am not Maltese, and I feel that any reporting on my part would be like interfering in internal affairs. Where I come from, too many STRONZI, no more fish. I hope Maltese don't allow the same disgrace.

Ciao

Ale

[The_Gaffer]

Guys, which creek are you all referring to please

[Tracina]

Sliema Creek

[twoutes]

Hi Ale.
Nice report. I'm interested to know a little more about your live bait setup, as far as rigging the bait. Do you bridle rig through the eyes socket, or just place the hook through the fish, and also what fish are you using for bait?
I belive using live bait is the most productive way to catch big fish.

[Tracina]

Maybe we should start a new topic as "live bait" is another world. But here is a fresh report from last night in the creek:

Used three rods. Two 40-90 g action and one 120 g action... Fishing with live bait!!!

Let's start from the bait: went fishing near the creek's harbour area in the afternoon in order to get it. 5m rod (Bolognese) 0.14 monofilament in the spool, and 0.10  for the hooklength. 2 g float, and #16 hook. Bait: bread&cheese paste. You never really know what you're going to catch, but mostly Mullet (Mugil cephalus), Sparli (Diplodus annularis) and Salpa (Sarpa salpa). Believe me catching them with 0.10 is easy, but boy do you have to be good with the reel's breaking system  . People often think you are playing a big fish and seem disappointed when you finally bring to shore a 10-15 cm fish!!! But sooo much fun. To keep them alive I just place them in a bucket full of sea water. While I fish I try to change the water often as they need cold oxygenated water. Then I ran home (emptied and re-filled the bucket one more time to the brim) and shoved an aquarium oxygenator in the bucket. Covering it up with a cloth seems to help calm the fish down and reduce stress. Yesterday I kept 5 bait fish: 1 Vopi, 3 Sparli and 1 Salpa (no mullet). You don't need many; if you know how to hook them up they stay alive for a long time (1-2 hours). AFTER DINNER, I WENT FISHING.

What was I targeting? Barracuda for sure as I keep on seeing them patrolling the shore, but any predator really. It mostly depends on whether you "bottom fish", or "surface fish". Last night I decided to do a bit of both:

2 classic running ledger rigs with 2m hook lengths to give the bait more freedom to move.

1 TELEFERICA. This is a particular technique that allows us to fish far from shore WITHOUT STRESSING the bait fish with a cast. Basically you prepare a rod (I used the 120g action) and just mount the lead. CAST AS FAR OUT AS YOU CAN. (At this point no hook!!!!!). Then just bring the line into tension and LEAVE THE ROD to the side. Prepare a hooklength with a swivel on one side and the hook on the other ***. Attach the bait fish to the hook IN THE BUCKET (try to avoid stressing it). DON'T KILL IT. One hook in the BACK is usually enough, TWO if the bait fish is big (ONE IN THE BACK, ONE IN THE TAIL). When you are ready, and you have "hooked" the bait fish, take the swivel and attach it to the main line you have cast out. Simply allow the swivel to run down on the tight line you have cast out. Help it by moving the rod a bit. The fish swims out. ***SOMETIMES the (MO-FO) fish tends to swim back to shore rather than going out... Add a weight just below the swivel of the hooklength as this will force the hooklength DOWN dragging the bait fish with it. GIVE IT TIME. Eventually the little fish will go much further than if you had cast it out. But mostly, IT IS ALIVE, and stays so for a looooooooong time.

You have to be careful with bite detection and setting the hook. Remember the hooklength is running FREE on the main line so you will usually see the rod fly "sideways" when you get a bite. Start retrieving but remember that you will only really set the hook when the hooklength has travelled all the way down to your lead.