Sea (Bass) Fishing is for enjoyment - whatever the cost!

You get what you pay for in life and fishing is no exception!

I have been reading quite a few blogs and sites lately promoting the virtues of cheap tackle as if to say that it is better of you don't pay much for tackle.
I have been thinking about this over the bank holiday weekend and decided to put pen-to-paper in a bid to put across the arguement for paying a fair price for your tackle.

Recently we have been talking to Cox & Rawle making Great British Kit for many years and are now relaunching their brand - you have to admire them for what they are doing in a bid to get fishermen what they want and wherever possible to get it made in Britain.  To do this people have to be parepared to pay what its worth and to understand why.

We all know the tory of Hardy & Greys (and Chub) one great British brands made in China and now ripping of fishermen by selling at prices as if it were still made in the UK! That's nonsense and we won't support it in our shop.

But come on guys when you are buying your tackle you need to recognise companies with employees, in bricks and mortar with rent, rates and taxes over the mass of ebay ships in bed rooms operating below the radar!  Cheap tackle means you are buying from someone you pays nothing for his business.  When he goes, there is no one to complain to if your rod breaks and if it doesn't work.  If it seems to good to be true it probably is!!

There are loads of products out there like Rovex Rods, Shakespeare and countless others that are made for the holiday makers that load up the car as the drive to M5 on their way to the coast loading up with rod, reel and line kits to enjoy during their fortnight of fun with the kids - used one week and left in the guest house or in the garage when they return home.  No harm done - I call this means-to-an-end fishing and keeps this coastal shops in business!  God bless them!!

Pause a moment though you serious fishermen .... if you buy a rod for thirty quid, what quality did you expect to get for it?? Let's talk it through.  20% VAT, Trade Price $12.00 or less, distribution costs £6.00 and so ex-China £3.00, yes that's three quid!! Don't forget the maunufacturer makes money for lets say you get a pounds worh of components to make a £30.00 rod! That's ALL.  What on earth do you think you are getting for that?

On the other extreme hand-built in Japan rods are £500 and are still great value for money.  Fists you need to understand that a Japanese built rod will be very special and the cosmetics will be nigh on perfect.  You pay for that but shouldn't talk it down as nonsense.  Hand built cane rods start at £1,500 - its amounts to the same thing.  That money goes into research and development and top quality components!  The bottom ring on my spinning rod cost more that a holiday makers complete outfit!

I urge you to pick up rods and feel the action and get someone to help you understand the differences, these guys are happy to share their knowledge even if you dont buy the best!
I am a self confessed tackle tart and am always looking for what's new and love trying out new tackle, but would be the first to say that copy, cheap tackle just doesn't cut it - sure its good enough, but these days with the pressure on fish and the irrefutable fact that catches are getting smaller finesse is all.

Cheap products generally have poor quality finish and little or no finesse.  These days this isn't going to help you catch fish - when you bear in mind that the only thing that the fish actually sees why would you cut corners and buy cheap hooks? Buy the best terminal tackle you can afford and enjoy your fishing!!

VARIVAS 2500V Streamer Hook Series

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Have you ever wondered why fishermen spend so much money on the best rod and reel, the finest line and pay a fortune to visit some far off land to catch for the fish of a lifetime and then start looking for the cheapest hooks or flies they can find!  It make no sense since the fish only sees the hook and it is the hook set that lands the fish!!

These hooks are not the cheapest, but they are amonst the best that money can buy ...

VARIVAS 2500V Streamer 

3x Heavy, long tapered V-CUT point. Standard streamer hook with all the features of our other wet hooks – sure setting and great holding power to land even aggressive fish

Available in sizes #2 to #12 - colour matt bronze

VARIVAS 2500V-SE Streamer 

3x Heavy, long tapered V-CUT point. Standard streamer with a straight-eye for surface streamer applications

Available in sizes #2 to #12 - colour matt bronze

VARIVAS 2510WB Keel Streamer 

3x Long, 3x Heavy, Wave Barbless. The keel style is not new, it’s a proven style that avoids snagging the bottom.  Ours has an off-set point that ensures a better set and in this barbless form ensure minimum of damage to the fish

Available in sizes #2 to #12 - colour matt black

Check out these and other VARIVAS Patterns at:

https://www.seadogtackle.co.uk/hooks/2500v-se-long-taper-straight-eye-hooks

VARIVAS 2600V Saltwater Hook Series

The VARIVAS 2600 Saltwater series are the latest innovation when it comes to tying saltwater flies.  Made to the highest specification, they are the ultimate when it comes to sharpness.  These modern looking hooks were designed by IGFA fly rod world record holding angler Eizo Maruhashi, using high-power carbon and stainless steel for extra strength enabling the fly fisher to hook, play and land large hard-fighting fish such as tarpon and sailfish.  Smaller sized hooks are great for tying Clousers and Pike flies.

The gape on these hooks is larger than that found on traditional hooks; the gape on a #4 hook is comparable to #2 on traditional style hooks.

VARIVAS 2600 V supersedes 990C carbon hooks.  They are produced from heavy hi-power carbon steel, short-shanked with wide gape, featuring the extra-sharp V-CUT point, and a straight eye.  The unique matt rust-resistant finish keeps the hooks sharp and shiny.

VARIVAS 2600 ST-V supersedes 990S stainless hooks.  They are produced from heavy stainless steel, short-shanked with wide gape, featuring the extra-sharp V-CUT point, and a straight eye. The unique matt rust-resistant finish keeps the hooks sharp and shiny.

VARIVAS 2610 ST-V supersedes 994S stainless hooks.  4x long 4x heavy these hooks are produced from heavy stainless steel, long-shanked with wide gape, featuring the extra-sharp V-CUT point, and a straight eye.  The unique matt rust-resistant finish keeps the hooks sharp and shiny.

For these and other VARIVAS patterns check out our site

https://www.seadogtackle.co.uk/hooks/2600v-salt-water-carbon-short-hooks

 Product Specification

	VARIVAS 2600 V	VARIVAS 2600 ST-V	VARIVAS 2610 ST-V
Material	Carbon Steel	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel
Pack	12 hooks	12 hooks	12 hooks
Hook Sizes	#4/0 #3/0 #2/0 #1/0 #1	#4/0 #3/0 #2/0 #1/0 #1 #2 #4 #6 #8	#2/0 #1/0 #1 #2 #4 #6

Sea Bass Fishing Techniques 101

Sea Bass Dicentrarchus labrax seem to be Britain's favourite sea fish! So here we define how to catch this top predator and what rod, baits and rigs will tame bigger specimens

Ride of a lifetime!
There is absolutely no mistaking a bass on the end of your line. A long fish with alluring silver metallic scales, a tail like a shovel, sharp gill plates and a spine-loaded dorsal fin – the bass is probably the most attractive of our fish.
Widely spread through our waters, it can be caught in harbours and estuaries, within feet of the coastline and out to sea over deepwater wrecks and reefs, the bass is one of our only species comfortable feeding at all depths in the water column, down to depths of 150ft.
Bass use three methods of targeting their prey
- by sight - they are most prolific in our the shallow waters where the light enables them to see their food most easily.
- by scent using their flared nostrils as receptors across their head – this is how so many bass are caught on static deadbaits like peeler crab and mackerel.
- by feel - bass have a super-sensitive lateral line so can sense the slightest change or movement in the water, which is why they are readily targeted for lure fishing.

Location And Habits
Bass quite happily feed over all manner of sea bed structure including sand, mud, shingle banks, reefs and wreckage but are never far from a bait source. They will take all manner of bait, but their feeding predominantly follows a pattern. Open water bass in the spring and summer will feed on sandeel. In the autumn months they will feed up heavily on mackerel and herring. In the winter months they rely on anchovy and sprat. Inshore bass are somewhat different - all year round they will feed on shellfish, crabs, marine worms and any smaller fishes that happen to be in the wrone place at the right time!
Because bass quite happily frequent inshore marks, they are accessible to small boats as well as bigger charter style vessels, although bass do love tide and this will pose some  safety issues for small craft.
Where there is a large tidal range, there will be bass, they even seem to prefer the biggest tides of the month – spring tides, because there will be a greater speed in the run of tide. However, where there is lots of tide there will also be races, overfalls and generally areas of rough water not suited to inexperienced skippers or small boats and kayaks.  Never the less, many big bass fall over periods of neap tides, and slack water can be a great time to pick up a rogue big fish. Bass do have a feeding hierarchy and on many occasions the larger adult fish do choose to feed before or after the mass of juvenile fish.

Tackle and Technique
Rods – These days with so many places to fish for bass, each with its own tackle needs and tactics. Therefore, the bass specimen hunter will need a variety of rods in his armoury to be able to fish a variety of locations and conditions. Bass love tide and as with all angling, prevailing conditions, tide and depth will determine what rod is needed. Having said that, all bass rods need to have a suitably sensitive tip to help absorb the fish’s lunges as they approach the boat, ensuring less lost fish!
Surface-caught bass using float, free-line and plug fishing, are best caught on purpose built rods and their are plenty of them these days especially in the SMITH rod range and this style of tackle will only maximize your sport. For bottom fishing, a 12lb class rod is the most commonly used, however there will be days and areas where this can be reduced down to a 6lb class. It will all depend on where, what conditions and what depth you’re fishing at. For those that fancy casting a fly for this species – a progressive 8-weight Marryat Sea Bass Saltwater fly rod will do just the trick.

Reels and Main Lines – When using sporting tackle, it is important to balance the rod with a correctly weighted reel for maximum control. A 5000-7000 sized multiplier will pair nicely with any 6lb to 20lb class outfit, and use fixed spool reels for spinning, which aren’t rung for multiplier use. As for mainline – total control is needed when fishing for bass that are feeding tight to the sea bed over sandbanks, reefs and wrecks, so a good 20-30lb braid will help you keep your gear on the bottom while giving maximum bite detection and a quick strike to hook-set speed. When fishing for bass that are feeding either mid-water or on the surface, clear monofilament between 10-15lb will offer perfect bait presentation without the tangles that are associated with braid fished with slack lines, with one exception – braid suits bass spinning and plug presentation.  But beware when using braid, especially if you are using 30lb braid with a stiff rod like a "Red Rod" that you are now now making the hook into the weakest part of your rig if you get hooked into a 10lb fish - don't blame the hook manufacturer if you don't have a progressive enough action in your rod.  That's why we recommend SMITH Rods as they have a light yet stiff rod tip to be able to cast small lures or baits bit have a progressive enough action to be able to bully the fish home - this is especially important if you are intending to release the fish!

Rigs – Bass can be caught using many different rig tactics from feathers, jigs, pirks, to long flowing traces with livebaits and pennell rigs for deadbaits – the style of fishing and choice of rig will be very much down to the local preference in the area you fish but there is one rule of thumb… keep it simple and keep it invisible!  Of course we are going to recommend that you check out our site and choose the most suitable for your needs - Cox & Rawle are our preferred choice. Well tied on superb materials with top quality components!
Bass are probably the cleverest fish to swim in our waters and on the majority of occasions they won’t offer themselves up for free. Fluorocarbon snoods will increase catches in shallow, light conditions and, because of the way a bass takes a bait in a 'hit and run" fashion, they are a species that suits the use of circle hooks, which will aid catch and release as well as positive "cheeked" hook holds. Before fishing find out what tactics suit your area and remember to keep it simple.

Bait – Bass love livebait and since sandeel, mackerel and sprat and sardine are a big part of their seasonal diet, you can’t go wrong at certain times of the year if you use these and present them correctly. As for lure fishing, bass will take all manner of surface, mid-water and bottom lures including spinners, plugs, jellyworms, shads, eels and small pirks. Lure choice will be again down to local preference, depth, conditions and the baitfish present in your area.
Static bottom baits fished hard on the bottom, using simple running rigs are employed from time to time. Frozen sandeel, lugworm and ragworm, peeler crab and large flapper deadbaits all suit the static-bait way of fishing.

Places to Look – New bass fisheries are popping up all the time and bass can now be caught from around the whole coastline of the UK. The southern counties have had bass fisheries dating back many years, and many south coast ports now have all year round fishing, but each year as spring approaches and the water temperature increases, bass shoals make their way northwards up both our east and west coastlines.
The East coast now has a sustainable summer bass fishery, and South Wales produces bass fishing that can only be described as spectacular! Never the less our most productive bass fishing can be found along the South coast including English Channel ports based in the mid- East-English Channel, and of course around the Channel Islands.

Specimen Sizes – The current British Record is an amazing 19lb 12oz caught recently from Sandown Pier, Isle of Wight, but these days every autumn some staggering fish in excess of 18lb are caught and there is every chance that this record may go in coming years. As for specimen sizes – school bass up to 2lb are great fun to catch on light tackle and should all be returned. Fish from 3-5lb offer a good fight and are a delight to catch. All fish 6lb up to double figures really are a trophy catch.
Please release your larger speciments to ensure that they can spawn and sustain our vital bass fishery!!

Inspired by Dave Barnham of Boat Fishing Monthly

SMITH Super Ulm Sinking Tide Minnows

Super ULM was developed specifically as a salt water lure and is a must in any lure box because it is so versatile and productive!

Lipless 115mm
Sinking 26 grams
Silent
Swim Depth 0.5 and 12 meters

It swims with a unique rolling / wobbling action, wagging its tail from slow to medium speed depending on the speed of your retrieve. It darts with only slight twitches of your rod tip.
With its super slim body the Smith Super Ulm casts extremely well and is a worthy addition to your lure box.

Centrally weighted this sinker drops in a perfect horizontal position, easily add action with twitches of the rod.  Slow retrieve at 12 metres and it is still responsive - easy to work with your rod b ecause of its low center of gravity.

SMITH Super Ulm is a killer lure for sea bass in our waters but has an impressive record on estuary run salmon, sea trout and is excellent on migratory fish like baracuda, tuna, bonito, amberjack,seabream and even pike!






Check it out at
https://seadogtackle.co.uk/lures/super-ulm-115cm-sinking-26g

SMITH Vivid Live - Soft Bait Paddle Tail

These are a great soft bait and selling like hot cakes at the moment!

They are perfect for any saltwater game fish, especially sea bass when they are starting to get selective. Great for Zander and Perch too!

80mm (3 5/32 inch)    3.5 grams      7 per pack

They are successful as they are life-like and swim so naturally that they are irrisistable !

Available in all of the classic colours:



buy now, while stocks last!

https://seadogtackle.co.uk/lures/vivid-live-7cm-35g-soft-lure-5

SMITH Saruna Seabass Minnows

SMITH Saruna 125F is a legendary lure and is one of the original Japanese Tide Minnows - deadly on sea bass in our waters but is equally effective when stalking Barracuda and Wahoo, for example, in warmer waters!
It's a shallow to medium diving lure. It cast well for its size and weight too and has a unique swimming action. Its weight transer system allows for a good cast and there is a counter balance weight in it head to tune the lure for those stop and twitch situations.

The Saruna has been one of my own personal secret weapons for many years as it comes in a variety of sizes and depths!
Use a slow retrieve to create a rolling action or speed things up for a much tighter wobbling action; both of which bass and pike find irresistible. Things are further enhanced by two internal tungsten balls that mean you can cast the Saruna Slim a good distance even into a breeze.

Saruna and all SMITH lure are worth the premium because they are fitted with top quality OWNER ST46-TN trebles

Available  in a variety of sizes and weights:
Saurna 95F   95mm  9.5g Floating 1.0M Swim Depth
Saruna 110F 110mm  14g Floating 1.4M Swim Depth
Saruna 110MDS 110mm 16.5g Sinking 2M Swim Depth
Saruna 125 Dragon 125mm Sinking 35g 0.4-5M Swim Depth
Saruna 125F 125mm 18g Floating 1-1.8M Swim Depth
Saruna 125SP 125mm 19.5g Suspending 1-1.8M Swim Depth
Saruna 140 Slim 140mm 18g Floating 0.9M Swim Depth
Saruna 145F 147mm 31.5g Flaoting 1-1.8M Swim Depth


https://seadogtackle.co.uk/lures/saruna-125cm-floating-lure

The Ultimate Seabass Travel Rod - SMITH Bayliner SB 4-piece Plugging rods

They have finally arrived and really look the business!!
We have often been asked for high quality travel rods and finally have two cracking Seabass rods to offer (7ft 6in and 8ft 6in).  Both are 4-piece rods and come in their own padded soft carry bags for mobility and will easily fit into cabin bagage or suitcases.
These rods are built in Japan so the cosmetics and finish are of course outstanding! and a The blank is superb as only SMITH know how with a continuous progressive action - mounted with Fuji K-Series Alconite rings. Dark blue EVA gives you a good grip and finishes the rod to combine power, finesse, lightness, in this compact format .... everything required by the traveling fisherman.

Length:  225cm (62cm packed)
Casting Weight:   3 - 14g
Line Weight:   4 - 12lbs
Handle:   (EVA) 40cm
4-piece
Weight:   133g