Plaice Fishing, aboard Peganina

Grunting around the Plaice

Aboard Peganina skippered by Ant Hills

Peganina leaving Rye Harbour

It was about as calm as it gets, and sunny all day, conditions were so good that even after my last disastrous trip out to sea where I was sick for 8 hours solid ground baiting with the lining of my stomach and totally unable to fish, I was surprisingly eager to get back out afloat and find my sea legs. the plan was to drift for Plaice, having caught quite a few Plaice already off the beach, I was susceptible to target other fish, and I kept thinking maybe a bonus Turbot could be on the cards, so I bought 1 large fresh mackerel for bait and converted a few Pike spoons into 6' long flowing rigs made from florocarbon, with a single size 3/0 hook and the spoon about 2' from the hook. My Plaice rig was a conventional spreader boom with a few different snods with different colour beads with clips to attach to the spreader boom, making it easy to pre bait other snods and chop and change to suit what colour beads are working.

New PB Plaice at 43cm 1lb 10oz

It was to be a short 4 hour trip with 6 of us on the boat, I fished 2 x 12lb class rods, 1 with the Plaice spreader rig baited with fresh Lugworm and tipped with a slither of squid, and one with the 6' long running leger with spoon baited with 4" strip of Mackerel belly just nipped onto the bend of the hook. 8oz plain leads were just right for keeping the rigs on the bottom whilst we started the first drift. I slowly lowered the rig to the bottom in a controlled way as to not tangle the rig, once on the bottom, I let out about 20 meters on line and engaged the reel and set the drag, Whilst I was baiting up and dropping the Turbot rig, I noticed the Plaice rod nodding away. I let off some more line and kept the line slack for a minute, then I reeled in slowly, as the line tightened I lifted the rod gently and knew I was on immediately, A solid start to the session, a new PB Plaice at 43cm and weighing 1lb 10oz!

New PB Tub Gurnard at 2lb 8oz

After a promising start, the rest of the drift was fruitless, the 2nd drift was very quiet up until the point the Skipper had turned the engine on ready to move, and asked us all to reel in, but 2 of the guys on the boat reeled in a nice sized plaice and a Tub Gurnard, so quickly thinking, the skipper advised us to carry on fishing, bites were coming all over the boat, my mackerel bait on the spoon was attracting the Gurnards where I had 1 after another in quick succession, a new species for myself a Grey Gurnard at 1lb 4oz and 3 Tub Gurnards with a new PB at 2lb 8oz, I've only caught a couple of Tub Gurnards before and definitely not of this stamp, they are absolutely stunning fish!! and make a unique grunting sound!! All then went quiet, we set up for the last drift, I was rather hoping for another Plaice, but that never happened, a few of the other guys caught and even a Thornback Ray showed his face, but all I could mange was a solitary Dab, but that didn't matter I had had a fantastic time, 2 new PB's and a new species, even though I went for Plaice, was trying for Turbot, I had found Gurnards and what beautiful fish!! I had been given another Plaice by another angler so I had a brace to take home.  I even didn't feel sick in any shape or form, so I guess I found my sea legs, or maybe as I suspect I may be a fair weather sailor, give me time and I'll start pushing my limits again looking for that special fish. 

Gutted Gurnard and Plaice and ready for the pot.