With the water temperature hitting double figures and the sun in the sky it is again time to welcome Smoothounds to our shores.
Every year these powerful creatures come close enough to catch from the beach while they are in search of moulting crabs to eat and a safe place to drop their young.
Without further ado we have this fabulous picture of my old friend Jason Brailey with this 6lb fish caught from Lepe Beach Gypsy Lane.
Here is what Jason told me about the capture.
“I started off the session catching a small Eel using Ragworm as bait and I had a few other small knocks on worm also. There was a guy up the beach from us and he had caught a Smoothound on Crab. I watched as he packed up and came over, I was fortunate enough to be given his left over Peeler Crab as he had to go home.
I don’t often use crab but I thought I would give it a go for a change. I put the crab on using some bait elastic and secured it to my rig using a 3/0 hook and loaded up with a 4oz gripper lead.
The bait was only in the water 4 minutes and the tip went over and the reel went off like a rocket!! The fish fought hard pulling me up and down the tide but I managed to get it in.”
Well done Jason, nice fish!!
