10 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Started Sea Fishing
If you’re just getting into sea fishing… welcome.
Fair warning though.
It gets under your skin.
One minute you’ve bought a rod “just to give it a go”. The next you’ve got more tackle than you can shake a stick at and you’re checking the tide before you’ve even made your morning tea.
I’ve been fishing in the UK for over 50 years now, and I’m still learning every time I head out.
That’s one of the things I love about fishing. Nobody ever really knows it all.
Looking back, though, there are definitely a few things I wish someone had told me when I first picked up a rod.
Hopefully these ten sea fishing tips will save you a bit of time, a bit of money and maybe help put a few more fish on the table too.
1. Fish aren’t always as far away as you think
One of the first things most of us do when we start fishing is try to cast as far as humanly possible.
There’s something satisfying about watching a lure disappear towards the horizon.
But the fish aren’t necessarily out there.
Bass will patrol surprisingly close to the shoreline. Wrasse love working around rocks and gullies. Mackerel can suddenly appear almost under your feet.
Before you start trying to break the world casting record, have a look at what’s actually happening in front of you.
Sometimes a short, accurate cast into the right bit of water will beat a massive cast into nowhere. It's no mistake that we see novices and children holding big fish in angling magazines, they can't cast very far to begin with.
2. Don’t blame the tackle. Learn the tide.
We’ve all done it.
Had a poor session and convinced ourselves that a new lure, rod or reel is going to fix everything.
Sometimes new tackle helps.
Most of the time, learning the tide will help more.
I’ve seen anglers turn up with some seriously expensive gear and struggle, while someone fishing a simple setup a few yards away catches because they understand when that particular mark comes alive.
Learn your local marks.
Fish them at different stages of the tide and pay attention to what happens.
That knowledge costs nothing and you’ll use it for the rest of your fishing life.
3. Stop changing everything every five minutes
New lure.
Different colour.
Different rig.
Move 50 yards.
Change again.
Sound familiar?
When the fishing is slow, it’s very easy to convince yourself that you need to keep doing something.
Sometimes you don’t.
Give your bait or lure a proper chance. Fish it confidently and concentrate on what you’re doing.
There are definitely times when changing tactics makes a difference, but don’t mistake patience for doing nothing.
Fish don’t work to our timetable.
Unfortunately.
4. Check your hooks
This one sounds ridiculously simple.
That’s because it is.
Hooks get blunt.
Fishing around rocks, shingle and rough ground can quickly take the point off them, and there’s not much worse than finally finding a decent fish only to lose it because your hook isn’t doing its job.
Check the point regularly.
If it’s damaged or blunt, change it.
Hooks are cheap.
The fish you just spent three hours trying to find isn’t.
5. Perfect weather doesn’t always mean perfect fishing
Blue sky.
Sunshine.
Flat, glass-like sea.
Lovely.
For us, anyway.
The fish might have other ideas.
A bit of cloud, some movement in the water or a breeze pushing into the shore can completely change a session.
That doesn’t mean heading out when conditions aren’t safe. Always respect the sea and check the forecast before fishing. (As well as telling someone where you are going ideally).
But don’t automatically write off a slightly grey, breezy day.
Some of my best fishing over the years has happened when the weather wasn’t exactly postcard material.
6. Learn one fishing mark properly
Living in Cornwall, we’re spoilt for coastline. We really are.
There’s always another beach, rock mark, harbour or headland tempting you away.
But there’s a lot to be said for learning one place really well.
Fish it on a rising tide.
Fish it on a falling tide.
Try mornings, evenings and different times of year.
Watch what happens when the wind changes direction or the water colours up.
Eventually you start noticing patterns.
You’ll know where the gullies are, where fish tend to show and when it’s probably not worth bothering.
That sort of knowledge only comes from putting the hours in.
7. You don’t need every lure in the shop
Yes.
I know who’s telling you this.
The bloke who owns a tackle shop.
But it’s true.
I’d much rather see someone fishing confidently with half a dozen lures they understand than carrying fifty they’ve barely used.
Learn what you’ve got.
Understand how quickly it sinks, what depth it fishes at and how it behaves when you retrieve it at different speeds.
Then build your collection as you go.
Obviously, if you still want another lure…
8. Look up occasionally
Good anglers spend a lot of time watching.
Not just their rod tip.
Look for birds working over the water.
Watch for baitfish breaking the surface.
Notice changes in water colour, current lines, white water, gullies and areas where the tide is moving differently.
The sea is constantly giving you clues about what’s happening underneath it.
You won’t always get it right.
None of us do, but the more time you spend actually looking at the water rather than immediately casting into it, the more you’ll start to recognise those little signs.
That’s when fishing starts becoming really interesting.
I’ve fished with some brilliant anglers over the years.
The best ones all have something in common.
They never think they’ve got fishing completely worked out.
They’re still watching.
Still asking questions.
Still learning.
After 50 years, so am I.
9. Blanking is part of fishing
Nobody enjoys blanking.
If anyone tells you they do, I’m not entirely convinced they’re telling the truth.
But it happens to everyone.
What matters is what you take from it.
Think about the tide you fished, the wind direction, water clarity, weather and what tactics you tried.
Even better, make a quick note on your phone.
After enough sessions, patterns start appearing and before long, you'll have a fishing log in your pocket.
You’ll remember that a particular mark fished well with a certain wind or that you’ve repeatedly caught there during the same stage of the tide.
A blank isn’t always a wasted trip.
Although occasionally…
It definitely feels like one.
10. Don’t forget why you’re there
It’s very easy to get obsessed with catching.
More fish.
Bigger fish.
A personal best.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to catch a decent fish. That’s a big part of why we go.
But every now and again, look around.
We’re incredibly lucky to fish the Cornish coastline.
Some of my favourite memories from more than five decades of fishing aren’t necessarily the biggest fish I’ve caught.
They’re the people I’ve fished with.
The places fishing has taken me.
The conversations.
The laughs.
Introducing someone new to the sport.
And yes, probably even a few of the blanks.
Catching fish matters, but fishing has always been about more than that.
Fifty Years In, I’m Still Learning
Fifty years later, I’m still learning.
I still get things wrong.
I still have sessions where I wonder where all the fish have gone.
That’s fishing.
And, to be honest, that’s probably why I still love it.
If you’re just starting out, don’t worry about owning the most expensive tackle or catching the biggest bass in Cornwall.
Learn the basics.
Get to know your local waters.
Ask questions.
Talk to other anglers and try to learn one thing every time you go.
Before long, you’ll have your own stories, your own favourite marks and probably a few bits of advice you’ll be passing on to the next person starting out.
And that’s how fishing has always worked.
Knowledge gets passed around.
So here’s one for you.
What’s the one best piece of fishing advice you've picked up over the years?
I’d genuinely like to hear it.
And if you’re ever passing Atlantic Edge Tackle and need a bit of advice, or just fancy talking fishing, pop in and have a chat.
There’s normally plenty of that going on.
Tight lines,
Tony