Spring Metal Fishing Bonanza: Gar, Sardine, and Mackerel Galore in March!
How often are you out fishing on the lures in March? And what for?
March, hmm, its a tough month for shore based lure fishing… but there is some great sport to be had down here in Cornwall.
It seems that the seasons of the fish are changing. Global warming is increasing the overall temperature of waters worldwide, and as a result, we are seeing many summer species in great abundance down here in Cornwall through the winter.
I had a great fun fishing session recently working metals in some fairly shallow water over sandy bottom with some boulders scattered about. I was hoping for a Bass but Gar turned out to be the order of the day. Great fun with light lure fishing tackle!
Decent sized Gar on the Seeker! (He went back okay!)
I love lure fishing for its simplicity. I was able to grab a quick 30 minutes fishing while out for the day cafe hopping in St.Ives.
As we finished out coffees, my partner wanted to see the Tate and I wanted to go out fishing! So we split ways for a bit and off I went to grab my kit from the van. (An older Berlingo which I have come to adore!)
The wind was blowing a strong southerly, so I looked for a section of coast that would provide shelter; there was some small swell around too.
Scrambling down the rocks, I was careful not to slip on the black ice-like rock which my boots really don’t get on with. (My Dunlop cheap wellies are amazing on it!).
Tackle setup:
Rod: Majorcaft Solpara SPX-862ML 8’6FT 10-30g
Reel: Penn Slammer 4 2500
Line: Daiwa J-Braid 20lb
Down to the fishing
All I had with me was some metals to my mild dismay. I’d hoped to fish with some soft plastics to target Bass, Pollock or Wrasse but alas, metals had to do!
It wasnt a problem though as the Garfish where present and in good numbers!
I started with the lovely little Westin Salty 16g in Green Sardine. I had a chuck about with it and had some small plucks.
Next, I opted to switch it up to a white, 30g Savage gear seeker. (They are excellent & seem to be out of stock AGAIN!).
I snapped off first chuck 😢
Yep, as I loaded up the rod on the first cast, SNAP!
I watched sadly as the Seeker & small section of line went flying out. I sighed, and prepped to tie another leader and clip on.
This is a classic scenario. What must have happened is the line got roughed up on some rock, without me realising. I went to cast, and boom the braid gave way
Braid has nearly zero abrasion resistance, hence the need for a fluorocarbon leader.
Trilene is a reliable Fluoro leader option, available is a few different thicknesses to suit your casting weight & fishing needs.
It’s good practice to check your line every so often, when changing lures & when tying a new leader.
I neglected checking the line and paid the price. What made it worse was the lure was brand new!! Literally right out of the packet!!
Before tying a new leader, I checked a few feet of line for its condition and removed any I wasn’t satisfied with - more detail in this post here.
Anyway, you’ve got to keep your chin up and carry on; gotta be in it to win it.
On went a new leader & Seeker lure
Opting this time for a 23g Black and orange seeker, I clipped on & off I went casting.
After a few casts fanned across the area in front of me, I had a hit over toward a boulder.
A second cast in the area, and fish on!
The tip juddered and then went weirdly heavy!
I couldn’t figure out what it was..
Then, surfaced a Gar fish! Wahey! I was excited to see a fish on my line!
This chap was foul hooked, often the case with Gars! I carefully removed the hook and sent him on his way.
Garfish are a fascinating fish, with a long beak, green flanks, and prehistoric form; they can be found basically all over. They are known under all sorts of names like Long-tong in Australia.
What’s cool is that Gar aren’t normally around at this time of year, yet over the last couple of years, there's been loads about down here in Cornwall.
For whatever reason, they are here. Maybe it’s a sign of the times? I don’t know exactly but things are changing.
Have you noticed anything changing where you are? Drop a comment below!
More casts, more fish!
I carried on fishing, chucking the Seeker out near structure to attract the attention of any reef-dwelling nautical residents and kept getting more Gar! They must’ve been shoaled up tightly.
I was fishing using a mixture of sink and draw and straight retrieves. Both are good methods and its worth switching up your technique all the time.
The sink and draw technique:
Cast, pause, sink, lift & reel in, repeat!
Straight retrieve technique:
Cast & retrieve, with varying pauses before you retrieve.
Why are Savage Gear Seekers so good?
I love Seekers. They are versatile, adaptable, readily available in many weights and colours and reliable.
Black/red FLUO Seeker ISP - Bass love this one. On sale with this link
For your metal fishing, look no further than a Seeker, they run pretty shallow (The Westin Salty runs shallower), which is ideal for rough ground.
The action on them is wicked. On a straight retrieve, they flutter subtly, rolling and flashing, imitating a prey item.
On the drop, they flutter more sporadically, especially the surf seeker versions. Letting them flutter around on the pause is deadly for inducing a strike.
With only a short time left, I kept fishing and managed to watch the Gar chase the lure to my feet. This was great fun to see from my elevated position.
BZZ BZZ - Phone rings - Home time!
That was the end of the session and just in time before the rain came in again!
I Hope you enjoyed this more chatty post, Ill be posting more as time goes on and Ill be interlacing tips and tricks within them for you take away with your own fishing.
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Thanks for reading
Tight lines 🎣
