What else is there to do on a Saturday afternoon with an incoming tide and a heavy Northerly wind blowing down in the West of the country? Well if I had a better bait selection on the day I would have gone after the Bass but with a few frozen Mackeral and some other bits and pieces I decided to head out with my father to our local Bullhuss haven and get stuck into these aggressive large dogfish.
It really is comfortable fishing at this spot and with the Northerly winds that were blowing the spot would be fishable as it would be from behind us. Usually we fish this mark when things are a little quiet as you are almost certainly guaranteed to get a pull from a Huss at this mark. We hit the mark and rigged up. I was using my all round surf rod with the trusty Daiwa SL20SH. My dad used my new Daiwa Saltist Nero which he seems to like a little to much!
Rigs were simple pulley rigs with 6/0 Cox and Rawle Uptide Extra hooks as the Huss are sometimes a little playful with the bait and will drop it numerous times before taking it properly. With these hooks we increase our hookup rate dramatically which is an added bonus. Before a number of times the Huss would just come off half way in during the fight, not with these hooks.
I bought along a small spinning rod to get some fresh bait and there is nothing more I like to use than a live Coalfish. It seems to pick out the better bullhuss and eliminate pesky dogfish. So I got into some Coalfish and Dad was first to cast one out. Not long after he was into his first huss and getting it to the side it wrapped and touched the braid with its body parting the main line. Oh well, its fishing. Not long after he was into another fish and it was turning into a case of the father showing the son how it is done. I climbed down to lift a lovely Bullhuss up for a photo.
Well I seemed to be just getting bait for my dad but I did however get a take of my own and with the soft action of my surf rod I had a fine Bullhuss at the side. Once again taken on the live Coalfish. After a quick photo I released the Huss and with the evening drawing to an end and the cold hands setting in we called it quits and headed home to the warm fire and a cup of tea where we argued who’s was bigger. Nothing like father-son competition.
Until next time,
Tight lines.
Fishing With Mack 