Good conditions at last
After a long spell of rain and strong winds, it was time to get out on the water again. It's so good to get out on the water again after a period of drought. At the start of this new year - and I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy fishing year - the weather slots are back. Of course, it's going to be cold for a few days and winter clothes are the order of the day. But on this Sunday, January 7, a beautiful blue sky arrived over the Rade de Brest. 3°C at the launch, the water at 11°C, a light east-northeast wind, a low rising tide throughout the session - in short, good conditions for titillating cephalopods.
At the start of the new year, I received some new jigs, and I've written an article on these new products from Yo-Zuri. The best way to test them is to fish with them, so action... The day before, I made my favorite tataki rig, with an Egi Ebi Q on the bottom and a floating mini calmero on top. I'd forgotten that this was the start of the solo race, the Arkea Ultim Challenge, and after an hour, I decided to move to another corner, as if it were the middle of summer on the Côte d'Azur. There are boats everywhere and sailing speeds aren't really respected, and with my kayak, I've got nothing to do in the middle of it all.
The squids are there
So I turned back to find a quieter spot to fall back on. After an hour's sailing, I found my happy spot on the other side of the Iroise bridge, for those who know the area. The area is ideal, with the channel at a depth of around twenty meters, and it's important to fish deep at the moment. It rained heavily in the previous few days, and squid don't like large quantities of fresh water. Freshwater is less dense than seawater, so it stays on the surface and doesn't mix unless it's stirred. As the water isn't very clear either, I boost my jigs with shrimp juice concentrate spray. Armed with these few solutions, I quickly made my squid basket in the hour I had left to find them.
For the animation, I stay on the bottom, regularly tapping the lead on the bottom. The squid are curious, so they come to see what's going on and soon smell the scent of the booster. I get my 5 squids, including 2 pretty ones, before heading off to find a spot on the beach for a snack. 3 squid on the Ebi Q, orange color (natural glow) and 2 on the pink calmero, not a single cuttlefish, which is quite rare. On the way back, I'll drag along a flapper jig, but it won't interest any customers.
Winter outings are of course shorter and it is important to optimize them by studying all the factors and weather conditions to put the right lure, the right color and the right method into action... Don't look for species that are not active - you'll be wasting your time. By sticking to the seasonality of the species, you'll be able to have a good time on the water, even in winter.
