From April 1st, it will once again be possible to catch sea bass, symbolically marking the start of the season. Fish returning from spawning are present along the Channel coast. Many fishermen are heading out to sea to try their luck. I'm one of those who takes advantage of this moment to try and catch some beautiful fish from the coast.
Heading for the Cotentin
Cap de la Hague, at the north-western tip of the Cotentin peninsula, is bordered by the famous raz Blanchard. The second strongest current in Europe, it is a major source of food for the surrounding fish.
Another reason for targeting this area is that spawning grounds are not far away, and this is where the first fish come to colonize coastal areas.
This area is very rich in food. Bass, hungry after a long period without food, will find plenty to replenish their reserves.
Why fish from shore?
This area is extremely complicated to fish from a boat. The current is strong, with drift speeds capable of exceeding 10 knots. Neither predators nor forage fish are able to stay in exposed areas. This is why they move closer to the coast, making them accessible to shore fishermen.
The foreshore is very rich in food. Big fish are often found in the calmer areas, with less current. These are the areas I turn to.
Targeting slack tides
This is when the current is weakest. I like to fish between 1 h 30 before and after slack tide. The most interesting spots are then accessible. You'll be fishing over areas of seaweed where prey hide and predators come to feed.
Shad on the menu
Sardines are plentiful in this area at the start of the season. My choice of lure is naturally a 10 to 15 centimetre shad. From shore, I use 10 to 25 gram lead heads.
The Black Minnow in sizes 120 mm and 140 mm is a formidable lure.
I also get good results with the Swat Shad in "natural sprat" color, especially when the light is still low or the water very clear.
What these two lures have in common is that they are both fitted with Texas hooks.
This allows me to fish slowly, close to the bottom, limiting the risk of hooking. I fish almost exclusively linear, swimming the lure through the water.
My favorite set, a Rodhouse rod (SJ 804 Delta) 2.43 m long and 10/40 power. I used a size 4000 reel and PE 1 braid.
On the leader side, in view of the heavy abrasion and the presence of some nice fish, I finish off the rig with about two metres of Varivas fluorocarbon in 30 hundredths.
