This 2024 edition of the Grand Pavois international boat show in La Rochelle benefited from clement wind conditions. For testing sailboats and boats adapted to rough conditions, a light breeze may be of interest, convincing users of the merits of one hull over another. But for the Grand Pavois Fishing competition, it's undeniable that anglers prefer bright sunshine and calm seas.
Calm seas for fishing in the Pertuis d'Antioche
This was the case on Friday, with the wind easing slightly and the sun shining brightly. As a result, the Grand Pavois Fishing competition was able to take place in its vast main area: the Pertuis d'Antioche.
From the bridge over the Ile de Ré to the north of the Ile d'Oléron, the area offers a wide range of fishing techniques for targeting sea bass. Good news for the 34 teams registered for this 2024 edition.
Prefishing: successful prospecting
Once again this year, I sailed my boat from Dieppe to La Rochelle to represent the April Marine team, along with my team-mates Frédéric and Bastian. We were able to prospect before the competition to confirm the presence of sea bass, as well as the difficulty of getting them to bite. Indeed, if echoes appear on the sounder, the fish are difficult to find. The water clarity is mediocre, to say the least. You'll have to get your lures under the fishes' noses!
However, on our prefishing day we caught a quota of sea bass, including a big fish caught by Fred, which confirmed our technical choice and enabled us to draw up a strategy for the first day of competition.
Friday Channel: a trickle of fish
On D-day, we paint the rocks near Oléron, with the same difficulty as during our prefishing. Things are clear: you're not going to miss the rare bites! In the middle of the run, I hit a 52 cm bass, which literally engulfed my shad. Surprising, given the poor results and radio silence on fish measurements during the competition.
At the end of the morning, we fish on other rocks further inshore to scrape at the break in the current with tiny 10 cm slugs. Bingo, Bastian hits a nice, plump 67 cm bass. Unfortunately, Bastian broke another big one on the next drift, which would have put us close to the podium. But that's the way the game goes, and we're 10th in the provisional standings.
Saturday round: minimalist touches
The second round has been moved to Saturday for better fishing conditions.
The wind is stronger and the drifts faster. This time, the number of fish on the competition is decreasing and we're finding it harder to get our fishing done. The fish aren't meshed. We head for a calmer retreat to fish on the fly and with swimming fish, and record a few minimalist bites that are difficult to hook. The fish are really fussy and we don't score any points on this run.
What a pleasure to take part in this competition immersed in the heart of an unmissable boat show. We caught a lot of fish, including some fine specimens, and enriched our approach to the area for future editions.
