GREAT PLACES TO FIND HIDING FISH
MOORED BOATS
Moored vessels, especially commercial boats, can provide great cover for fish. When the crew are cleaning the decks and nets, fish are quick to move in to get at the discard coming off the boat.
From top water, especially at night, down to the seabed, various species take advantage of this activity. They use the boat as cover and an ambush point, or merely wait for food items to wash out from the boat.
A good tactic is to cast alongside the boat with a soft plastic rigged on a light jighead, and, with a tight line, allow the jig to fall back towards you on a curved fall. This mimics the small items of food washed off the deck. It pays to work on either side of the boat, including between the vessel and harbour wall. Working the lure vertically can throw up some surprises, including large species and unusual lure catches, such as eels.
You must be aware of mooring ropes. These are best avoided, because not only are they a major snag risk but, also, leaving hooks and jigs in a rope can be dangerous for the fishermen.
PONTOONS
Boat pontoons offer excellent cover for fish to hide, and also act as an ambush point. They are a permanent cover, unlike the transient nature of commercial boats. They are always worth targeting and can throw up surprising species.
I tend to target them with light jig heads cast along the edge of the pontoon utilising curved fall techniques. It also pays to work both sides of the pontoon, including the gap between the harbour wall and the floating pontoon.
In order to work a lure in these tight spaces, a shorter rod comes into its own, and techniques tend to be much more vertical in approach. When fishing these tight gaps, you have to be aware that if you do hook a bigger fish, it can be more difficult to land them. The fish are able to rub your line against the edge of the structure, and if the gap is quite small, then it can be a bit of a struggle to lift the fish out of the gap.
If you do hook a bigger fish that dives under the pontoon, you can push your rod tip into the water so it is below the edge of the structure.
TACKLE AND LURES
When working these areas, and especially if I am using on-the-drop techniques, a shorter LRF rod of 7ft with a solid tip can be my go-to item. Being a bit shorter, it allows me to have more control of the tip when I am working in tight spaces.
A fine, solid tip helps me to see bites as fish grab the lure as it is falling. It also has the benefit of offering very little resistance, which allows fish to suck a slowly-falling lure in with confidence. A selection of jig heads from 1-3g in sizes No. 8 and No. 6 should deal with most species.
I love Isome and Gulp sandworms rigged on a jighead, but small paddletails fish well with a curved fall technique. The paddletail wiggles as it falls and helps the lure to fall a bit slower than a straight worm lure. A slower descent not only gives the fish more time to intercept the lure, but also the tail vibrates to induce the fish to bite.
You can alter the weight of the jighead to achieve a slower fall, and this presents lazy fish with an easy meal. Often these fish are the biggest too, so be prepared for a scrap when you set the hook. With this in mind, I use a fairly high drag setting when fishing in and around structure, as it pays to bully the fish out from the cover, whereas a drag setting that is too light can allow a fish to dive under the boat or pontoon.
Luckily, one of the joys of LRF rods is that they bend, which can cushion the lunges of fish without them having to take line.