KEITH WARD
OCEAN KAYAK FISHING TEAM
Most of my fishing is on the south coast, from steep shingle banks on to slow, sloping seabeds of mixed ground. With a wide variety of species throughout the year making it viable to target specific quarry, with careful preparation and bait choices, you can really do well; a few hours drifting for plaice might follow a session around reefs plugging for bass.
My mum took me fishing in Scarborough when I was five, with a plastic rod, without expecting me to catch... that was my first coalfish, and I've been an avid fisherman ever since. I went on to catching mackerel in the bay in an old wooden kayak as a teenager.
I've fished off numerous kayak types, and my preference is the larger Ocean Kayaks for my competition fishing, with large stable platforms and lots of storage. I am fortunate enough to be sponsored by Ocean Kayak, so I have the benefit of being able to choose and, currently, use the Ultra 4.7xt and Trident 15.
In competitions, I rarely fish heavier than 40g rods and only choose 12lb-class if targeting big fish; these don't tend to win competitions and have a hypnotic effect, delaying that important move for variety; a 4lb black bream is a fish of a lifetime, and it's difficult to move for blennies. My rod of choice is a Berkley 3-7g dropshot, which raises a few eyebrows!
I'm proud of being the first to hold both titles in the big UK competitions simultaneously, an achievement only repeated once, by Mark Radcliffe.
Preparation is key; I plan where and when to fish, depending on tidal flow, pre-tie rigs and prepare bait for different species and terrain, hauling anchor and moving frequently.
Using unusual rigs such as a 4/0 hook with whole squid, another snood and a size 2 hook and with a 12 hook above is an option. The large bait might attract small wrasse, inevitably attracting others that take the smaller baits; that goldsinney may be the winner, so it's worth the effort.