MARTIN COLLISON
JACKSON KAYAK FISHING TEAM
I fishat different venues around the country, often competing in species or largest fish competitions.
As a teenager through to early adulthood I was a coarse match angler, and this has helped me hugely in developing sea fishing tactics and watercraft ability, which has played a huge part in my catch rates.
I fish from a Jackson Kraken kayak, which is great for my style because it’s spacious and comfortable and handles the sea very well.
Aside from fishing locally, my passion is targeting species I have not yet caught, and I frequently travel the country in search of these, discovering different venues and styles. Essex and Suffolk are murky and never really clear, so heading south or north is a treat I take advantage of, leaving bait at home and fishing with lures and shads, which is frustrating at times, but very rewarding when cod or pollack hit.
My local grounds around Clacton produce superb cod and thornback fishing, the latter present all-year, taking my preferred Bluey and Squid cocktails, with single size 3/0 running legers working best. I target cod on Pennells, with fresh black lug and squid or peeler crabs when available.
Understanding a venue is key – what's there, what the bottom is like, whether it’s rough ground, reefs, wrecks, mudflats, for example. These key factors play a huge part in targeting both species and big fish, because different fish prefer certain habitats.
My main species tactics are two or three-hook flappers with anything from a size 1 to 10 hook, with a variety of baits fished at anchor. Sabikis can play a big part too. I also like using a running leger to pick up rays and smoothhounds on slightly heavier tackle.
The majority of my fishing is on very light gear with bait, and I love using Rockfish Revolution 7-28g rods, fishing as light as I can get away with because catching the likes of wrasse, poor cod and plaice can be great fun on the right tackle.