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Many anglers think that catching plaice is easy. All you need to do is to get the right mark, the right tackle, the right bait and the right distance from shore. In fact, if you get everything sorted you can have a terrific day’s fishing.
At least in theory! Get it wrong, however, and you are wasting your time…
The first place to start when shore fishing for plaice is to choose a mark that offers you a decent chance of catching fish. Beaches are obvious marks but you can catch plaice from anywhere where there is a sand or gravel bottom, especially if this is combined with plentiful food. What you need to do is to use a little imagination and figure out any advantages that will increase your chances of connecting with a decent fish.
Take your bait, for example. Ragworm and crab are very good baits, but keep an eye on what is happening around you. If you have turned up on the beach just after a storm then there is little point in offering ragworm if the fish are gorging themselves on razorfish and clams churned up by the swell. Similarly, if local trawlers have been hammering the beach where you are fishing, then is there really any point in trying at that particular moment in time? Surely it is better to wait for a few days and see what develops?
Sometimes it is better to ignore the beaches and go for a spot where a rocky headland gives way into deeper water. It may have rocks all around it, but distance casting with a streamlined rig, such as the tackle shown, will usually put a bait onto sand. This has several points in its favour, including the fact that there will be a sheltered area close to the rocks where larger fish may be lurking in comparative safety from the local trawlers.
Judge this distance accurately and you can put your bait in the midst of a natural feeding zone which offers more than the usual degree of shelter; perfect conditions for a population of larger than average plaice!
