Wreck fishing 

Since a couple of years, more and more people are coming to enjoy fishing from boats at the North Sea. Warm water loving marine creatures are moving North due to climate changes, including the European Sea bass. There are some basic things to remember when hunting after the spiny-finned travelers from a boat: 

The first and most important rule on board: keep quiet!- when you get close to a wreck, it’s best to shut off the motor to avoid unnecessary noise. Even a pirk that falls on the floor of the boat can have a real effect on the chances of making a catch, no matter if wreck is found to be 15 or 30 meters deep.  

The sonar picture shows a predatory European Sea bass pouncing upon a school of small fish. The wreck is found beneath the school. 

The second time we crossed the wreck-this time with the motor on- the area was completely deserted. 

Anyone who chooses not to abide by this rule will never meet or catch a single one of these shy maritime predators. Especially the bigger European sea bass are very sensitive. If something “seems fishy” to them, they will go back and hide in a wreck for hours.

Drifting or lying at anchor

There are two methods for fishing over a ship wreck from a boat.

Drifting: the skipper positions the boat in front of the wreck, turning the engine off to let tidal currents drift it over the wreck. Fishing then takes place vertically by letting the bait down to the wreck.

Lying at anchor is a maneuver which requires a skillful skipper who understands tidal currents. After anchoring, the boat’s stern side faces the wreck. Fishing takes place horizontally, letting the bait float towards the wreck.    

I really don’t think that I need to waste another word on the pirk’s catch ability.

If you want to hunt European Sea bass successfully with pirks, you should make use of their predatory instinct. A typical scene: a pilker jigging on the ground, imitating a wounded fish in a way that no predator could possibly ignore. Yet, European sea bass love even more action! Alternating the speed with which the pilker is reeled in helps to perfectly imitate a panicked fleeing fish.    

European sea bass are exceptional sprinters and often chase our quickly pulled in pirk almost up to the surface, only to catch them at the very last moment. 

Shads and twister

Compared to jigging and quickly pulled in pirks, fishing with shads and twisters is a rather calm way of fishing: shads and twisters come to life by gently tapping the tip of the rod.  

Fishing from an anchored boat requires the angler to be more agile than for horizontal drift fishing. Shad and twister are cast far against the tide and led towards the wreck by gently tapping the tip of the rod up and down; once the wreck is reached, it is slowly reeled in. Their lively personal presentations make shads and twisters quite attractive bait.